Mercadona

[janda_grant2]

There seem to be a lot of posts at the moment saying 'I used to be able to buy ............... at Mercadona but they don't have it any more'. Well, we have a friend who works for the store, and apparently due to 'La Crisis' (what else!) they are aiming to become the cheapest supermarket in Spain and are planning to only stock Hacendado and Bosque Verde products. I've noticed every week there is something else that you can no longer get, not necessarily English products but brand names - eg honey- can only get Mils de Flores, not the nicer varieties etc. It's getting to the stage where half of the stuff I used to buy is no longer available. Problem is, where else to shop. I'm not adverse to cheaper 'brands' but I do like to have the choice.

[Beachcomber]

I have never liked Mercadona or the charm school where its checkout assistants obviously go for training. I prefer Supercor or Supersol.

[alisonb]

We read in the money and finance supplement with Sur the other Sunday that there was a supermarket war on. Mercadona had apparently withdrawn 1000 lines (although I can't see that they sell more than that in total). Certainly the one we use in Velez Malaga has really cut back on their range, and filled shelf after shelf with all the same stuff. Having said that, they have dropped a lot of their prices, but like Jane says, there isn't any choice. Our local one had 2 bottles of Skip surrounded by loads of own brand detergents. We've started gravitating more to Lidl, although the staff there seem to have been to the Mercadona charm school as well

[kexon]

Well that answers more of my questions in regard to availability of goods in mercadona.However, our mercadona staff in Marchena are almost all very helpful and friendly,as are the staff at Lidl,plus the staff at Lidl seem to be very efficient!Strange world we live in!

[Wicksey]

Oh dear........ they didn't have my OH's favourite beer in the Torrox Costa one yesterday ... hope that it hasn't disappeared for good . It is their own brand one (Steinburg) but is the 100% Malta version rather than the 'Classic' one. Also one of our usual wine purchases wasn't on the shelf either. Why is it always the things we really like that are discontinued .

[oliveview01]

I was in one of the Mercadona stores in Morón this morning and they were taking down loads of shelves- I had trouble finding the doggy chews
They do have a good fish department though, I managed to get sardine fillets The local fishmonger has been sold out every time I have been to him- I need to go into town earlier in future
Has anyone seen ´green´ toilet cleaner in Mercadona?

[campo babe]

I too wondered why some of the usual things we buy had disappeared from Mercadona - my husband's preferred brand of condensed milk for his coffee, and our preferred brand of milk to name but two. On the plus side the Hero Marmalade has disappeared but their own brand is just as good, cheaper and the jars are bigger!

The staff in most of the ones around here have always been helpful.

In our local supermercardo in the village, you have to be very careful with items that are past their sell-by dates. At the moment the condensed milk they are selling is dated "use by March 2009".

[karandjon]

our mercadona has just gotten rid of the meat counter completely, and have just spread out the jamons and pre-packaged meat along that side of the wall, leaving a large floor space empty!

[murbisa]

We lost our meat counter some time ago. As Beachcomber says they didn't learn much at charm school. I always joke that I need to stand by the wall behind the tills to catch my shopping as it hurtles past. Disappointing to hear that so many products going. I find I shop there less and less. They have just opened a new one in Cartama. only went once. Because our vehicle is large we tend not to use the underground car park and park on the road outside. Coming out of the shop there is a large step which slopes, the pavement slopes, and it took the two of us to get the trolley back to the car up the hill.
Never again!!
I have reached the state I don't know where to shop. Carrefour fresh fruit and veg is definitely not fresh. Their cheese is mouldy. Twice I have bought magnums in there which have obviously been thawed at some time and refrozen - looked and tasted like glue. How do you take an ice cream back and complain
I suppose I end up in Supercor in Coin more than anywhere with the odd trip to Lidl's. We are having more frequent trips to Gib these days and using a butcher for our meat. Also quite like Al Campo in Marbella but quite a way to travel unless doing a big shop.

[frog]

dont you all miss tesco's

or whatever,said it for a year here,said it for 10 years to anyone that would listen,spanish supermarkets suck,except for the odd fish counter

staff are rude,u need to check dates on everything,make sure its chilled in the chilled bit and for all you bonkers carbon footprint nobbers,they bung everything in a plastic bag at checkout if they can be bothered to help,even 6 1 litre botles of water with a carrying handle

[blondie]

With regards to the Mercadona charm, you may think this wierd but I actually like it. After all this is Spain and that´s how the Spanish seem to be anywhere, not just Mercadona. If all that disappeared I would be very worried. I already think Spain is going to lose a lot of what makes Spain what it is, due to integration into the EU blah blah. you only have to look at the chiringuitos problem, or how strict the police seem to be thesedays. I would love to go back 15 years wo when Spain was Spain.

Leave them alone I say, let them shrug their shoulders, or chat on their mobiles when you´re in a rush and need to pay quickly. I would really miss it if it went.

[Beachcomber]

I would be quite happy with the low level of quality of service if it was matched by low level prices. This applies to Sevillana/Endesa and Telefónica as well as the likes of Mercadona.

[Wicksey]

On the plus side, Mercadona have introduced a couple of new varieties of sliced loaves which we like. The Mediterranean one is nice toasted with olive oil drizzled on it or with soups (it's a bit dry on its own) and there's an avena one too ..... mind you, that will not really compensate for the disappearing beer

A couple of times in the big Eroski in Velez the checkout girl has pointed out that something we have bought is a BOGOF or a 3x2 offer and has told us to go back and get our free item, which we thought was good service. When it first opened in 2000 (I think) I was buying a bottle of Jack Daniels as a birthday treat for the OH and the checkout girl couldn't get it to ring up on the till, so after a couple of phone calls she told me it was a 'present' and I could have it for free!! Don't suppose that would ever happen again .

[blondie]

If you want a good (cheap) beer try the supersol own brand, its just 15 cents a can!!!!!!! 3.60 for a crate, its crazy prices and it tastes good too.

[spanish_lad]

15c ??? thats cheaper than lidl or mercadona how can that possibly be true lol

[karandjon]

one thing i must say about mercadona in their defence is that,as yet, they have NEVER charged us an incorrect price for an item, unlike other stores.

Why doesnt mercadona EVER have any BOGOFs. 3x2, or even special offers?

Eroski´s new policy is that if they charge you an incorrect price at the till, then they will give you one of those items for free....i have noticed that since they have instilled this policy...i have not been incorrectly charged!

[spanish_lad]

some special offers would be nice in mercadona actually

[suenos]

Our local Mercadona in Alhaurin de la Torre (Cortijos del Sol one) took a load of products off the shelf, but in the past month has been putting them all back on again. The staff there are really good. The girls talk a lot but then again which females in Spain dont? In general they are all helpful and polite.

[peteroldracer]

My OH nearly had a thromby yesterday in Mercadona - a cauliflower priced at 3.45€!!!!
Has anyone ever paid over £3 in the UK for a coli!!??

[spanish_lad]

it was 1€ for 2 red peppers earlier ?