Emater
Emater is a Portuguese Cash & Carry wholesaler operating three retail stores in the Azores archipelago, distributing branded food and beverage products to traditional commerce SMBs and restaurant customers across Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, Graciosa, and Faial islands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersAngra Do Heroísmo, Portugal
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Emater does
Emater (legal name: EMATER, S.A. — Empresa Abastecedora de Mercadorias Terceirense) is a regional Portuguese Cash & Carry wholesale distributor founded in 1966 and headquartered in Angra do Heroísmo on Terceira island in the Azores archipelago. The company operates three physical Cash & Carry stores — its Terceira headquarters, a São Jorge location in Velas, and a Pico location in São Roque do Pico — with extended pre-sale commercial coverage to the Graciosa and Faial islands via a field team of at least six representatives. It distributes branded food and beverage products from major Portuguese suppliers including Sogrape, Aveleda, Sumol, Rio Bravo, and Euro Shopper to traditional commerce SMBs and the restaurant/catering sector across the Central Group of the Azores.
The company's offering centers on the Cash & Carry retail format, supplemented by weekly promotional flyers, a newsletter subscription channel, and three tiered B2B pricing programs: the ESCALÃO volume-based loyalty discount (0.50%-2.00% across quarterly purchase bands from €8,000 to €90,000+), the RAPPEL rebate scheme (for quarterly volumes exceeding €5,000), and an automatic 3% invoice discount on purchases above €500 (excluding packaged sugar and dairy). The pre-sale commercial team supports customers in-store, by phone, and via direct field outreach, with named contacts assigned to each island.
Emater is structured as a Portuguese S.A. (Sociedade Anónima) but operates as a privately held entity with no identified parent company, external investment, or public listing. Revenue is generated through product sales at wholesale/retail pricing, with no disclosed financial figures. The company has 11-50 employees, maintains an active recruitment function, and operates exclusively within the Azores regional market — no geographic expansion or M&A activity is recorded in the source data.
Emater firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Emater
- Legal name
- EMATER, S. A. Empresa Abastecedora de Mercadorias Terceirense
- Website
- https://emater.pt
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Emater is a Portuguese Cash & Carry wholesaler operating three retail stores in the Azores archipelago, distributing branded food and beverage products to traditional commerce SMBs and restaurant customers across Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, Graciosa, and Faial islands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Emater industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wholesale Food Distribution (Cash & Carry)
- NAICS
- Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers (4244), Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers (42449)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cash-and-Carry Wholesale Grocers (Business/Trade Customers) (CRAHACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bar & Beverage Service Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAG), Alcohol Importers & Brand Owners (Wholesale) (CRAOAIAB)
Keywords
Where Emater is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Angra Do Heroísmo
- HQ country
- Portugal
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Emater business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Cash & Carry Retail Distribution: Operates Cash & Carry retail stores on Azores islands (Terceira, São Jorge, Pico) distributing food and beverage products to traditional commerce and restaurant businesses. Revenue generated through product sales at retail pricing with volume-based discount programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | ESCALÃO tiers based on quarterly purchase volume with progressive discount rates |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Automatic 3% invoice discount for cash or credit invoices exceeding €500 (excluding sugar in packages and dairy products) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Emater product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Emater operates a Cash & Carry wholesale distribution business across the Azores islands (Terceira, São Jorge, Pico and Graciosa), supplying food and beverage products to traditional retail commerce and restaurants. The company runs three physical store locations and supports customers with a regional pre-sale commercial team, weekly promotional offerings, and volume-based discount programs including ESCALÃO and Rappel loyalty tiers.
Product overview
Emater is a Cash & Carry wholesale distributor operating across the Azores archipelago, specifically serving Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, and Graciosa islands. The company operates three physical store locations under a unified Cash & Carry format, supplemented by weekly promotional offerings and loyalty programs including a Rappel (volume-based) discount system and automatic invoice discounts. The business model centers on B2B wholesale trade serving traditional commerce and hospitality sectors, with a commercial pre-sale team providing regional coverage across the islands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cash & Carry Wholesale Service (Central Group Azores) Wholesale Cash & Carry distribution of food and beverage products, including distributed brands such as Sogrape, Sumol, Aveleda, Rio Bravo, and Euro Shopper, for traditional commerce businesses and restaurants across the Azores Central Group islands.
- Weekly Promotions Program Weekly promotional offerings featuring discounted food and beverage products and special deals for Cash & Carry customers, accessible through the promotions section of the company website.
- Pre-sale Commercial Service Pre-sale commercial support provided by a dedicated team of regional account contacts (Rodrigo Martins, José Couto, Rui Moniz, José Pedro, Mário Bettencourt, Vitor Fialho) covering Terceira, Graciosa, São Jorge, Pico and Faial islands.
