This is Auchan's first food production unit in Portugal and globally. Located in Venda do Pinheiro, the factory will supply all of the chain's stores from North to South of the country, both owned and franchised, enabling the transformation of fresh products into meals. In the unit, with 1,900 square metres, 61 workers will produce soups, ready-to-eat meals, salads, sandwiches, wraps, mini pizzas and desserts, according to a report by ECO.

With this investment, the chain — which now has more than 560 physical stores, 30 petrol stations, four warehouses and two online stores, and employs more than 11 thousand employees, with the purchase of the Minipreço chain on April 30, 2024 — strengthens its position in an area where chains such as Pingo Doce and Continente have invested.

The Jerónimo Martins chain even has two central kitchens (Odivelas and Aveiro) where it serves the chain's ready-to-eat and takeaway sections, in addition to a restaurant area inside the stores, while Continente has also been investing in this concept through the Cozinha Continente brand, a restaurant brand under the Sonae banner. The first opened in 2022, at Continente in Viseu, and there are currently eleven restaurant spaces.