HiperDino invests 9 million euros to boost its Express store line

If you have spent a holiday in the Canary Islands, you have almost certainly popped into one. The familiar red-and-yellow sign of a HiperDino Express is a fixture in tourist hubs from Playa del Inglés to Puerto del Carmen. Now, the chain behind these handy neighbourhood supermarkets is writing a big cheque to make them even better. DinoSol, the parent company, has confirmed a plan to invest more than nine million euros in 2026 to overhaul its Express line, the small-format stores designed specifically for tourist areas and high-proximity neighbourhoods.

The money is not just for a fresh coat of paint. It is a comprehensive push to modernise the shopping experience, cut energy consumption, and strengthen a format that has quietly become a cornerstone of the company’s strategy. Alongside the renovations, a separate budget of around four million euros is earmarked for opening five brand-new Express stores, further expanding a network that already stretches across the archipelago and has recently leapt to the Balearic island of Mallorca.

A convenience store designed for flip-flops and daily life

So, what exactly is a HiperDino Express? Think of it as the clever middle ground between a large supermarket and a tiny corner shop. DinoSol’s own description calls them “small-surface establishments located in tourist zones.” In practice, they are compact, easy-to-navigate stores where you can grab fresh bread, local cheese, sun cream, a bottle of Canarian wine, or whatever you forgot to pack. The assortment is deliberately tailored so that visitors “feel at home,” with a strong mix of international brands and local products.

But it would be a mistake to think they are just for tourists. These shops are deeply embedded in coastal communities, serving residents who live or work nearby all year round. The opening hours are generous, typically from early morning until late at night, seven days a week. This makes them a lifeline for a quick top-up shop when you do not want to navigate a huge hypermarket. The product mix leans slightly towards holiday indulgences—think snacks, drinks, and ready-to-eat items—but you will also find a solid range of fresh fruit, vegetables, and everyday essentials.

Where the money is going: from Puerto de la Cruz to Mallorca

The €9 million reform plan is not an abstract figure. We can already see exactly how this cash is being spent on the ground. A significant chunk, over €1.6 million, has been funnelled into two very specific projects. In Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, the new HiperDino Express Masaru opened its doors after a €750,000 investment. This was not just about stocking shelves; the budget covered improved access ramps and stairs, a revamped exterior promenade and garden area, and a suite of energy-efficiency measures, including smart remote management for lighting, air-conditioning, and refrigeration.

Down in the south of Tenerife, the HiperDino Express El Chaparral in Arona received a complete overhaul with a budget of €872,500. The renovation brought the store up to date with full automation and the same energy-saving upgrades. This pattern of deep refurbishment is the blueprint for the 28 stores in the programme. Other recent projects give a sense of the scale: the HiperDino Express Atuey in Mogán, Gran Canaria, was modernised for around €849,000, gaining an expanded bakery, a new winery section, and digital checkout screens. On Fuerteventura, the Express store in El Cotillo underwent a renovation costing close to one million euros, growing to a spacious 437 square metres of sales area.

A growing footprint: from the Canaries to the Balearics

While the renovation programme grabs headlines, the Express network’s quiet expansion tells its own story. The most recent figures suggest HiperDino operates around 93 Express locations throughout the Canary Islands, a significant jump from the 76 tourist-area stores cited in earlier reports. You will find them firmly planted on the four main tourist islands: Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. They cluster in the places you would expect—San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Mogán, Adeje, Arona, Tías, and La Oliva.

The most dramatic strategic move, however, is the leap to the Balearic Islands. DinoSol acquired 20 Spar supermarkets in Mallorca’s prime tourist zones—think Alcudia, Playa de Palma, and Magaluf—for around ten million euros. These are being converted to the HiperDino Express convenience model, bringing the familiar Canarian shopping experience to a new Mediterranean audience. The plan was to have roughly 21 Express locations operational in Mallorca, a move that explicitly aims to serve both the flood of seasonal visitors and the island’s year-round residents with the same proximity-focused formula.

More than just shopping: jobs and a sustainable future

Behind the investment figures are real jobs in local communities. While DinoSol has not published a single aggregate employment number for the Express programme, we can piece together the impact from individual store openings. A typical new Express store, like the one opened in Arona with a €706,000 investment and 185 square metres of selling space, creates around eight direct jobs. A larger, fully refurbished store like the one in Mogán employs 14 people. The conversion of the 20 Spar supermarkets in Mallorca alone secures 130 jobs on that island.

Based on these examples, the plan to open five new stores and convert the Mallorcan outlets likely supports roughly 170 to 200 direct jobs tied specifically to this Express expansion. This adds to HiperDino’s standing as the largest private employer in the Canary Islands, a company that directly employed over 9,600 people in 2023. The renovations also have a strong green thread running through them. The repeated focus on energy-efficient refrigeration, smart lighting, and remote management systems shows that modernising the stores is as much about reducing their environmental footprint as it is about improving the shopping experience.