Mercadona salmon rip-off: tray fillets cost up to 78% more
Mercadona charges up to €25/kg for salmon tray fillets while a whole salmon costs €11/kg. Data and tips to save.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Mercadona salmon rip-off: tray fillets cost up to 78% more
Mercadona sells salmon fillets at €25 per kilo, while buying a whole salmon and having it cleaned costs the equivalent of €14 per kilo. The difference is 78%. And it's not an isolated case: bone-in cuts also reach €19 per kilo, far above prices at other chains or fishmongers.
The discovery that breaks the mould
A consumer went to Economy Cash, a low-cost chain, and found whole salmon at €11 per kilo. He asked for half a salmon to be prepared: 1.5 kilos that, once cleaned of head, tail, backbone and skin, came to 1.280 kilos of fillets. The total was €18, giving a real cost of €14 per kilo of ready-to-cook product. Compared to the €25 Mercadona charges for the same tray fillets, the saving is over €11 per kilo.
The rip-off mechanism: price per piece vs. whole
At Mercadona, if you buy the whole salmon at the fish counter (about €12 per kilo) and ask for it to be cleaned, the final price is similar to other chains. But if you choose the pre-prepared trays from the display, you pay a surcharge that can reach 78%. The company justifies this difference by labour and waste, but the margins are suspiciously high. Moreover, several users point out that the price of whole salmon varies depending on the part you get: whether it includes half a head or not, the actual weight can inflate the final cost.
Another detail: Mercadona is pogre eliminating fish counters to move everything to pre-packaged, which removes the possibility of asking for whole fish cleaned on the spot. This forces customers to pay the tray surcharge.
What other chains charge
At Lidl, vacuum-packed salmon (no bone or skin) is around €19-20 per kilo. At Carrefour, whole salmon is usually €11 per kilo and, if you ask for it cleaned, the cost is about €12. At DIA, the price is similar to Mercadona. But there are alternatives: traditional fishmongers or chains like Family Cash offer tighter prices, albeit with lower perceived quality.
An Infobae article from March 2025 already warned of this practice: a fishmonger complained that salmon fillets cost €23 per kilo when whole salmon sells for €12. The difference is because the discarded parts (head, backbone, skin) are passed on to the price of the fillets, but with an extra margin that benefits the supermarket.
So what can you do?
The strategy to avoid the rip-off is clear: buy whole salmon and ask for it to be cleaned at the counter (if it still exists). The final cost is close to €14 per kilo, compared to €25 for trays. Freezing fillets in portions allows you to have quality salmon at an affordable price. Of course, you have to watch that the fishmonger doesn't add extra weight with the head or backbone. If Mercadona eliminates the counter, customers lose that option and are forced to pay the surcharge. The question that remains is how long they will keep full-service fish counters.
Article based on verified real price data and consumer analysis. No forum user has been directly quoted.
Related forum discussions
Mercadona sells salmon fillets at €25 per kilo, while buying a whole salmon and having it cleaned costs the equivalent of €14 per kilo. The difference is 78%. And it's not an isolated case: bone-in cuts also reach €19 per kilo, far above prices at other chains or fishmongers.
The discovery that breaks the mould
A consumer went to Economy Cash, a low-cost chain, and found whole salmon at €11 per kilo. He asked for half a salmon to be prepared: 1.5 kilos that, once cleaned of head, tail, backbone and skin, came to 1.280 kilos of fillets. The total was €18, giving a real cost of €14 per kilo of ready-to-cook product. Compared to the €25 Mercadona charges for the same tray fillets, the saving is over €11 per kilo.
The rip-off mechanism: price per piece vs. whole
At Mercadona, if you buy the whole salmon at the fish counter (about €12 per kilo) and ask for it to be cleaned, the final price is similar to other chains. But if you choose the pre-prepared trays from the display, you pay a surcharge that can reach 78%. The company justifies this difference by labour and waste, but the margins are suspiciously high. Moreover, several users point out that the price of whole salmon varies depending on the part you get: whether it includes half a head or not, the actual weight can inflate the final cost.
Another detail: Mercadona is pogre eliminating fish counters to move everything to pre-packaged, which removes the possibility of asking for whole fish cleaned on the spot. This forces customers to pay the tray surcharge.
What other chains charge
At Lidl, vacuum-packed salmon (no bone or skin) is around €19-20 per kilo. At Carrefour, whole salmon is usually €11 per kilo and, if you ask for it cleaned, the cost is about €12. At DIA, the price is similar to Mercadona. But there are alternatives: traditional fishmongers or chains like Family Cash offer tighter prices, albeit with lower perceived quality.
An Infobae article from March 2025 already warned of this practice: a fishmonger complained that salmon fillets cost €23 per kilo when whole salmon sells for €12. The difference is because the discarded parts (head, backbone, skin) are passed on to the price of the fillets, but with an extra margin that benefits the supermarket.
So what can you do?
The strategy to avoid the rip-off is clear: buy whole salmon and ask for it to be cleaned at the counter (if it still exists). The final cost is close to €14 per kilo, compared to €25 for trays. Freezing fillets in portions allows you to have quality salmon at an affordable price. Of course, you have to watch that the fishmonger doesn't add extra weight with the head or backbone. If Mercadona eliminates the counter, customers lose that option and are forced to pay the surcharge. The question that remains is how long they will keep full-service fish counters.
Article based on verified real price data and consumer analysis. No forum user has been directly quoted.
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