Mercadona has opened its biggest logistics centre yet in Vallecas, Madrid, investing €54 million in a semi-automated facility. The new hub features advanced robotics and a large fleet of ECO vans, aiming to transform the supermarket’s online delivery service.
Mercadona has launched its most ambitious logistics project to date with the opening of a 32,000-square-metre semi-automated warehouse in Vallecas, Madrid. The new facility, located in the La Atalayuela industrial area, represents a €54 million investment and is designed to dramatically expand the supermarket’s online delivery capacity in the region.
At the heart of the new centre are 70 robots that streamline the picking process for over 2,700 dry goods. Instead of workers walking long distances through aisles, products are brought directly to their stations, reducing physical strain and speeding up order preparation. This approach is expected to make the online shopping experience faster and more efficient for customers.
Boosting Online Capacity
The Vallecas warehouse can handle up to 5,000 online orders per day. Combined with Mercadona’s existing facilities in Getafe and Boadilla del Monte, the company’s daily online order capacity in Madrid now reaches approximately 8,000. This expansion comes as demand for online grocery shopping continues to grow, with Mercadona’s digital sales in 2025 surpassing €1 billion—a 26% increase from the previous year.
Investment and Jobs
The opening of the Vallecas hub is not just about technology. The project will create 700 jobs in the area, reinforcing Mercadona’s presence in the local economy. The company is also rolling out 175 new ECO vans from this centre, all equipped to maintain the cold chain and minimise environmental impact. With the addition of 80 vans from Getafe and 50 from Boadilla, Mercadona’s Madrid fleet now exceeds 300 vehicles, further strengthening its delivery network.
First Semi-Automated 'Colmena'
Juana Roig, general manager of Mercadona Online, highlighted that Vallecas is the company’s first semi-automated 'Colmena'—the term Mercadona uses for its specialised online order warehouses. The facility has been designed to improve working conditions for staff and enhance the quality of service for customers. It is the seventh such centre in Spain, following locations in Valencia, Barcelona, Alicante, Sevilla, and two others in Madrid, but the first to feature partial automation.
Impact for Madrid Shoppers
For consumers, the new Vallecas hub means greater availability, faster order processing, and improved reliability for online grocery deliveries. Mercadona aims to cover 95% of municipalities in the Madrid region by the end of 2026, reflecting the company’s commitment to adapting to changing shopping habits and expectations.
According to Talent24h, the Vallecas project stands out as a major step in Mercadona’s digital transformation, combining scale, automation, and sustainability to meet the evolving needs of Spanish households.
