The Mercadona Hub in Alicante Drives Fast Online Deliveries
Activity at the Mercadona hive in Alicante is already intense. The facilities, built by the supermarket chain, concentrate on serving the market from the Llano del Espartal industrial site. An online sales service is already active in the area, handling thousands of orders daily. The pace has even quickened this summer as tourists with second homes fill pantries on the coast. The hub’s launch marks the fourth such facility for the company.
Company leaders described the operation during a Monday briefing: Anne Mendes, preparatory coordinator, and Ismail Barea, distribution coordinator, joined by the mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, a member of the city’s business council, Mari Carmen from Spain, and Mercadona’s Provincial Director of Foreign Relations, Luis Consuegra. A subsequent follow-up visit to the e-commerce giant’s logistics hub was noted, located right next to this Mercadona hive and near the Amazon facility.
Mercadona’s logistics team reports a solid and positive balance during these months of operation. Alicante’s city customers have responded notably, and the reach of the hive already covers nearly the entire province, plus the city of Murcia and surrounding areas. In total, about 170 postal codes are served, according to Barea.
Several trucks line the loading docks at the Alicante hive, illustrating the steady flow of goods into the distribution network. The order volume stands at thousands per day, with summer periods showing even higher demand as visitors occupy local apartments and shop to stock their pantries for the stay. The objective for the near term is to sustain robust growth, targeting daily orders between 1,500 and 1,600 during the upcoming summer season, as noted by the managerial team.
With more than 10,000 square meters of facilities on a 19,000 square meter site, including 2,200 square meters dedicated to fresh products, the operation is designed to accommodate growth. The Mercadona leadership says the workforce at this distribution center is around 200 people, with expectations to rise as demand increases. The team operates in three shifts around the clock: night and morning packing, followed by afternoon replenishment, ensuring continuous readiness.
On the delivery side, more than 90 staff members are involved in route planning, with a fleet of 33 gas-powered vehicles responsible for bringing purchases to customers’ doorsteps.
How much does a Mercadona delivery driver earn? The system-driven workflow uses up-to-date technology across the process. A QR code helps verify accuracy in the chain, and the route is optimized to ensure timely deliveries.
The profile of online shoppers appears to be larger purchases, often including a higher volume of heavy items, especially non-perishables. Water bottles are commonly included in online orders due to their size and weight, reflecting typical consumer behavior in online grocery shopping.
The Alicante hive represented a significant investment for Mercadona, totaling 14 million euros. Valencia became the fourth exclusive distribution center for online orders opened by the chain, following the setups in Barcelona and Madrid.
Amazon operates a separate logistics station in Alicante, managing an average of 22,000 daily packages, rising to 35,000 during peak times. Local officials highlighted this during a visit by the city mayor. The Amazon facility spans 8,000 square meters and employs about 50 staff, with five partner distribution firms contributing roughly 350 drivers to the network, according to company sources. The proximity of these two distribution hubs underscores the region’s pivotal role in last-mile logistics for both retailers and e-commerce platforms.