Key data
| Regulation | Resolution of August 25, 2026, from the General Labor Directorate, registering and publishing the National Collective Agreement for companies providing field services for restocking activities and operational marketing services for the period 2026-2029 |
|---|---|
| BOE Publication | September 4, 2026 |
| Entry into force | January 1, 2026 (with retroactive economic effects) |
| Validity | Until December 31, 2029, renewable annually |
| Affected parties | Restocking companies in large retail stores and operational marketing companies |
| Category | Labor Legislation |
| Period | 2026-2029 |
| Official source | BOE-A-2026-18631 |
If your company operates in product restocking in hypermarkets, supermarkets or convenience stores, or if it provides sales promotion services, merchandising or external sales forces, this agreement requires you to review your current labor conditions. The Resolution of August 25, 2026 from the General Labor Directorate registers and publishes the text with retroactive effects from January 1, 2026, which means that salary differences generated from that date must be paid.
The agreement is valid until December 31, 2029 and is automatically renewed year by year if neither party denounces it at least three months before expiration.
What does this regulation establish?
The agreement establishes a set of matters reserved to the state level that act as an unbreakable minimum floor. No company agreement can set conditions below what this national agreement establishes in the following areas:
| Reserved matter | What it regulates |
|---|---|
| Minimum salary tables | Base salaries by professional category that no company agreement can reduce |
| Maximum working hours | Limit of working hours applicable to the entire sector |
| Professional classification | Structure of categories and professional groups in the sector |
| Hiring modalities | Types of contracts allowed and their specific conditions in the sector |
| Disciplinary regime | Offenses, sanctions and disciplinary procedure applicable |
Regarding conditions that workers already had recognized above what the agreement establishes, the text expressly preserves them: they are maintained as personal ad personam supplement and cannot be absorbed or offset by the new tables.
Company agreements that are in force at the time of BOE publication must be adapted to the new framework from September 4, 2026. Those in the negotiation process must incorporate the new minimum conditions.
Economic and operational impact
The most immediate economic impact derives from retroactivity from January 1, 2026. Any company whose current salary tables fall below the new agreement minimums must calculate and pay the accumulated differences from January 2026, regardless of when they read the agreement.
Operationally, HR departments and labor advisors must review three critical areas:
- Retroactive payroll: compare salaries paid from January 2026 with the new tables and calculate arrears.
- Existing company agreements: identify clauses that fall below the new state floor and modify them.
- Personal ad personam supplements: identify which workers have superior conditions and ensure they are not absorbed.
Validity until 2029 with automatic renewal provides stability to the framework, but also means that companies must plan their labor costs with this agreement as a reference for at least four years.
Who does it affect?
The agreement applies to all companies and workers engaged in the following activities:
- Product restocking services in hypermarkets
- Product restocking services in supermarkets
- Product restocking services in convenience stores
- Sales promotion services
- Merchandising at point of sale
- External sales forces (operational marketing)
Companies that carry out these activities as secondary or marginal to their main activity are excluded from the agreement's scope, as well as those covered by other sectoral agreements with equivalent specific regulation.
Practical example
A restocking company operating in several hypermarkets with 40 employees on staff must act as follows from the agreement's publication:
- Request from its labor advisor the new minimum salary tables of the agreement by professional category.
- Compare those tables with salaries paid between January and September 2026 (nine months of retroactivity).
- If any worker has earned below the new minimum, calculate the monthly difference and pay it as arrears in the next payroll.
- If the company has its own agreement, review whether any clause falls below the new state floor regarding working hours, classification, hiring or disciplinary regime, and modify it.
- Identify workers with conditions superior to the new tables and document those differences as personal ad personam supplement to avoid future conflicts.
This process must be completed urgently, as retroactivity is already generating economic obligations from January 1, 2026.
What should companies do now?
- Review the minimum salary tables of the new agreement and compare them with current salaries for each professional category.
- Calculate retroactive arrears from January 1, 2026 for all workers whose salary falls below the new minimum.
- Pay salary differences in the next possible payroll to avoid claims and possible inspections.
- Audit your own company agreement (if it exists) to identify clauses that contradict matters reserved to the state agreement: maximum working hours, professional classification, hiring modalities and disciplinary regime.
- Adapt or renegotiate the company agreement so that no condition falls below the new state floor.
- Document personal ad personam supplements of workers with superior conditions to prevent them from being incorrectly absorbed.
- Mark on the calendar the denunciation deadline: if the company wants not to renew the agreement beyond 2029, it must denounce it at least three months before December 31, 2029.
Frequently asked questions
From when does the new 2026-2029 restocking agreement have economic effects?
Economic effects are retroactive from January 1, 2026, although the agreement was published in the BOE on September 4, 2026. This means that companies must calculate and pay salary differences accumulated from January 2026 if their current tables fall below the new minimums.
What matters cannot a company agreement worsen compared to the state restocking agreement?
The agreement reserves to the state level five matters that no company agreement can reduce: minimum salary tables, maximum working hours, professional classification, hiring modalities and disciplinary regime. Any company agreement clause that falls below these minimums is void and must be adapted from the BOE publication.
What happens to workers who already had conditions better than the new agreement?
Pre-existing superior conditions are maintained entirely as personal ad personam supplement. They cannot be absorbed or offset with the new agreement tables. The company must document these differences to avoid conflicts in future salary reviews.
Until when is the agreement valid and how is it renewed?
The agreement is valid until December 31, 2029. If neither party denounces it at least three months before that date, it is automatically renewed year by year. To not renew it, the denunciation must be made before September 30, 2029.
Which operational marketing companies does this agreement apply to?
It applies to companies engaged in sales promotion, merchandising and external sales forces, in addition to restocking companies in hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience stores. If your company carries out any of these activities as its main activity, it is subject to the agreement.
Official source
Consult complete regulation in official source
Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-18631
