Spanish supermarket chain "Mercadona" are going back to basics!
Some 10 years ago the chain withdrew its tradition of dealing with local farmers and growers and everything came pre-packed, which in the words of Juan Roig, the owner "was one of the biggest mistakes of his career".
It´s refreshing and most unusual for someone to admit something like that.

They are now returning to its origins to help maintain a sustainable food chain, a crucial objective of the chain. Between 2005 and 2008 the chain closed the butcher, delicatessen and fish counters and all fruit and vegetables came pre-packed to the stores. The service improved - no more queues, but the consequence of this admitted Roig was that the quality plummeted!

Self service scales

They have now signed agreements with 70 local suppliers - however, this means that prices will probably vary between stores. They will have "mobile factories" in the fields collecting the produce which will then be sent directly to the 1,149 stores. The customers now pick and weigh the produce - in turn reducing waste as you buy what you need.

They will now concentrate on supplying local seasonal produce and aim to sell it within 24 hours whilst still at its peak. Customers want fresh fruit and veg .... Roig made an amusing comparison saying "Nobody goes to the news stand to buy yesterdays paper" and so in the same vein produce will be reduced towards the end of the day to clear stock - surprisingly a very unusual concept here in Spain! In the UK this is a common practice where supermarkets reduce products that have reached their sell by date towards the end of the day.

Fishmonger counter - where staff can clean and cut!

Over the last two years they have hired an extra 6,000 staff and are training them so that they can advise the customers knowledgeably. Butchers and fishmongers are trained to actually clean and cut - it reminded me of reading an article some time back when a butcher at a UK supermarket was prohibited from de-boning a joint with a knife incase he cut himself... health and safety gone mad again!

Staff at the stores are shareholders, in much the same way as the John Lewis Partnership operates in the UK and so they receive bonuses if profits are up. I must say that the staff at my local store in Albir are very helpful unlike Spanish staff in most other shops here, where customer service is virtually unheard of. Just go to the post office or Movistar shop in any town as an example.

Lets hope that this philosophy rubs off onto other stores and businesses here - maybe if there is a downturn in profits they may just gets their heads out of the sand and take action...