Roig states his case

MERCADONA had a net profit of €718 million last year, 5.6 per cent more than in 2021, while its €31 billion turnover rose by 11 per cent thanks to inflation.

Speaking to the media on March 14 as the family ­ owned company announced its 2022 results, its president Juan Roig admitted that Mercadona had put up prices tremendously.

“But if we hadn’t, there would have been an unbelievable production chain disaster,” Roig said.

“Making a profit is a very good thing, just so long as it’s shared between employees, suppliers, clients and society,” he added. “A business is not synonymous with capital.”

The price increases could have been worse, Roig maintained. The company “had given its all” to mitigate the effect of the higher