Grupo Uvesco

What Grupo Uvesco does

Grupo Uvesco is a privately held Spanish food distribution group headquartered in Irún (Gipuzkoa), founded in 1993 and operating under the BM Supermercados, SUPER AMARA, and BM Shop franchise brands. The group runs 335+ supermarkets across nine provinces in northern Spain — Basque Country, Cantabria, Navarre, La Rioja, Madrid, Ávila, and Asturias — supported by four to six logistics platforms and a workforce of approximately 7,500. Its go-to-market centers on physical retail of fresh and local ("km-0") products, complemented by an online store (online.bmsupermercados.es), home delivery (free above €50), and click-and-collect services.

The group's offering combines first brands, the BM Selecta premium private label, and the De Aquí/Bertako local-origin brand, sourced from 490+ local producers across Basque Country, Cantabria, Navarre, La Rioja, Madrid, and Asturias (€251M procured in 2024). Technology deployment includes a consumer mobile app (BM App), employee portal (Uvesconnect), in-store AI cameras for queue management, AR-enabled smart shelves, and RELEX-powered supply chain planning. Vertical integration is achieved through wholly-owned subsidiaries COLONIALES BARBED (colonial foods), ALPA (fresh logistics), and VES (Cantabria operations).

The business model is primarily transactional retail (one-time consumer purchases across owned and franchised stores) with ancillary franchise licensing fees (BM Shop). The Tarjeta BM loyalty program and BM App support retention and personalization. Sustainability is structurally embedded: 100% renewable electricity via an Iberdrola PPA, AENOR Zero Waste certification, three Lean & Green stars (38% logistics CO2 reduction), and membership in the UN Global Compact and Basque Ecodesign Center. Pai Partners entered as a financial partner in 2022 to fund the current multi-year expansion program.

Name

Grupo Uvesco

Legal name

UNIALCO, S.L.

Website

https://uvesco.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Grupo Uvesco is a privately held Spanish food retailer operating 335+ supermarkets under BM Supermercados, SUPER AMARA, and BM Shop brands across northern Spain, serving mass-market consumers with a focus on fresh local products sourced from 490+ regional producers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grocery Retail

NAICS

Grocery and Convenience Retailers (4451), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Retail-Variety Stores (5331)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural/Organic Bulk & Supplement Grocers (CRAHAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Food & Beverage DTC (CRAFACAD)

Keywords

• Supermarket retail
• Grocery distribution
• Fresh food retailing
• Private label brands
• Local food sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Irún

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Supermarket Retail Sales: Grupo Uvesco operates physical retail supermarkets under BM Supermercados and SUPER AMARA brands, generating revenue through in-store sales of groceries, fresh produce, and consumer goods. Revenue is derived from direct consumer transactions (one-time purchases). The company has a loyalty program (Tarjeta BM / BM account) and offers home delivery and click-and-collect.
2. E-commerce: Online store (online.bmsupermercados.es) provides a digital sales channel for home delivery and click-and-collect orders. Online channel tripled results compared to pre-COVID period.
3. Franchise Fees (BM Shop): BM Shop is a franchise model within the group. The company develops new BM Shop franchise projects, with 20+ franchise stores operating. Entrepreneur-driven franchise openings generate fees.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Grupo Uvesco operates a regional supermarket retail network in northern Spain under the BM Supermercados and SUPER AMARA banners, complemented by an online store (online.bmsupermercados.es), home delivery and click-and-collect services, and a BM Shop franchise model. The group sells groceries, fresh produce, meat, fish, baked goods, wines, and consumer goods sourced in large part from over 490 local producers, alongside its own premium private-label brand BM Selecta. Revenue is generated principally through in-store and online grocery sales, with additional income from franchise fees.

Product overview

Grupo Uvesco operates a multi-format supermarket distribution network consisting primarily of BM Supermercados (core brand), SUPER AMARA, and BM Shop franchise model. The company offers an integrated retail ecosystem including physical supermarkets, online store (BM Online), loyalty program (Tarjeta BM), and employee portal (Uvesconnect). BM Selecta serves as the premium private label quality brand. The group focuses on fresh, local products with strong commitment to local suppliers, operating across Basque Country, Cantabria, Navarre, La Rioja, Madrid, and Ávila with over 260 stores and 6,000 employees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BM Selecta: Premium quality brand developed with local producers
• De Aquí/Bertako

