Roig (Mercadona) demands that the same taxes be paid throughout the country: "It is unfair that a cashier in Valencia pays more than one in Madrid"

PaternaMercadona seems to have no limits, achieving a record profit of €1.729 billion in 2025, a 24.9% increase over the previous year's €1.384 billion, which itself represented a 37% rise in earnings. This was explained on Tuesday by the company's president, Juan Roig, during the presentation of results held at the company's headquarters in Paterna, near Valencia. Roig boasted of the record-breaking accounts and, at the same time, criticized Madrid's tax dumping. He stated that he would like "the same taxes to be paid throughout Spain" and described it as unfair "that a cashier in Valencia pays more than one in Madrid." Once again, profit growth far exceeded sales growth, which rose by 8%, from €38.835 billion to €41.9 billion. This gap between revenue and profit performance already appeared in 2024, when sales increased by 9%. Among the reasons for this difference—profits rose by 24.9% while revenue grew by 8%—are, among others, a 16% increase in store orders, a 4% increase in worker productivity, and a 4% increase in energy efficiency. In fact, the result has even exceeded the company's forecast, which twelve months ago predicted sales growth of 3.5%, reaching €40.194 billion. The increase in market share was much more limited, at 0.6%, reaching 28.5%. This is one-tenth of a percentage point less than in 2024, when it rose by 0.7%. For all these reasons, Roig has described 2025 as a "historic" year.

The Valencian businessman has once again defended one of his most unique strategies: encouraging consumers to eat directly in the supermarket. If you include prepared meals, refrigerated products, and frozen items that customers take home, this segment's revenue reaches €3 billion, representing 7.16% of total sales. This figure partially vindicates Roig, who has been predicting for years that in the future, most people will not cook.

Unlike prepared food, whether consumed in the supermarket or at home, the growth of Mercadona's online sales is more moderate, rising by 2.5% in 2025 to reach €1.061 billion. This is half a percentage point higher than in 2024, when online business accounted for 2% of total sales and was profitable. Juan Roig also stated that 85 percent of the products Mercadona sells come from Spain and Portugal. Regarding this year's forecast, he predicted that revenue will increase by 3.5%, reaching 43.2 billion euros. "It will be better than in 2025," he affirmed.

"The customer doesn't know how to choose"

Roig also used his appearance to emphasize the benefits of his model of reducing the variety of brands and focusing on a few, but "high-quality" ones. At this point, he made one of his most striking statements, asserting that "the customer doesn't know how to choose because it's so difficult," and that this is the supermarket's responsibility, as they know the market best. "We dedicate ourselves to this all the time, and we know. What we want is for the customer to make the right choice," he summarized.

Roig: "I want the same taxes to be paid throughout Spain"

As usual, the question-and-answer session allowed the Valencian businessman to share his views on current political and economic affairs. Regarding the former, this year he avoided any headlines that might overshadow the company's strong results. As for the latter, he also opted for a low profile and admitted his inability to predict the impact that the recent US and Israeli aggression against Iran or the ongoing war in Ukraine will have on grocery prices. However, he indicated that Mercadona will pass on any potential cost increases to customers. "If raw materials go up or down, we raise or lower our prices. That's what happened with olive oil, for example. We had to raise it, and now we've lowered it," he summarized. Juan Roig was also repeatedly asked for his opinion on the level of taxes paid by businesses and citizens and whether, in return, the government provides equivalent services. The businessman didn't delve deeply into the debate, but he did describe the services as "far from ideal." Regarding taxes, he simply remarked that he would like "the same taxes to be paid throughout Spain," citing as an example the difference in taxes between workers in the Valencian Community and those in the Community of Madrid. This was a clear reference to the tax dumping practices employed by certain autonomous communities to attract investment and the underfunding suffered by regions like Valencia.