Supermarkets in Barcelona: A User’s Guide

Grocery shopping can be a pleasure or a chore! We’ve come up with a little guide to Barcelona’s supermarkets to make life easier.

Barcelona supermarkets versus markets or small stores

In Barcelona, supermarkets may not play as big a role as in other European cities. Here, people who have the time to shop prefer to shop in various small shops or stalls in their local market rather than buying everything in the supermarket. It’s a matter of habit!

Food markets form an essential part of local culture, and can be found in almost every area. They’re open from Monday to Saturday, and are very popular. Prices are no higher than in a supermarket, and may even be cheaper. It’s also a lot nicer to stroll around a covered market than a supermarket…

Fun fact: you’ll sometimes find a supermarket within a market, or in the basement below.

In addition to the markets, there are many shops which only sell specific types of product, for example dairy (the Granja Armengol is a great example), or fruit and vegetables (cheaper than the supermarket).

Supermarkets in Barcelona

The main supermarket chains with stores in Barcelona include:

• Mercadona: probably Spain’s most popular supermarket chain, known for its own-brand products, offering good quality at a reasonable price. You will very rarely find organic products in Mercadona.
• Bon Preu: “bon preu” means “right price” in Catalan, and the chain lives up to its name. Unlike Mercadona, Bon Preu stocks named brands, representing excellent value for money.
• Consum: Consum is somewhere between Mercadona and Bon Preu in terms of the products on offer, including both big-name and own-brand Consum items. The quality is generally good, but there’s less choice than at Mercadona. You’ll also find franchised “Consum Charter” stores, but these are sometimes badly designed and only offer a limited range of products.
• Caprabo: this supermarket has a wider choice of products than the others mentioned above, but it’s also more expensive. A large Caprabo store can be found in the Illa shopping center in the Corts quarter, and there’s another in the Mercat de la Concepció.
• El Corte Inglés: by far and away the nicest supermarkets to stroll around, with a wide variety of appealing products and attractive displays… at a price, of course. This is Barcelona’s most expensive supermarket, but if you can afford it, go ahead! The Corte Inglés on Plaça Catalunya and the one on Avigunda Diagonal have deli counters in addition to the supermarket proper.
• Ametller Origen: this fast-growing Catalan chain has more than 120 shops throughout the region. A perfect compromise between a greengrocer’s shop and a supermarket, it stands out for its commitment to fresh, local produce. A real treasure for lovers of flavour and quality! Its beautifully presented products are slightly more expensive than in other stores, but this extra cost is justified by their excellence and flavour.
• Carrefour: unsurprisingly, the french commercial juggernaut that is Carrefour also has stores in Barcelona.
• Aldi and Lidl: These two German supermarket chains are also present in Barcelona and offer quality products at discount prices. You will also find a selection of organic products.

Useful information

• Many of the supermarkets in Barcelona offer free home delivery if your shopping exceeds a certain price. Very handy!
• Supermarkets are generally open Monday to Saturday, from 9 or 10am until 9 or 10pm.
• Supercor supermarkets are open 18 hours a day, every day of the year, but they’re more expensive.
• Certain products can be hard to find in supermarkets, one notable example being toiletries. You should be able to find something, but the choice is extremely limited. For more options, go to perfumería (perfumery) – these stores carry a range of shower gels, shampoos, lotions and potions. Another option is Clarel, a chain which also sells household cleaning products.
• Looking for a superstore?  The Carrefour in the Gran Via 2 centre (just outside Barcelona) should do the trick.