The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Wholesale / Retail Retail trade Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco 47.2 - Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco
100 jobs Number of planned job losses
Announcement Date
22 May 2025
Employment effect (start)
22 June 2025
Foreseen end date
22 December 2025
Description
El Arco, a supermarket chain located in Asturias, has announced the closure of its 30 stores and the initiation of a collective redundancy procedure (ERE) affecting its 100 employees. The company, according to trade union sources, has run out of supplies and will continue liquidating its remaining stock over the coming days. This decision stems from its inability to reach agreements with suppliers due to a significant debt burden. Management has requested that unions appoint representatives to begin formal negotiations, expected to start in the coming week.
The announcement comes a year after Grupo Cuevas acquired 29 supermarkets and two logistics platforms from Alimentos El Arco, including both 'El Economato' and 'El Arco' stores, along with distribution centres in Mercasturias and La Felguera. At the time, the deal preserved nearly 500 jobs and significantly expanded Grupo Cuevas’s presence in Asturias. The planned closure now signals a major setback, raising concerns over the sustainability of recent consolidation efforts in the regional retail sector
Eurofound (2025), El Arco , Closure in Spain, factsheet number 202807, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://dev.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/202807.
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