Dia closed 11 stores during the first half of 2026 and reduced its Argentine network to 996 points of sale. The adjustment occurred as the subsidiary accumulated losses and reports grew of a possible transfer of the operation. Local management replied that it intends to remain in the country and described the store closures as normal rotation, not as a structural withdrawal.
The network had reached 1,050 establishments around 2023 and early 2024 through a model with heavy franchise participation. Between January and June this year, Dia Argentina posted a loss of €24.4 million, equivalent to about US$26.6 million and 5% worse than in the same previous period. The result adds to an approximate net loss of US$55.5 million in 2025.
Those figures fueled sale reports that the company did not confirm. Information cited by the source said Dia had reportedly and privately commissioned Banco Santander to find a buyer or strategic partner for its Argentine subsidiary. A preliminary valuation above US$100 million also circulated, and the alternative was linked to the divestments the group had already carried out in Brazil and Portugal.
Martín Tolcachir, head of Grupo Dia in Argentina, said instead that the company is focused on sustaining the operation, improving the customer experience, and accompanying a gradual market recovery. According to his explanation, the 11 closures do not reflect a decision to leave the country. The stated commitment to continue therefore coexists with financial deterioration that still requires lower costs and recovered sales.
The contrast with Spain shows the imbalance within the group. While the Argentine operation lost money, the Spanish business closed the half with net profit above US$55 million, year-on-year growth of 6.4%, and 48 openings. Dia has 2,406 stores in Spain and currently concentrates its international presence in that country and Argentina, under the control of the LetterOne fund.
In the Argentine market, the chain retains about 1,000 stores, 5 distribution centers, and a structure supporting some 3,200 direct jobs and another 4,500 connected to franchises. About 25% of the stores are company-owned and the rest operate under that model. The next half will show whether the announced continuity can be maintained with fewer closures or whether the losses revive a sale negotiation that, for now, remains an unconfirmed report.