- ESCALÃO Volume Loyalty Program Tiered loyalty program offering progressive quarterly discount rates based on cumulative purchase volume, with four ESCALÃO tiers from 0.50% to 2.00% for customers purchasing between €8,000 and over €90,000 per quarter.
- Automatic Invoice Discount Program (Rappel) Automatic 3% discount applied to invoices with VAT taxable base exceeding €500 (excluding packaged sugar and dairy products), plus Rappel conditions for customers with quarterly purchase volume exceeding €5,000.
Companies that use Emater
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Emater technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Emater partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Rio BravocoreBrand distributed by Emater in the Azores islands. Rio Bravo is one of the branded products available through Emater's Cash & Carry stores.
- Euro ShoppercoreBrand distributed by Emater in the Azores islands. Euro Shopper is one of the branded products available through Emater's Cash & Carry stores.
- SograpecoreMajor Portuguese wine and beverage company whose products are distributed by Emater across the Azores islands including Terceira, São Jorge, and Graciosa.
- AveledacorePortuguese wine and beverage brand distributed by Emater in the Azores islands.
- SumolcorePortuguese soft drink and beverage brand distributed by Emater across the Azores islands.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Emater competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sonae MC (Modelo Continente): Portugal's largest grocery retailer with hypermarkets, supermarkets, and proximity stores. Overlaps with Emater in food and beverage assortment and partially in HORECA supply, though at vastly larger scale and broader scope.
- Auchan Portugal: Large multi-format retailer operating hypermarkets and wholesale/professional channels in Portugal. Comparable assortment overlap with Emater, but at much greater scale and as part of a broader retail portfolio.
- Pingo Doce: National supermarket chain (Jerónimo Martins) serving Portuguese consumers with grocery assortment. Overlaps with Emater in food/beverage categories and HORECA-adjacent customer base, but at retail rather than wholesale level.
- Lidl Portugal: German discount supermarket chain with growing operations across Portugal including the Azores. Competes for some HORECA and traditional trade customers with Emater through aggressive pricing, but operates a retail rather than wholesale format.
- Intermarché Portugal: Portuguese arm of the Les Mousquetaires group operating supermarkets and HORECA-focused supply across the country. Overlaps with Emater in food assortment and traditional trade customer base, with a much larger national footprint.
Direct peers
- Recheio: Cash & Carry wholesaler owned by Jerónimo Martins serving HORECA and independent retail in Portugal. Closest direct competitor in format, assortment, and customer segment, with far broader geographic reach than Emater.
- Makro Portugal: Portuguese arm of the international Cash & Carry wholesaler serving HORECA and traditional trade with a multi-category food and beverage assortment. Directly comparable business model to Emater, but operating at national scale on the mainland.
- EU Cash & Carry: Independent Cash & Carry wholesaler operating in Portugal targeting HORECA and small businesses with multi-category food and non-food assortment. Comparable in format and customer base to Emater.
Regional players
- Froiz: Galician-origin regional supermarket and wholesale chain with a presence in northern Portugal. Comparable in being a regional, family-led food retailer/wholesaler with strong local supplier ties, though operating on a different geography and larger scale.
- Inscoinsular: Azores-based food distribution and retail company with deep regional roots across the archipelago. Direct geographic peer to Emater, comparable in serving Azores HORECA and traditional trade, providing a real local benchmark.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Emater social profiles
Digital presenceEmater financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Emater leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Emater funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Emater M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Emater
What does Emater do?
Emater operates a Cash & Carry wholesale distribution business across the Azores islands (Terceira, São Jorge, Pico and Graciosa), supplying food and beverage products to traditional retail commerce and restaurants. The company runs three physical store locations and supports customers with a regional pre-sale commercial team, weekly promotional offerings, and volume-based discount programs including ESCALÃO and Rappel loyalty tiers.
Is Emater a public or private company?
Emater is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Emater founded?
Emater was founded in 1966. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Emater based?
Emater is headquartered in Angra Do Heroísmo, Portugal, in the Europe region.
How does Emater make money?
One revenue line is on record: cash & Carry Retail Distribution.
Who are Emater's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sonae MC (Modelo Continente), Auchan Portugal, Pingo Doce, Lidl Portugal and Intermarché Portugal. Direct peers are Recheio, Makro Portugal and EU Cash & Carry. Regional players are Froiz and Inscoinsular.
Does Emater have an API?
No public API is recorded for Emater.
What industry is Emater in?
Emater's product category is Wholesale Food Distribution (Cash & Carry). Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHACAB, Cash-and-Carry Wholesale Grocers (Business/Trade Customers), with a secondary code of AFAIALAG, Bar & Beverage Service Supplies Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 4244 and its SIC code is 5141.