Grupo Mateus closed 28 stores, reduced more than 6,600 jobs, and reorganized its operation in six states after changes in the economic scenario and the performance of the food retail sector.
The Grupo Mateus, the third largest supermarket chain in Brazil, undertook a comprehensive operational restructuring during the first half of 2026. The company closed the activities of 28 stores distributed across Maranhão, Pará, Piauí, Ceará, Sergipe, and Bahia, in addition to reducing its workforce by 6,673 employees.
According to the company, the decision was made to increase operational efficiency and strengthen expense control. At the same time, the group maintained its expansion strategy by opening four new units in the same period.
Restructuring reduced thousands of jobs in just three months
The impacts of the reorganization were already apparent in the first quarter of 2026.
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The number of employees went from 47,900 to 41,200, representing a reduction of 13.9% compared to the previous workforce.
Meanwhile, the closure of units occurred in the states where Grupo Mateus maintains part of its commercial operation, concentrated in the North and Northeast regions.
According to the company, the reorganization aimed to make the operation more efficient in light of the conditions faced by the sector.
Revenue continued to grow, but profit fell in the first quarter of 2026
Although it reduced its physical structure, Grupo Mateus continued to increase its revenue.
According to the financial results released by the company, the net revenue reached R$ 9.4 billion between January and March of 2026, registering a growth of 12.9% compared to the same period in 2025.
However, net profit fell to R$ 212.9 million, a decrease of approximately 22% on an annual comparison.
Additionally, same-store sales decreased by 7.3%, reflecting a more challenging environment for food retail.
Company attributes result to food deflation and tighter credit
According to Grupo Mateus, part of the performance reduction was caused by the deflation of food commodities.
With the drop in nominal product prices, sales value was also impacted.
Additionally, the company highlighted that the market faced more restrictive credit conditions, influencing consumer behavior.
Furthermore, according to the company, the price reduction occurred after good agricultural harvests and a decrease in freight costs, favored by the reduction in fuel prices.
Group also reorganized its commercial brands
Alongside store closures, Grupo Mateus continued the changes initiated in 2025.
In that year, the replacement of the Mix Mateus brand with the Novo Atacarejo brand was completed in units located in Pernambuco, Paraíba, and Alagoas.
The change was part of a partnership initiated in July 2025, aiming to unify the operations of these networks.
Currently, Grupo Mateus operates in the states of Maranhão, Pará, Piauí, Ceará, Pernambuco, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Paraíba, and Tocantins, operating in the segments of supermarkets, atacarejo, furniture, appliances, and e-commerce.
Even after closing stores, Grupo Mateus remained among the largest in the country
Despite the restructuring, Grupo Mateus continued to hold a prominent position in Brazilian retail.
According to the ABRAS Ranking 2026, prepared by the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (ABRAS) in partnership with NielsenIQ, the company earned approximately R$ 43.5 billion in 2025.
With this result, it remained as the third largest supermarket chain in Brazil, behind only Carrefour and Assaí.
It was precisely after achieving this billion-dollar revenue that the company began the operational reorganization that caught the market’s attention.
Food deflation marked the economic scenario in 2025
The results of Grupo Mateus also reflect the behavior of the Brazilian economy.
According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the food industry recorded a deflation of 10.47% in 2025.
Moreover, the IPCA of September 2025 was the lowest since 1998, mainly driven by a reduction of 0.70% in food prices at home.
Among the products that became cheaper were onion, potato, soybean oil, filet mignon, chicken, beans, ground coffee, and some fruits.
According to the IBGE, 2025 recorded the largest deflation in the Brazilian economy in three years, with a drop of 0.46% in food prices and a reduction of 4.21% in the electricity bill.
Food retail moved more than R$ 1 trillion in Brazil
Even in this scenario, the Brazilian food retail continued to represent one of the main sectors of the economy.
According to the ABRAS Ranking 2026, the segment moved R$ 1.145 trillion in 2025, an amount equivalent to approximately 9% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Thus, the restructuring promoted by Grupo Mateus occurred at a time of significant changes for the sector, marked by revenue growth, pressure on profits, and strategic adjustments in operations.
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