Companies in the sector contributed more than 12,000 million in taxes, contributions and salaries

MADRID, 11 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The sales of the companies of the National Association of Large Distribution Companies (Anged), including El Corte Inglés, Ikea or Carrefour, grew by 14.5% in 2022, up to 45,734 million euros, according to the report. annual of the employers' association of large stores.

Specifically, the turnover of these companies rose two points more than the retail average, thanks to the companies' efforts to adapt their product offering, sales channels and operations to a permanent transformation of the market, according to Anged.

In the last year, distribution companies continued to grow with the opening of 54 net establishments, currently adding a commercial network of 7,238 stores throughout Spain. Thus, the commercial surface increased slightly (0.7%) to reach 8.8 million square meters, maintaining the trend of recent years of adapting physical spaces to new purchasing habits.

By categories, supermarkets and self-service stores, both owned and franchised, and formats specializing in products other than food were the most dynamic in 2022.

In this way, 4.1 million customers, 22% of Spanish households, visit their stores daily and the number of online buyers is already double that of before the pandemic.

Large distribution is an 'engine' of employment after reaching a total workforce (not counting franchise networks) of 229,000 employees in 2022, after the adaptation of the latest labor reform to a sector with a marked seasonal nature. However, permanent contracts in the sector reach 88.2% of employees, which is 11 points more than the national average.

In the current context, the investment volume of Anged companies in Spain rose to 930 million euros, 26.7% more, recovering pre-pandemic levels thanks to digitalization, which already absorbs a third of the investment.

Likewise, the remuneration contribution and payment of taxes by companies grew by 12%, up to 12,083 million euros: 4,930 million correspond to the payment of direct and indirect taxes and another 7,150 million add up to direct salaries and Social Security contributions. paid by companies.

In this way, in the last nine years the companies that make up Anged have contributed more than 88,140 million euros to the State coffers.

The 'drag effect' of companies such as El Corte Inglés, Carrefour, Tendam or Ikea on the economy is close to 30.2 billion euros, since for every euro that companies' demand increases, the final production of the economy grows 2 ,5 euros.

On the other hand, large distribution companies are betting on national suppliers, after making purchases worth 33,910 million euros from Spanish suppliers during the last year, 18% more, with a weight on total sales of 74%. .

Regarding retail trade, Anged companies, with 229,002 workers, maintain their relative weight in employment in the entire trade at 12% (without taking into account the employment generated by franchises), while they invoiced 16% of the total sales of the trade, recovering ground thanks to the end of the restrictions, which affected the non-food categories the most.

The president of Anged, Alfonso Merry del Val, has regretted the "unjustified attacks" on companies in the sector in a context marked by the energy crisis and the sharp increase in the cost of basic raw materials that affect the agri-food value chain, raising prices. of food.

"The unjustified attacks that we have heard for months against companies in the sector are, in my opinion, based on a profound ignorance of reality. Official data show how throughout 2022, the distribution cushioned 6.8 points of the historical increase in the prices at which our companies buy from their suppliers. An effort that in turn has been supported by the rest of the links, industry and primary sector," he stressed in the letter that appears in the annual report.

Thus, Merry del Val has advocated "not trivializing" the work of businessmen, who "once again have taken a step forward when it comes to providing solutions to a cost crisis that, by its nature, seriously affects to business competitiveness".

"We are obliged to reconcile the public and private agenda, to work together again in the defense of the general interest, with a long-term reform program for our country and with a vision of leadership," concluded the president of Anged.