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In Spain, wine is an important part of the economy, society, landscape, culture and gastronomy. Spain boasts the world’s largest vine area and is the third largest wine producer in the European Union (EU), after France and Italy.

Wine grape production in 2025 is forecast to improve by five percent on favorable winter conditions, which will translate into a slight increase in wine production.

The five biggest corporations, Shoprite Holdings Ltd., Pick n Pay Retailers Pty Ltd., Spar Group Ltd., Walmart-owned Massmart, and Woolworths Holdings Ltd., account for a substantial portion of the retail food market in South Africa. When combined, they make up over 60% of all retail food sales.

The Spanish retail sector is experiencing a 2024 with good prospects despite still facing elements of uncertainty. Consumers, having emerged from the latest inflationary crisis, have become more rational in their purchasing decisions, and are prioritizing price to control expenditure.

In 2023, Spain imported $2.2 billion worth of agricultural, seafood and forest products from the United States, up 3 percent compared to the previous year. Even though inflation rates declined in 2023 as compared to the record highs registered in 2022, they remained higher compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The South African retail food market is highly concentrated among the five largest companies, including Shoprite Holdings Ltd, Pick n Pay Retailers Pty Ltd, Spar Group Ltd, Massmart (Walmart-owned), and Woolworths Holdings Ltd.

In 2022, Spain imported $1.98 billion worth of agricultural, seafood and forest products from the United States, up 28 percent compared to the previous year. The latest European Union (EU) economic forecast predicts that Spain's growth forecast will be 1.9 percent in 2023, above the EU average.

This report provides more information on the South African food processing sector, including strategies for U.S. exporters interested in entering the market.

In 2022, Spain imported $2.1 billion worth of agricultural, seafood and forest products from the United States, up 27 percent compared to the previous year. After high rates of consumer price inflation in 2022, the latest European Union economic forecast shows Spain’s economic growth forecast at 1.4 percent in 2023 and 2.0 percent in 2024.

U.S. exporters can find ample opportunities in the Iberian Peninsula. Spain is the third-largest European Union (EU) destination for U.S. agricultural products, with Portugal ranking 11th. In 2021, the United States exported $1.6 billion of agricultural products to Spain, or 15 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports to the EU. The United States held a 4 percent market share of Spain’s agricultural imports and 2 percent market share in Portugal, behind other EU member states as a group and Brazil.

After an exceptional year in sales in 2020, the Spanish retail sector is becoming increasingly competitive, while trying to find a balance between high input costs and improved efficiency, during a period of high inflation that once again gives price the leading role in purchasing decisions.

The South African retail food sector is well-developed and continues to expand into other African countries. In 2021, South African retail food sales totaled $40 billion, a 0.2 percent increase from 2020 as the South African economy began to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.