Large supermarkets earn space in the distribution market.

If there were doubts as to the best formula for success in the Spanish market, the 2009 Yearbook Nielsen dissipated: the type of establishment that grew most in 2008 was the supermarket in 1000 to 2499 m2, which registered an increase of 7 %.

After the INE data suggest the chains as the only medium with a positive balance in the retail sector last year, the annual report by Nielsen has confirmed the successful vein of large supermarkets, which already have 70.8% of all sales of packaged food, 75.7% of dairy products (yogurt, etc.) and 74.3% of frozen ones.

The crisis does not affect the major supermarkets and also the consumption of household products, which during 2008 has risen by 4.6% to 66,700 million euros. According to Nielsen, the growth was "to increased prices, as sales volume remained stable or even declined in some cases, such as drugstore and perfumery.

Despite the fact that Spanish households maintained their usual purchases of food and commodities, there is a new trend in the choice of their products: brands gain distribution space on the shelves, bringing its market share to nearly one third of the Total sales are only considered if the big supermarkets and hypermarkets. With an increasing share of around 3%, the growth of these brands has accelerated over the previous years, because they would win around a year.

The share of white markings is particularly significant in some sectors (power pack reaches 35.2% of drugstore products and cleaning 40.9%), but the teachings of the manufacturers tend much weight into categories such as drinks or perfume and hygiene, where the MMD (distributor brands) account for only 15.5% and 15.4% of sales, respectively.

A. Marques - Madrid

Expansión 19/02/2009