Regional Retailers Gain Strength in Brazilian Food Market

The TOP 300 IRTT 2026 ranking highlighted a prominent trend: regional retailers recorded significantly higher growth rates than large national groups in 2025. This scenario explains the increase in searches on the topic.

Growth Rates of Regional Retailers

Grupo Mateus recorded 18.2% growth with revenues of R$ 35.6 billion. Supermercados BH advanced 20.9%, reaching R$ 25.7 billion, while Super Muffato grew 16.8% with R$ 20.4 billion in sales. Grupo Pereira and Koch showed increases of 14.4% and 25%, respectively.

Comparison with National Giants

Carrefour Brasil, the ranking leader, grew 2.5% in 2025; Assaí advanced 5.2%, and GPA 2.9%. Together, these three groups total approximately R$ 229 billion in sales, but their rates are well below the double-digit growth seen in regional retailers.

Impact on the Brazilian Retail Landscape

Combined, the five regional retailers moved approximately R$ 112 billion in 2025, forming a powerhouse comparable to the largest national groups. Grupo Mateus already ranks as the country's sixth-largest retailer in the overall ranking.

Advantages of Regional Scale

By concentrating resources in the markets it knows deeply, the regional retailer can combine scale with proximity, reducing the management complexity present in national organizations operating across multiple regions and formats.

Outlook for the Sector's Future

The numbers suggest that the consolidation of food retail may also occur from the bottom up, with regional players gaining negotiation power, developing loyalty programs, private labels, and investing in new technologies. Although national giants maintain relevance, the growth speed of regional retailers indicates an ongoing structural transformation.

With information from SuperVarejo.