The Rekalde branch on Calle Xalvador opened in December 2021 after a €5.7 million investment that created 40 jobs and included a Listo para comer section. It was Mercadona’s fifth supermarket in Bilbao. El Correo later reported that Mercadona planned to close the store because its premises could not meet the company’s Tienda 9 requirements.
Sources at Mercadona told El Correo that the supermarket fell short of the chain’s customer-service standards and made product replenishment difficult. The reasons cited were operational. ABC reported the same rationale, adding that company policy allows the closure of stores that cannot be adapted to Tienda 9. The branch was still operating normally when the closure plan was reported.
Tienda 9 is an evolution of Mercadona’s earlier Tienda 8 format. The model organizes store operations around connected processes: preparation and replenishment feed into sales, rather than separate business areas. It also gives greater prominence to fresh products. The format features an Obrador Central, where fresh-food cutting and cooking take place before products are packaged. This setup supports store workflows and frees up space for fresh products in self-service areas.
Mercadona’s broader Tienda 9 conversion program was reported as running from 2026 to 2033, with a projected investment of €3.7 billion. The company expected to have about 60 supermarkets in the format across Spain by the end of 2026.
Mercadona said all employees would be reassigned to other stores, and the company would seek placements close to their homes to limit travel. The report did not specify a closure date. The store remained open at the time.
