How to choose your supermarket

Choosing a supermarket for your weekly grocery shopping in Barcelona can be a little daunting. Caprabo, Alcampo, Mercadona, Bonpreu, Sorli Discau, Condis, Carrefour… There are so many to choose from, you don’t know where to start!

Here are some tips from ShBarcelona to help you decide which is the ideal supermarket for you.

Proximity

It is always wise to choose a supermarket that is located close to where you live, especially if you rely on public transportation to move around the city. However, you must take into account the prices offered by the supermarket closest to you since it may not be the best match for your wallet.

Price and quality

Price is without a doubt the single most important factor when making your supermarket choice, particularly if your budget is tight.  Unfortunately, lower prices sometimes mean lower quality, so it pays off to visit a couple of supermarkets or explore their online websites to be able to compare the prices and quality of the products in order to make an informed decision.

Offers and sales

Most people consider commercial mail a nuisance, but it can be really useful when it comes to supermarkets. Their monthly or weekly pamphlets will help you keep up to date with your local supermarkets’ deals, letting you know it may be better to stop by supermarket B instead of A this week because it is having a sale on salmon. If you don’t receive pamphlets from your local supermarkets but would like to, you can write them an e-mail or ask them directly when visiting the store.

Another great source of information about weekly offers is the website Tiendeo, which compiles all the supermarket publications, letting you compare the deals.

Store brands

Every supermarket sells their own brand of products, which are usually cheaper than brand name products. Depending on the supermarket you choose, you can buy a wide variety of the store’s brand products, with the same level of quality as the ones you usually purchase. This will help you save on your grocery shopping.

Online shopping

If you have a chaotic schedule, don’t have any supermarkets close to the area you live in or if you simply lack the patience to go grocery shopping, roaming the aisles and waiting in line, you may want to consider purchasing your groceries online. Most supermarkets have their own web page where you can shop and have your items delivered at home. Be sure to check the delivery costs before starting your purchase.