In 2024

Sales of Large-sized Commercial Units increased by 9.0% compared with the previous year, while employment grew by 8.7%

In 2024, the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM) released data on Large-sized Commercial Units (LSCUs), published today by Statistics Portugal (INE). A LSCU is defined as an establishment, considered individually or as part of a set belonging to the same enterprise or group of enterprises, where commercial activity is conducted and which has a sales and display area of substantial size (see specific conditions in the “Em Foco” section).

In 2024, there were 91 LSCUs located in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (two more than in 2023), 65.9% dedicated to non-food retail and 34.1% to food retail or predominantly food retail. It should be noted that a substantial part of these establishments (80.6%) belong to enterprises headquartered in mainland Portugal.

That year, LSCUs in the ARM employed 3 394 persons (+8.7% compared with the previous year), 75.4% of whom were women, with 22.9% of total employment being temporary. 

These units generated a turnover of 719.2 million euros in 2024 (+9.1% compared with 2023), of which 715.4 million euros corresponded to sales (+9.0% compared with the previous year).

Food retail, comprising 31 establishments, generated 493.4 million euros in sales (454.6 million euros in 2023), while 60 non-food retail establishments recorded 221.9 million euros in merchandise sales (201.7 million euros in the previous year). On average, each food retail establishment achieved annual sales of 15.9 million euros, compared with approximately 3.7 million euros for each non-food retail establishment.

Food retail units employed 2 303 workers (+11.3% compared with 2023), 79.6% of whom were women, with 18.7% working on a temporary basis. Non-food retail units employed 1 091 workers (+3.7% compared with 2023), 66.5% of whom were women, with 31.7% in temporary employment.

In 2024, the sales and display area reached 38 300 m² in food retail (+0.5% compared with 2023) and 51 800 m² in non-food retail (+5.4%).

The number of transactions in LSCUs reached 29.3 million, an increase of 7.8% compared with the previous year. In food retail, the average transaction value was 20.7 euros (20.6 euros in 2023), while in non-food retail it was 40.4 euros (39.7 euros in 2023).

In food retail units, sales of “food products, beverages and tobacco” accounted for 82.8% of total sales (+0.8 pp compared with 2023). Within this group, the main products sold were “other food products, n.e.” (16.2%), “meat and meat products” (15.2%), and “fruit and vegetables” (12.9%). Among non-food products sold in these units (17.2% of total sales), “cosmetics and personal care” (7.1%), “other sales and products” (4.0%), and “household cleaning” (3.3%) were the most significant.

In non-food retail establishments, the products with the highest sales shares were “clothing and accessories” (26.8%), “household appliances” (13.5%), “computers, optical, photographic and telecommunication equipment” (12.6%), and “furniture and home décor” (10.3%).

In 2024, own-label product sales in LSCUs reached 277.3 million euros (+11.0% compared with 2023), representing 36.9% and 42.8% of total sales in the food and non-food segments, respectively (36.1% and 42.6% in 2023, same order).

Regarding payment methods, debit and credit cards were used for 71.1% of sales in food retail (67.8% in 2023) and 75.0% in non-food retail (73.8% in 2023). Cash payments accounted for 27.7% of total sales in food retail (28.7% in 2023) and 21.4% in non-food retail (22.6% in 2023).

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