The supermarket chain with 268 stores taking on Mercadona that could reach Andalucía « Euro Weekly News

If you have ever walked into a supermarket in Spain and wondered why the same handful of names seem to be everywhere, a new contender may be worth keeping an eye on. One Galician supermarket chain has quietly grown into a sizeable national business, with hundreds of shops, thousands of employees and plans that have taken it well beyond its home region.

And if you are wondering whether Froiz could eventually arrive in Andalucía, there is a catch: the chain is expanding, but there is currently no confirmed announcement of a new Froiz store in the region.

From Galicia to 268 stores

Froiz has its roots in Pontevedra, Galicia, where the family-owned company began in 1968. More than half a century later, it has become one of Spain’s larger supermarket groups. The company finished 2025 with €970 million in net sales, up from €943 million the previous year, according to its latest figures. It now operates 268 company-owned outlets across Spain and Portugal. 

That figure includes 249 Froiz supermarkets, seven Hiper Froiz stores and 12 cash-and-carry outlets operating under the Ekomax and Cash Froiz names. There are also 80 franchised shops operating under the MercaMas, MercaExpress and Atlántico brands.  The group employs around 7,000 people and describes itself as a supermarket focused on proximity, fresh produce, national brands and its own Froiz products. 

Where can you find Froiz?

Despite its size, Froiz is still concentrated in a relatively small number of regions. In Spain, the chain currently operates in Galicia, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha and the Community of Madrid. It also has shops in northern Portugal, including the districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga, Porto and Aveiro.  Its expansion has not simply consisted of opening small neighbourhood supermarkets.

In 2025, Froiz acquired three Masymas stores in León from Hijos de Luis Rodríguez, with the existing employees retained. The move helped increase its presence in Castilla y León.  The chain has continued opening stores during 2026, including a new supermarket in Sanxenxo, Pontevedra, in June. That 2,125-square-metre store includes fresh food counters, prepared meals, a café, free parking, home delivery and online shopping. 

What about Andalucía?

This is where shoppers in southern Spain may have to wait, there is currently no confirmed Froiz expansion into Andalucía. The company’s own current list of operating regions does not include Andalucía, and its 2026 news and openings published so far show activity concentrated in areas where it already has a presence, rather than announcing a move into the south.  That does not mean Andalucía is permanently off the map. Froiz has demonstrated that it is willing to expand beyond Galicia, including into Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León.

But there is no announced date, city or confirmed project for an Andalucía opening at present, so claims that the chain is about to arrive in the region would be premature. There is another reason the south could be an interesting market to watch. Froiz already has experience competing outside its traditional territory and has been gaining ground in Madrid, where its expansion has been noted alongside other regional supermarket operators. 

Could Froiz take on Mercadona and Carrefour?

Froiz is nowhere near the scale of Spain’s biggest supermarket chains, but it is increasingly competing for the same shoppers . Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl and Aldi dominate much of Spain’s grocery market, while regional chains have also been expanding and gaining ground. Froiz is among those regional operators benefiting from the continued strength of supermarket groups with a more local presence. 

Its strategy is based heavily on fresh food, proximity and a broad range of products rather than trying to copy the country’s biggest chains. For shoppers, that means another supermarket name is becoming increasingly familiar outside Galicia, and with 268 stores already operating, Froiz is no longer a small regional player. For Andalucía, however, there is nothing to add to the shopping list just yet. Froiz is expanding, but the arrival of its green-and-red signs in southern Spain has not been announced.