Consum celebrated its 50th anniversary on Thursday night with more than 1,200 representatives of its partner group of workers, consumers, organisations, social entities, media, suppliers and franchisees, in a ceremony held at the Science Museum of Valencia. The Valencia Cooperative plans to exceed its turnover of €5,000 million in 2025, consolidating itself as the sixth national distribution chain.
“Celebrating 50 years is a great feeling of satisfaction and a great responsibility as well. We have arrived here thanks to the trust of our customers, the efforts of our suppliers and the heart and commitment of our workers. Our challenge now is to continue sustainable growth, innovation and generate stable employment opportunities, always with people at the heart of our decisions,” emphasized Consum’s General Manager, Antonio Rodríguez.
The authority stated in a statement that the ceremony was chaired by the president and was also attended by all members of the board of directors, the board of directors, and members of the social committee of the cooperative. Consum’s president, Francesc Lebel, highlighted the “courage” of the cooperative’s founders who believed another way of purchasing was possible. He pointed out, “These first consumers had a dream, which today, 50 years later, is a reality of which we are very proud, because we are the largest cooperative in Spain and the sixth largest food distribution company in terms of sales volume in the country. If the first consumers who founded the cooperative had been told where we were going, they would not have believed it.”
The memo notes that this ceremony “put the final touch on the commemorative events that Consum has developed throughout the year to celebrate five decades of its history.” Cake, a universal symbol of celebration, has been the common thread of this anniversary, representing Consum’s desire to share this birthday with those who are part of its history: workers, customers, suppliers, franchisees, social entities and the media. Throughout the year, this “big pie” took shape through various events and actions that highlighted the humanitarian and participatory dimension of the cooperative.
Since opening its first store in Alacos (Valencia) in 1975, the cooperative has established itself as “the largest in Spain,” integrating working members and customers into a joint venture where people are central to all decisions, according to the memo.
“Consum is keeping its founding core intact: collaboration between consumers and workers – six in the first staff – to deliver ‘the best products in a fair, sustainable and responsible way,’ according to the company. To this premise ‘we must add values such as strengthening the local economy, creating ‘stable and high-quality’ jobs, reconciliation, compromise, solidarity and respect for the environment.”
Currently, Consum has more than five million member customers, more than 23,000 workers and a commercial network of more than 1,000 establishments between its own stores and charter franchises, located in the Valencian Community, Catalonia, the Region of Murcia, Castilla-La Mancha, Andalusia and Aragon.
In 2026, the co-op will maintain its “usual cadence” of openings, with around 18 new supermarkets and 35 tenant franchises in key expansion areas. Furthermore, to strengthen the distribution in Castilla-La Mancha and the Central Region, and to ensure future expansion, Consum is already working on a new logistics platform in Noblejas (Toledo) in the second half of 2026. However, the third axis of investment in the cooperative, following its organic and logistical growth, is the central warehouse for the online distribution of Paterna, which will improve efficiency and service capacity in Valencia and its urban area.