Products and services

• BM Supermercados Core owned-and-operated supermarket chain offering groceries, fresh produce, meat, fish, bakery, wine, and household goods across Basque Country, Cantabria, Navarre, La Rioja, Madrid, Ávila and Asturias. Targeted at individual grocery shoppers seeking fresh local food and quality service.
• SUPER AMARA Secondary supermarket brand of Grupo Uvesco serving the same northern-Spain regions, with focus on local and fresh products for individual shoppers.
• BM Shop Franchise programme allowing entrepreneurs to open and operate BM-branded neighbourhood supermarkets under the group's franchise model, with company support for training, branding, supply chain, and store format.
• BM Online Store E-commerce platform enabling online grocery shopping with home delivery (free above €50) and click-and-collect from BM Supermercados stores for individual consumers.
• Tarjeta BM (BM Loyalty Programme) Free fidelity club and loyalty card programme allowing BM shoppers to accumulate and redeem euros, access personalised promotions, discounts, and exclusive benefits across the group's stores and channels.
• BM Selecta Premium private-label product line developed with local producers, reviewed and updated regularly to guarantee maximum quality across fresh and packaged categories in BM Supermercados.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95.74% recycling rate in logistics platforms (2022)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Euskadi Government / Gobierno VascocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2025The Consejera de Alimentación, Desarrollo Rural, Agricultura y Pesca del Gobierno Vasco (Amaia Barredo) attended BM Foro 2025. Uvesco has cooperation agreements with the Basque Government to promote local food products and sustainable agriculture.
• RELEXcoreTechnology or Integration · 4 July 2024BM Supermercados collaborates with RELEX to drive supply chain digitalization. RELEX provides supply chain planning and optimization technology to improve BM's supply chain operations, forecasting, and inventory management across its supermarket network.
• Local Basque Suppliers (490+ producers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024490+ local producers across Basque Country, Cantabria, Navarre, La Rioja, Madrid and Asturias supply km-0 products to BM Supermercados. €251 million invested in these suppliers in 2024. BM provides market access and shelf space to small producers meeting quality criteria.
• Basque Ecodesign CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2022Uvesco joined the Basque Ecodesign Center alliance, a public-private initiative promoted by the Basque Government to advance circular economy in the Basque business network. Initial four-year engagement focuses on packaging sustainability improvement through ecodesign measures and environmental footprint analysis (including water footprint).
• AECOC (Lean & Green)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2021Uvesco joined AECOC's Lean & Green initiative aimed at helping companies achieve CO2 neutrality by 2050. Commitment: reduce logistics emissions by 20% within five years. Achieved 38% reduction in three years, earning third Lean & Green star.
• Orka and NantekminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2021Uvesco signed an agreement with Basque companies Orka and Nantek to introduce recycling of disposable masks (FFP2 and surgical) from its three Irún logistics plants and offices. Masks are collected in special containers and taken to a Hernani facility where they are processed into reusable materials and industrial fuel.
• Banco de Alimentos de GipuzkoacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2020Ongoing partnership for food donations. Uvesco has received three consecutive food bank donation recognitions. Donated 300+ tonnes of food (packaged goods and potatoes) by late 2020. Also partnered with Cruz Roja de Gipuzkoa for extraordinary donations. Part of waste reduction strategy.
• UNICEFcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2019Six consecutive years of UNICEF charity campaigns in BM stores across Basque Country, Cantabria, Navarre, La Rioja, Madrid, and Ávila. Customers contribute €2 or €5 at checkout. Over €127,000 raised for children's health, education, and protection. Ukraine emergency campaign in 2022 raised €91,642.
• Sabeco BanaketacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 July 2019Acquisition of 11 Simply stores from Sabeco Banaketa in Bizkaia, bringing BM's store count in Bizkaia to over 100. 309 employees transferred. €5 million invested to adapt and renovate stores to BM format. Deal approved by CNMC (National Commission on Markets and Competition).
• IberdrolacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2018Landmark PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) with Iberdrola making Uvesco the first distribution company to source 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. Iberdrola supplies renewable electricity to all Uvesco facilities and supermarkets. This partnership has enabled Uvesco to avoid emitting 15,300 tonnes of CO2 annually.
• Cofradía de Pescadores de HondarribiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Longstanding partnership (since 2014) with the San Pedro Fishermen's Guild of Hondarribia to promote sustainable local fishing and seasonal Cantabrian Sea fish consumption. All hake (merluza) from the guild's three fishing vessels is sold exclusively in BM stores as 'Catch of the Day' by 08:00. Partnership renewed in 2022.

Scale indicators27 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Eroski: Basque-origin cooperative supermarket chain with ~1,000+ stores across northern Spain. Most direct comparable: same regional base, similar local-producer orientation, similar consumer demographic.
• Consum: Spanish cooperative supermarket group with ~800 stores mainly in Valencia, Catalonia, and Murcia. Comparable cooperative-led supermarket model, similar fresh/local positioning, and similar store format strategy.
• Condis: Catalan supermarket chain with ~600 stores, including the 12 Madrid stores that Uvesco acquired in 2021. Closely matched regional grocer with similar proximity and assortment strategy.

Broad incumbents

• Mercadona: Spain's largest grocery chain (~1,600+ stores, ~€35B revenue). Competes nationwide with Uvesco in Madrid and increasingly in northern Spain; sets the price benchmark for Spanish grocery retail.
• Carrefour España: Multinational hypermarket and supermarket operator in Spain. Overlaps with Uvesco in Madrid and other shared geographies; competes on assortment breadth and price.
• Lidl España: German hard-discount chain rapidly expanding in Spain with ~650+ stores. Direct competitive pressure on price-sensitive baskets in Uvesco's regions.
• Alcampo (Auchan Retail España): French-origin hypermarket chain in Spain; competes in Madrid and large-format food retail. Broad-incumbent overlap in grocery assortment.
• DIA España: Spanish-origin discount grocery chain (~2,400+ stores in Spain prior to recent restructuring). Competes in proximity and discount grocery segments where Uvesco also operates.

Regional players

• Ahorramás: Madrid-region supermarket chain (~190+ stores). Direct overlap with Uvesco's Madrid expansion footprint, similar proximity-store format, and similar fresh-produce emphasis.

Emerging players

• Veritas: Spanish organic and natural-products specialty retailer (~80+ stores). Comparable specialty/natural food positioning aligned with Uvesco's local/quality narrative, though much smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uvesco-s.a.

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grupo Uvesco