Mercadona changes from this Tuesday, September 1, the hours of an important part of its supermarkets in Spain with the end of the special summer campaign. The modification mainly affects establishments located in coastal municipalities and areas with a high tourist influx, which during July and August had extended their opening hours to respond to the increase in customers.
During this summer, around 320 supermarkets of the chain have applied special hours. In many cases, the stores have opened from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM from Monday to Saturday, half an hour more than in their usual schedule, and certain establishments have also opened on Sundays and holidays until 3:00 PM. With the end of August, most of these exceptions disappear.
What time does Mercadona open and close from September
The general reference hours of Mercadona will return to 9:00 AM to 9:30 PM from Monday to Saturday. The opening time, therefore, does not change in most cases; the main difference for the stores that were applying summer hours is that they will close half an hour earlier.
The extraordinary opening of many supermarkets on Sundays and holidays also ends. Mercadona's usual policy is to keep its stores closed on those days, although there may be specific exceptions depending on the location, regional or municipal regulations, and the consideration of certain areas as high tourist influx areas.
Therefore, the change does not mean that the more than 1,600 supermarkets of the company will modify their hours tomorrow. A good part of the stores in the interior and large urban centers were already operating during the summer from 9:00 AM to 9:30 PM, so for these customers, September will not mean any variation.
Which supermarkets had special summer hours
The extension was concentrated especially in towns with a strong influx of visitors during the summer months. Among the areas highlighted during the campaign were municipalities such as Benidorm, Dénia, Jávea, Cullera, Marbella, Ibiza, Salou, Lloret de Mar, or Sanxenxo, in addition to other tourist destinations on the coast and the archipelagos.
In these establishments, Mercadona delayed the closing until 10:00 PM and allowed in numerous cases to open on Sundays with reduced hours. The measure came into effect at the end of June and was intended as an exception linked to the tourist season, not as a permanent change in the company's commercial policy.
Note: there may be exceptions depending on the store
Although the usual hours of Mercadona are from 9:00 AM to 9:30 PM, there are establishments with different schedules. The information available about some new stores of the company shows variations depending on the area. For example, certain supermarkets maintain specific summer hours during September, while others operate all year round with the standard schedule.
For that reason, it is not advisable to assume that all supermarkets will close exactly at 9:30 PM from September 1. The company has a store locator where you can check the specific hours of each establishment, including Sundays and holidays. Mercadona specifically recommended checking it during the summer campaign due to the differences between some centers and others.
Sundays are once again the main difference
For many consumers in tourist areas, the most relevant change will not be that half hour less at the end of the day, but the disappearance of summer Sunday openings. During the last months, numerous selected centers had opened on Sundays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, something exceptional within the usual operation of Mercadona.
Since September, the general rule returns to opening from Monday to Saturday. This especially forces customers from coastal municipalities who had incorporated Sunday shopping to reorganize their schedules, although again there may be specific exceptions linked to the commercial calendar of each locality.
The online schedule is different
The change in physical stores should not be confused with the hours of the online shopping service. In areas where the new online store of Mercadona is available, delivery can be made from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM from Monday to Saturday, subject to availability and the customer's postal code.
The chain is progressively extending this service to more locations, but the hours and available slots depend on the area. Therefore, that a physical supermarket closes at 9:30 PM does not necessarily mean that the last online delivery occurs at that same hour.
What you should keep in mind from tomorrow
The change in September means, ultimately, the return to normality after the special summer arrangement. For most stores that had extended their hours, the schedule will return to 9:00 AM to 9:30 PM and Sunday openings will disappear.
The key is that it is not an identical modification for all of Spain. Many supermarkets never changed their hours during the summer and some tourist centers may maintain particularities. Therefore, before going at the last minute or on Sunday, the safest thing is to check the specific store in the Mercadona locator.
From September 1, therefore, the general reference is clear: 9:00 AM for opening and 9:30 PM for closing, from Monday to Saturday, with exceptions depending on the establishment.