Monthly Archives: March 2026

Ten years ago, Mercadona set out to transform the in‑store fresh juice experience. What began as a small pilot quickly became one of the most influential co‑innovation projects in Spanish retail. According to El País, by 2016 Mercadona stores were already serving 33,000 liters of freshly squeezed orange juice per day thanks to this solution. [elpais.com]

At Zumex, our role wasn’t to build a machine from scratch, but to adapt our existing Speed Pro professional system to the real conditions of retail: higher autonomy, faster cleaning cycles, safer interaction, and an intuitive experience for every shopper.

A Decade of Impact Rooted in Human‑Centered Design

We applied a full Design Thinking approach during the project’s early stages:

• Empathy mapping with customers.
• Empathy mapping with store staff.
• Problem definition.
• Rapid prototyping.
• Scaling.

Why Reflect on It Now?

Because the project anticipated today’s retail priorities:
human‑centered technology, frictionless interactions, and solutions that balance customer experience + operational simplicity.

Ten years later, it stands as a reminder of what co‑innovation can achieve when empathy, iteration, and industrial capability align.