Need groceries on October 12? Here’s which supermarkets open in Spain

If you are planning a supermarket run during Spain’s October 12 national holiday, checking the opening hours before leaving home could save you a wasted journey.

The national day of Spain, known as the Dia de la Hispanidad, falls on a Monday this year, allowing many people to enjoy a long weekend. However, there is a catch for anyone who is putting off their weekly shop: There will be different opening hours in many supermarkets across the country, and some of the country’s biggest chains are expected to close most of their stores.

There is no one rule for all supermarkets. While some retailers may close most of their stores for the holiday, others will open certain locations or operate on shortened hours, depending on the city, region, and store.

So, if you find yourself at home on Monday morning and realizing there’s no milk in the fridge, here’s what you need to know before heading out.

Mercadona, Lidl and Aldi: which supermarkets open on October 12?

Mercadona shoppers should plan ahead. The chain is expected to operate its normal 9am to 9.30pm schedule on Saturday, October 10, before closing virtually all of its supermarkets on both Sunday, October 11 and Monday, October 12.

Saturday is the safest day for those who normally use Mercadona and need to stock up before the holiday weekend.

The situation is less straightforward at Lidl.

Opening hours for Lidl are not fixed nationwide. Instead, the store’s hours may vary depending on its location and the store itself. To check the store hours of your local Lids store, please search for your nearest Lidz store using their official store finder which provides the store opening hours and special holiday schedules.

The same principle applies to Aldi, where October 12 opening depends on location.

Some Madrid stores, for example, are expected to remain open on the public holiday. The branch at Calle Conde de Penalver, 45 and the store on Carretera del Barrio de la Fortuna, 1 are scheduled to open from 10am until 10pm.

Meanwhile, Aldi supermarkets at Avenida de Santa Eugenia, 4 and Avenida de Juan Antonio Samaranch, 55 are expected to operate from 10am until 9pm.

These are not Aldi’s general store hours, however. Customers from other areas of Spain should check their store’s hours before travelling.

Carrefour, DIA and Alcampo opening hours vary by location

For customers who shop at Carrefour, DIA or Alcampo, the answer is mainly in where you live.

Dia will be keeping some of its supermarkets open on October 12, as it operates in areas of high residential and tourist activity. However, there will be no uniform timetable for openings, and so some stores may be open while others may not be or may be restricted.

DIA’s customers can use the store finder to search for their town or address to get the latest news about their nearest store.

Alcampo is also a store-based approach. Alcampo’s store finder on its website lets customers enter their postcode and find information about a particular supermarket or hypermarket.

Carrefour also informs customers that the holiday hours are not the same in all its stores. It provides an online tool to check the holiday opening hours for a store near you. It is especially important to check this before visiting the store on Monday.

For all three chains, checking before setting off is especially worthwhile on a national holiday, when Google-listed opening times or someone’s experience from a previous year may not necessarily reflect the schedule for October 12.

Shopping in Spain on October 12? Check before you leave home

The easiest plan of action is this: If you need a major grocery shop, do it before Monday.

Mercadona customers should stock up by Saturday. Lidl, Aldi, DIA, Carrefour and Alcampo shoppers may have more choices depending on their location.

People who are staying in the tourist places will also find more supermarkets open than the ones in other parts of the country. But there is no guarantee that they will be open since the shops are usually open for seven days a week.

And even if a supermarket is open on October 12, it may be open for less time than usual.

Before you leave for your destination, check the store locator of the chain for the specific store you plan to visit. It’s especially helpful early in the morning or late at night when holiday hours make it more likely that the doors are closed.

For anyone planning a long weekend away, hosting friends or avoiding an empty fridge, a few minutes of searching and maybe even an early trip to the store could make October 12 much easier.