Supermarkets in Spain

Spain is not only a country with a rich history and culture, but also a place where you can find a wide variety of grocery stores and supermarkets.

What supermarkets are there in Spain?

Here, as in any other country, there are favourite shops. There are also supermarkets that pride themselves on their quality; those that focus on low prices; and those that can only be found in certain areas of the country.

Popular supermarkets

Popular supermarkets in Spain can be found throughout the country.

Mercadona

Mercadona is a leading Spanish supermarket chain founded in 1977 in Valencia. The company focuses on meeting customer needs by offering a wide range of quality products, including household and personal care items.

The chain is known for its ‘Hacendado’ label, which offers good quality products at lower prices than most competitors.

Mercadona has 1,627 stores throughout Spain, which means that you will find one in almost every city. What's more, the company is actively expanding and has already opened 64 Mercadona supermarkets in Portugal.

Carrefour

French grocery store chain. In 2023, Carrefour celebrated 50 years since the opening of its first supermarket in Spain. 
Today, Carrefour is a chain of stores with more than 300 hypermarkets and supermarkets across the country. The word Carrefour means ‘crossroads.’ Here you can find everything you need, from fresh fruit and vegetables to electronics, household appliances and clothing.

Carrefour is not lagging behind its competitors and offers customers regular promotions, discounts and a loyalty bonus system. The chain also actively promotes the concept of ‘organic’ products, which attracts the attention of health-conscious shoppers.

Quality supermarkets in Spain

Although the popularity of supermarkets depends on their accessibility and product range, many Spaniards also pay attention to product quality. Some supermarket chains in Spain stand out from the rest thanks to the high quality of their products and careful selection of suppliers.

El Corte Inglés

El Corte Inglés is one of Spain's largest and most famous chains of high-end department stores, which also includes supermarkets. The chain is known for its wide selection of food products, including local delicacies and fresh seafood.

El Corte Inglés supermarkets stand out for their high level of service and luxurious atmosphere. They are often located in the centre of large cities, which is quite convenient for locals and tourists alike.

When shopping at El Corte Inglés, customers can expect a wide selection of not only Spanish but also international products. The chain also offers a variety of ready-made meals for those who have neither the time nor the desire to cook. However, the cost reflects this: everything you can buy here will be much more expensive than in most shops.  

Lidl

Lidl is a German supermarket chain with stores throughout Spain. Although it is known as a discounter, this does not prevent it from offering fairly high-quality products. Lidl pays great attention to supplier selection and quality control, thereby allowing customers to be confident in what they are buying.
Lidl has a wide range of products, including fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy products. The store's own brands are also popular, offering excellent value for money.

Cheap supermarkets in Spain

It is easy to find many economical supermarkets, offering goods at affordable prices. These chains attract customers with their pricing policy and the opportunity to save money on purchases.

Dia

Dia is one of the largest discount chains in Spain. The first Dia supermarket was opened in Madrid in 1979. He pioneered the hard discount supermarket format in Spain. And now, with more than 3,300 stores across the country, he continues to offer his customers a wide selection of products at low prices.

A distinctive feature of Dia is that it has its own brands, which can compete with well-known brands in terms of quality, but are significantly cheaper.

Although this shop offers inexpensive goods, every week they hold various promotions and discounts, allowing customers to save even more! 

ALDI

ALDI is another German discounter with an extensive network of supermarkets throughout Spain. Since 1990, ALDI has been actively conquering the market by offering its customers high-quality products at affordable prices.

ALDI supermarkets are widely known for their promotions and loyalty programmes. They offer many products under their own brands, which allows them to keep prices to a minimum. The range includes fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and dairy products, as well as confectionery and frozen foods.

Geographical distribution of supermarkets

Spain is a large and diverse country, and the location of supermarkets often depends on the region. Although large chains such as Mercadona and Carrefour are widespread throughout the country, different local supermarkets can be found in different areas.

Supermarkets in Catalonia

There are many chains in Catalonia, including Mercadona and Carrefour. However, locals also prefer supermarkets such as Bonpreu-Esclat and Caprabo, which offer a wide range of Spanish and Catalan products.

Bonpreu-Esclat

Bonpreu-Esclat is a supermarket chain in Catalonia. Bonpreu consists of small shops, while Esclat consists of large supermarkets. In addition to offering its own brand products, Bonpreu constantly runs promotions to reduce prices and various sales. The chain is famous for its fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as locally produced goods. 

Caprabo

Caprabo, which opened its first store in Barcelona, is one of the oldest chains in Spain. Known for its focus on the quality of local products, it keeps pace with other stores and also often offers discounts on products produced in the region, which attracts local shoppers.

Supermarkets in Andalusia

Andalusia, famous for its sunshine and fresh produce, also boasts a wide selection of supermarkets. Mercadona is particularly popular here, and locals also frequent chains such as Dani and Masymas, which offer affordable, high-quality products.

Dani

The Dani supermarket is considered the cheapest in Spain, but it can only be found in Andalusia - in Granada, Jaén, Almería and Malaga.

Masymas

Masymas is also a well-known chain of grocery stores. They can be found in Andalusia, Valencia and northern Spain. Their slogan is ‘Más Cerca, Más Fresco’, which means that they are always nearby and have the freshest produce, which is very important for regular customers.

Supermarkets in Valencia

There are many shops in Valencia. All the popular supermarkets in Spain are here, but there are also local chains.

For example, Consum.

Consum

Unlike other chains, there are no specific owners here. Consum is one of the largest cooperatives in Spain, owned by its customer-members and employee-members. It is also managed by them.
At present, the Consum chain comprises more than 933 supermarkets, both owned and franchised under the Charter brand, located throughout the Mediterranean coast: in Valencia, Catalonia, Murcia, Aragon, Andalusia and Castile-La Mancha.

Supermarkets in northern Spain

In the north, in addition to the supermarkets that are popular throughout Spain, there are local brands that are just as interesting. 

Alimerka

The first Alimerka supermarket opened in Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, in 1987. Since then, 172 more have been opened, and now it is not just a shop, but a unique ecosystem offering high-quality goods at affordable prices, while also supporting local producers. The fresh meat and fish departments are particularly popular here.

Alimerka also offers customers a wide range of products under its own brand and regularly runs promotions to reduce prices.

Eroski

In northern Spain, specifically in Navarre and the Basque Country, you will often see large letters spelling out ‘Eroski’. ‘Erosi’ means ‘to buy’ in Euskera (the official language of the Basque Country), and “toki” means ‘place’.

It is a highly developed network that first opened its doors to visitors in 1971.

Supermarkets, hypermarkets and small shops under the Eroski brand are mainly located in the Basque Country, Navarre, Galicia and the Balearic Islands. However, they can also be found in some areas of Madrid, Andalusia, Cantabria and La Rioja.