The countdown to the end of the year has already begun. Next Wednesday, December 31, thousands of people will turn out at the last minute to get those forgotten ingredients for New Year’s Eve dinner.
However, if you do not want to find yourself with the shutters down, it is essential that you know the special schedules that the main food chains have established for this holiday.
As happened last Christmas Eve, the distribution sector in Spain will adjust its working day. The aim is twofold: to facilitate last-minute shopping for consumers and to ensure that workers can enjoy grapes with their families.
Opening hours of the main supermarket chains on December 31st
Although the general trend is to close early, each brand applies different criteria according to its company policy and the location of the center. Here we summarize the most important details:
Mercadona
Juan Roig’s company will maintain a unified schedule throughout its network of stores in Spain. On December 31, its supermarkets will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., eliminating its usual night-time closing time.
Lidl
The German chain follows a similar strategy. Its stores will be open in the morning, but will close earlier at 7:00 pm. However, some stores may vary slightly depending on the location, so it is advisable to use their official search engine.
Carrefour
Due to the variety of formats(Hypermarkets, Market or Express), Carrefour’s opening hours are more diverse. Most will close between 19:00 and 20:00, although some convenience stores in tourist areas may extend their opening hours.
El Corte Inglés, Hipercor and Supercor
Shopping centers and their respective supermarkets usually bring forward the end of the day to 19:00 hours on Wednesday. It is important to remember that, depending on the Autonomous Community, these schedules could be slightly modified.
Dia and Alcampo supermarkets
Both chains have opted for flexibility. While most of their stores will close around 7:00 p.m., there are centers that may vary their opening times. It is strongly recommended to consult their web locators to avoid unnecessary trips.
Aldi and AhorraMás (Earliest closures)
If you usually shop at these chains, be careful! They are the most restrictive on New Year’s Eve:
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Aldi: Plans to open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., drastically reducing its usual working hours.
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AhorraMás: It will follow an identical line, opening at 09:00 and closing at 15:00 hours.
For greater security, always use the store locator on the official website of each supermarket by entering your zip code. This will give you the exact opening hours of the store nearest you.
