# Mercadona Changes



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

The Mercadona supermarket chain seem to be spending a lot of money on introducing various changes - some for the better, some maybe not. The latest one I discovered this morning after being away for a few days is that new tills with screens both for the cashier and a separate smaller one facing the customer so that they can see what's being input have been installed, and as part of this the customer no longer has to weigh loose items like fruit, vegetables and instore baked goods as they are weighed at the checkout. Could be good but do watch out as the cashier mistakenly entered some ciruelas rojas which we'd bought as nectarinas and my OH had to point out the error! 

New display shelving has also been installed for bread and pastries, and I think the range of loose baked goods seems to have been expanded (they had trays of those multi-coloured macaroons for example,which I haven't seen before).

One of our local branches also has a new area just for jamón with a couple of staff slicing the hams by hand.


----------



## growurown (Sep 3, 2018)

Although I try to support local businesses (Valencia) when I am in Spain, that shop is terrible. No matter how they do it up, it still looks dirty, along with it's clientele. It does not have alot of choice, prices are not that different from other shops... Give me Consum or Carrefour anyday..


----------



## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

growurown said:


> Although I try to support local businesses (Valencia) when I am in Spain, that shop is terrible. No matter how they do it up, it still looks dirty, along with it's clientele. It does not have alot of choice, prices are not that different from other shops... Give me Consum or Carrefour anyday..


We're the exact opposite here, Consum never have what I want and Carrefour is always more expensive. Mercadona has a great selection and cheaper than most of the others even without the 3x2 offers.

Horses for courses I guess!


----------



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I noticed the Mercadona at Los Barrios now has fruit etc weighed at the till, but our smaller local branch hasn't caught up yet. It's always had hand-sliced jamón though.

Someone told me that the name originally meant a market for ladies (_mercat de dona_ in Valenciano). How sweet. My husband goes there far more often than I do.


----------



## expat16 (Jun 11, 2016)

My local Mercadona is amazing, didn't know the ham section was new. I recently moved here a couple of months ago.

It looks clean and the staff are friendly. Beats any Dutch supermarket any day (one of the reasons I was so glad to leave NL).

My one complaint is they don't carry Total Greek yogurt, but neither does Carrefour, at least not here in Barcelona.


----------



## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Mercadona is no longer local to anywhere. It is a national supermarket. Eroski was only Basque , but it too has expanded into many other regions. Carrefour and Alcampo are French in origin and Carrefour is indeed often cited as being more expensive than many others... Their quality is usually good though. Everybody's supermarket buys and reasons for buying in certain places are so different though it's hard to compare. I used to do odd bits of shopping in Carrefour as it was on my way to work. Now it isn't so I rarely go...


----------



## Chica22 (Feb 26, 2010)

Our Mercadona was updated over a year ago with a range of refrigerated pastries as well as the cashier weighing the fruit and veg. I joined the Mercadona Facebook page a while ago, mainly to help me improve my Spanish, but I have found it really useful as people post photographs of new additions to the Mercadona range and if they interest me I look out for them in the local store.
One day last week someone in the Valencia region posted a photograph from one of the stores showing 2 large counters serving ready cooked food,eg paellas, vegetables, stews etc....I really hope this is extended nationwide


----------



## growurown (Sep 3, 2018)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Mercadona is no longer local to anywhere. It is a national supermarket.


Yes, that is a no brainer but it's headquarters and origins are from the Comunidad Valenciana.


----------



## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Chica22 said:


> One day last week someone in the Valencia region posted a photograph from one of the stores showing 2 large counters serving ready cooked food,eg paellas, vegetables, stews etc....I really hope this is extended nationwide


I read in the press recently that this was being introduced in Valencia. I can't see either of our two town centre branches having the space to accommodate it, though. I wonder what effect it will have on the small bars and cafes where they do introduce it?

I think Mercadona's range of stock has increased a lot in recent years. When I first came here, never did I imagine I would see red, green and yellow Thai curry paste on sale there, for example, nor the couple of ready made Indian curry sauces they now sell. Wonton soup, wasabi paste, edamame beans, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, all these and many more have been introduced since we first came to live here. I couldn't buy fresh raspberries anywhere closer than Nerja in those days.


----------



## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Supercor & Hipercor look good particularly using my El Corte Ingles Credit Card ( 4 per cent cash back on fuel )
vouchers every quarter when buying goods.

:clap2:

I remember the GM Credit Card in the UK had 4 per cent cash back on Food & Fuel back in the 2000's
and regularly maxed out on that - when popping into Sainsbury's and Tesco's and filling up with
Sainsbury's and Tesco's petrol after the weekly shop.
Of course the GM Credit Card is no more, in the UK.


----------



## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Williams2 said:


> Supercor & Hipercor look good particularly using my El Corte Ingles Credit Card ( 4 per cent cash back on fuel )
> vouchers every quarter when buying goods.
> 
> :clap2:
> ...


We have found a very good source of fuel at a reasonable price (forget discounts) we pay 1,14.5 whereas the regular price at service stations is 1,24.5


----------



## country boy (Mar 10, 2010)

On the subject of Mercadona changes, check ot the cheese department. Ours now has Feta, Emmantel and Mozzarella cheese. Also the Sourdough Bread 5 Seedy (Cinco Semillas Masa Madre) in the bread dept. (HORNO) .......totally delicious!


----------

