Portugal has never been more connected to the world. With record-breaking numbers of tourists, a booming expat community, and locals who travel more widely each year, international chains are reshaping what people hope to find at home. Although Lisbon and Porto have welcomed many international chains in recent years, there are still some big names missing from Portugal’s retail and food scene. Imagine walking through Chiado and stepping into a full-sized Apple Store, or browsing Uniqlo in the heart of Porto. Picture grabbing a late-night snack at Seven Eleven on your way home from Bairro Alto. These brands are household names in other countries, but in Portugal, they are still non-existent.
Here are five international brands that we would love to finally see in Portugal including why they would be such a perfect fit for Portuguese life.
1. Apple
Apple products are literally everywhere in Portugal. While Madrid and Paris have their own official Apple stores, Portugal does not have a single official Apple Store. Instead, Apple users must rely on authorized resellers and service providers that often lack the personalized retail experience and high level of customer service that Apple is famous for. For Portuguese consumers and the millions of visitors who travel here every year, this is a glaring absence. Any tourist who breaks their iPhone while visiting Portugal is forced to rely on a local service provider to fix it – or wait until they get back home.
Having at least one Apple Store in Lisbon and one in Porto would be both practical and convenient for visitors and residents of Portugal, while also elevating the Portuguese shopping shopping scene. Apple Stores worldwide are known for their sleek architecture and design that often becomes a destination in its own right. In Lisbon, such a store could anchor an already vibrant shopping area like Avenida da Liberdade, while Porto could use a high-profile Apple Store to complement its growing status as a hub for innovation and technology.
Beyond retail, Apple Stores double as educational spaces where workshops and sessions bring people together to learn new skills, whether that is photography, coding, or music. This would perfectly align with Portugal’s push toward digital transformation and its growing community of creative entrepreneurs.
2. Uniqlo
When people talk about the perfect global brand fit for Portugal, Uniqlo comes to mind immediately. The Japanese retailer is famous for its innovative yet affordable clothing including everything its cooling Airism line designed to keep you comfortable in hot weather to Heattech thermal wear that provides three different levels of lightweight warmth during colder months. For a country like Portugal, where summers have become increasingly hot and winters can still feel damp and chilly, this brand could not be more useful.
Airism clothing would be a lifesaver for sweltering summer days in Lisbon, when temperatures soar above 35 °C. Heattech would make winter much more bearable, especially in older Portuguese homes and apartments that lack central heating.
Uniqlo’s focus on simple, functional design also suits the Portuguese lifestyle, which balances casual elegance with practical comfort. Instead of flashy trends, Uniqlo provides reliable staples that blend easily into any wardrobe. It is easy to imagine Airism T-shirts becoming a staple for joggers in Parque Eduardo VII or Heattech leggings helping locals brave the cold winds along Porto’s Ribeira during winter evenings. I once even spotted four different people marching in a Portuguese parade all with different colors of the same Uniqlo Round Mini bag, which they must have purchased abroad because there is no Uniqlo anywhere in Portugal (the closest location is in Madrid).
As more Portuguese travel to Japan, the United States, or other parts of Europe where Uniqlo thrives, the demand for the brand here is only likely to grow. Having a flagship store in Lisbon would feel like a natural progression for the country’s evolving retail scene.
3. Seven Eleven
Convenience stores in Portugal exist, but they are nothing like Seven Eleven in Japan. Not even the United States has a convenience store as convenient as the Japanese version of Seven Eleven. Travelers who have experienced the brand firsthand know how much of a game changer it is. Seven Eleven in Japan is a full-service stop that provides affordable meals, high-quality snacks, toiletries, and even tickets for events.
Where Seven Eleven could really change the game for Portugal is with the copy machines that are present in every Seven Eleven in Japan. Currently, to make a copy or print anything in Portugal, you need to have your own machine or wait for a print shop to open, take a ticket, send your personal documents to a shop’s email address and pay almost .20 € per page. Seven Eleven’s copy machines are open during store hours, have ports for multiple kinds of memory sticks, and can print, copy, and even create postcards using the data you connect to the machine – no more data privacy risks, waiting in long lines, and paying high rates per page. Seven Eleven truly is convenient (until you have to find a staff member to refill the paper).
While you waistline may expand from the late-night ice cream stops on the way home, it’s difficult not to love Seven Eleven once it finds its way to a Portuguese town.
4. Arket and & Other Stories
Sweden’s fashion giant H&M Group has already made a strong mark in Portugal with its mainline stores and the presence of COS, its minimalist premium label. However, two of its most interesting brands, Arket and & Other Stories, are still absent. For those who fell in love with these shops abroad, the lack is disappointing.
Arket brings a blend of Scandinavian practicality and modern aesthetics and offers everything from clothing to homeware and even a small café in many of its stores. Its focus on sustainable fashion and timeless design fits well with the Portuguese mindset, where consumers increasingly care about quality and eco-friendly production. Having Arket in Lisbon or Porto would give locals and expats a new shopping destination that values both style and substance.
& Other Stories, meanwhile, has already had a presence in Portugal in the past but eventually closed its locations. This was a real loss, as the brand is beloved across Europe for its accessible, trend-driven fashion that still manages to feel distinctive and chic. Bringing & Other Stories back would not only satisfy loyal customers who miss it but would also give younger Portuguese shoppers a fashion-forward alternative that can compete with Zara and Mango, both of which currently dominate the Portuguese high streets.
With both Arket and & Other Stories available, Portugal’s retail scene would feel much more in line with other major European capitals. Shoppers who are used to finding these brands in cities like London, Paris, or Berlin should not have to travel abroad to refresh their wardrobes.
5. Wingstop
It’s true. Portugal is already home to some of the best grilled chicken on earth and when you top it with piri-piri sauce, you’re in for an unforgettable experience. However, and don’t judge me here because I am American, Portugal is missing a great chicken wing chain with a variety of flavors to satisfy anyone’s tastebuds. Enter Wingstop, the U.S. brand that has built a cult following thanks to its vast selection of flavors, from lemon pepper to mango habanero.
Wingstop would bring variety, spice, and a whole new delicious experience to Portugal. Imagine watching a Benfica match with friends at a Lisbon Wingstop with each person ordering wings in different flavors to share. Brazilian Citrus Pepper, Mango Habanero, Spicy Korean Q, and the ultimate Atomic flavors could be just the thing to keep you warm on a cold Portuguese night as you curl up with a tray of boneless chicken wings.
Given Portugal’s reputation as a food-loving nation, Wingstop could thrive here. The country has embraced international food chains in the past, from Starbucks to Taco Bell, and Wingstop could be the next big hit.
A Portugal Ready for More
Portugal has always been a country of discovery, and its openness to the world is part of what makes it so dynamic today. As its economy continues to grow and its international connections deepen, the absence of certain global brands feels increasingly out of step with how modern Portugal lives, especially in Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve. Apple, Uniqlo, Seven Eleven, Arket, & Other Stories, and Wingstop would all bring something unique to the country and fill in gaps in the market.
Whether it is grabbing a pair of Heattech leggings to get you through the cold Portuguese winter, enjoying a quick and affordable snack at Seven Eleven on the way home from Bairro Alto, or sitting in an Apple Store workshop learning new creative skills, these brands could quickly become part of daily life.
As Portugal continues to evolve, it is worth asking which brands will be the next to make the leap into this market. What other brands would you like to see in Portugal?
