Caprabo to give franchises a bigger role in its plan to 2029

Caprabo is preparing for a new phase of expansion in Catalonia, with a greater role for franchises and large company-owned supermarkets. The retailer is finalising its strategic plan to 2029 after reporting turnover of €822 million in 2025. The forthcoming roadmap has yet to specify how many stores will open and will coincide with the return of its historic symbol, known as the ‘comecocos’, or ‘Pac-Man’ logo.

Two formats to expand its presence in Catalonia

The main new feature of Caprabo’s approach is the combination of stores with different sizes and investment requirements. On the one hand, the company plans to develop larger company-owned supermarkets, with a store in Badalona among its projects. On the other, it will place greater emphasis on smaller franchised outlets.

These franchised stores can operate from smaller premises and offer opening hours that differ from those generally used elsewhere in the chain. This flexibility broadens the range of potential locations for the brand and gives franchisees an important role in its next phase of growth.

The distinction also affects the capital needed for expansion. Stores run by third parties require less direct investment from Caprabo than company-owned openings. The strategy therefore combines two growth routes with different financial requirements for the company, although the planned split between them through to 2029 has not yet been published.

The new roadmap will retain the focus on fresh produce, neighbourhood retailing and own-label products. Rather than moving away from these priorities, Caprabo intends to support them by expanding the two store formats chosen to drive growth.

From the 2024–2026 programme to the next three-year plan

The previous plan, covering 2024–2026, envisaged 38 openings: eight company-owned supermarkets and the remainder franchised. It also set targets of achieving a 5% market share and creating around 200 jobs. The announced forecast for 2026 is to open 15 supermarkets.

These figures provide a reference point for the previous programme, but should not automatically be applied to the next one. Caprabo has not yet published a target number of stores to open by 2029 that would allow a comparison of the pace of expansion across the two periods.

Recent activity does, however, give an indication of its growth. During 2025, the chain opened 16 supermarkets, exceeding its forecasts. Those openings added more than 5,000 square metres of retail space and created approximately 100 jobs.

In the first half of 2026, it added a further eight stores in Barcelona and several Catalan districts, including Vallès Occidental, Baix Llobregat and Tarragonès. These additions accounted for around 1,750 square metres and roughly 40 jobs. Caprabo’s network now comprises more than 300 supermarkets.

Growing sales while tackling profitability

The new plan is being prepared against a backdrop of turnover of €822 million in 2025, almost 3% higher than the previous year. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) reached €18.8 million.

The company aims to end the current financial year with sales close to €900 million, a target set in the previous plan that it has yet to reach. That figure is €78 million above its 2025 turnover.

Improving profitability is one of the main challenges for this phase. According to figures reported by elEconomista, Caprabo’s operating margins are around 2%. In this context, the mix of company-owned and franchised stores is significant because of their different direct capital requirements, although no results from the forthcoming programme are yet available.

A revived identity and details still to be confirmed

The strategy is being developed alongside the return of the ‘comecocos’ logo, which represented Caprabo until around two decades ago. Its revival accompanies a phase that retains the chain’s commercial priorities while changing the balance between its expansion formats.

For the franchise sector, the key development is the greater role envisaged for stores run by third parties. The next step will be confirmation of the timetable and number of openings planned for the coming three-year period.

Practical takeaway: anyone considering becoming a Caprabo franchisee should distinguish between forecasts under the current plan and commitments that have yet to be confirmed for 2029, and review the franchise format’s terms and conditions before assessing a potential location.