The Christmas season is upon us, and the busy streets of Spain are filled with shoppers scurrying about, eager to pick up last-minute gifts and holiday essentials. It's the time of year when families come together to celebrate, and many wonder about the holiday hours of their favorite supermarkets. With major retail chains like Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl, Aldi, Supermercados DIA, and El Corte Inglés defining the shopping experience, consumers are confronted with the challenge of timing their visits correctly.
These concerns come to the forefront as Christmas Day, the 25th of December, falls on a Wednesday this year. With many stores opting to close for the national holiday, shoppers must adjust their plans accordingly. Mercadona, one of Spain's leading supermarket chains, will not open its doors on this festive day. The same goes for New Year's Day, whereas on the New Year's Eve, or the 31st of December, the supermarket will have reduced hours, closing its stores earlier than usual.
Carrefour offers somewhat more flexible hours depending on the type of store. Their 24-hour locations will close by 8:00 PM on the 31st but remain shut on the 25th, 1st, and 6th of January. Carrefour Express and Carrefour Market might still serve customers, but it’s advised to check specific hours online before heading out. Lidl, the German grocery chain, will also close its stores on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and the Day of Kings on January 6th but will welcome customers on New Year's Eve between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
Another key player, Alcampo, has similar policies by closing for Christmas on the 25th and the 1st, as well as on January 6th, ensuring customers are informed through their website. El Corte Inglés, known for its extensive offerings, will also keep its grocery sections closed for Christmas Day but will operate until 7:00 PM on December 31st.
Aldi follows the trend by maintaining closed doors on holiday closures but is open for reduced hours on New Year's Eve. Supermercados DIA will have most of its branches closed on the holiday dates, but some will have limited hours on New Year's Eve, making it imperative for customers to plan their purchases carefully.
While managing shopping hours for holiday preparations can be tricky, there’s another aspect of Christmas shopping that's garnering interest among Spaniards: gift-giving preferences. This year, spending predictions show each person is expected to spend between 390 and 410 euros on gifts, with about 14% of the population planning to exceed 1,000 euros. The conversation around what to give often turns comical, as surveys reveal the most unwanted gifts. According to research from idealo, umbrellas are regarded as the most disliked present, with 27% of respondents ranking them as gifts they dread receiving. Following closely are towels and socks, indicating the classical dilemma faced by gift givers: practicality versus desire.
"Every year, the most sought-after gifts reflect new trends and consumer preferences, and this 2024 is no exception," remarked Kike Aganzo from idealo.es, providing insight on shifting consumer behavior.
Interestingly, the choice of physical shopping over online retail remains significant among Spanish shoppers. A recent survey indicated 36% prefer to physically shop, aiming to secure the items they really want rather than relying on online descriptions. Some have even shared their experiences of disappointment after purchasing gifts online without seeing them first. On the contrary, around 20% of respondents express preference for online shopping due to convenience and the potential for lower prices.
With Christmas quickly approaching, the satisfaction of grabbing the right gift can also depend on careful planning, especially when factoring store hours and customer preferences. Each supermarket’s holiday schedule will potentially change how one approaches their shopping list. The challenge of finding the perfect gift is heightened when juggling time constraints posed by holiday store hours.
To sum up, Christmas shopping requires a dash of strategy, especially amid changing hours for supermarkets and rising expectations for gifts. Whether it’s deciding where to shop or how much to spend on gifts, the season presents both challenges and opportunities for enthusiastic shoppers eager to spread cheer.
