Spain: coming from far but recovering
The Spanish economy is the fifth-largest in Europe behind Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and France; and the fourth-largest in the Euro zone, based on nominal GDP statistics. The 2008 financial hit Spain really hard, especially in the then flourishing property sector. The economy is now growing steadily and the country is recovering, but unemployment is still around 16%.
Spain is one of the bigger exporters in the world, with huge quantities of agricultural products like olives and strawberries. Also tourism is a large source of income for Spain.
How to find your Spanish agent or distributor?
Most businesses have their headquarters in or around the capital Madrid, or in Barcelona, in the Northeast. For consumer goods, Mercadona, El Corte Inglés and Centros Comerciales Carrefour were the largest retailers in value terms in Spain in 2017. Within grocery store-based retailing the competitive environment is quite concentrated, with Mercadona having by far the largest share, followed by Centros Comerciales Carrefour and then Dia. For B2B distribution channels may be much longer, with many middle-man in place.
To find the right agent or distributor, it is important to have knowledge of the Spanish language, since many people don’t speak English. Knowledge of the local culture and business habits is also important.
Alliance experts can find the right agent or distributor within 6 to 8 weeks
Alliance experts helps companies with entering new markets profitably. Although we are currently not present in Spain, we have people who speak Spanish and have worked in Spain before.
We have a clear and structured approach to find the best partner
We first want to know what kind of partner you are looking for. Based on your information, we make a long-list of 15-20 potential partners that fit your description. After your approval we find the right decision maker, approach him or her personally and share your business profile with them. This mostly leads to 3-5 companies who are suitable as your partner and interested in working with you. Once we have found these companies, we plan your meetings and accompany you during the first visits.
