Mercadona brings in new closing time as summer hours end

If you’re used to doing the supermarket run late in the evening don’t get too comfortable, there is one small change worth knowing about before you head to Mercadona: some stores are now earlier than they did during the summer.

As of  Tuesday, September 1, Mercadona has ended its special summer opening hours That extra half-hour may not sound like much, but for anyone who relies on the later opening time after work or during the evening, it could mean arriving at the supermarket to find the doors already closed.

Mercadona brings summer opening hours to an end

During July and August, Mercadona extended opening hours at numerous supermarkets, particularly in coastal areas and other destinations experiencing a large influx of tourists. Around 320 stores across Spain had their closing time extended to 10:oopm during the summer period. Some supermarkets in particularly busy tourist locations also opened on certain Sunday mornings and public holidays as part of the seasonal arrangements. 

Those extended hours have now come to an end with the close of August, so customers who had become accustomed to shopping later in the evening will now need to arrive before 9.30pm. The change is therefore most noticeable at the supermarkets that actually took part in the summer extension. Not every Mercadona in Spain is changing its closing time this week, because many stores continued to close at 9.30pm throughout July and August. 

Sunday shopping is also changing

Mercadona generally closes its supermarkets on Sundays and public holidays, although certain locations can operate under different arrangements. During the summer, some stores in areas with particularly high tourist demand opened on Sunday mornings. Those seasonal openings have now generally ended alongside the extended weekday and Saturday hours. 

This means shoppers should not assume that a supermarket which was open on a Sunday during August will continue operating on Sundays throughout September. The same applies to public holidays. Individual stores can have different opening arrangements depending on local, regional or national holidays, so the general timetable does not necessarily apply on every date.

Check your local Mercadona before setting off

There is an important reason not to rely entirely on the general 9.30pm closing time: Mercadona’s opening hours can vary between individual stores. The chain provides a store locator where customers can check the opening and closing times for their specific supermarket.

This is particularly useful when planning a shopping trip around a Sunday, public holiday or other date when special opening arrangements may apply.  For most customers, the return to the regular timetable simply means that the longer summer shopping window has disappeared. But if your local branch was one of those staying open until 10pm, the change is immediate: from September 1, the doors close at 9.30pm instead.