Shopping and groceries in Spain

Supermarkets usually open from nine in the morning until nine or ten in the evening without a break, and some close on Sunday except in tourist regions and cities, since some regions (such as Madrid) allow Sunday opening.

• Small shops open from eleven to two then from five to eight in the evening approximately and close for the siesta, that is the midday break, and some may close in August.
• Almost all shops close on public holidays.
• And 24-hour shops or neighbourhood supermarkets open at higher prices.
• Municipal markets are held daily in the morning and sell fresh produce, and weekly markets in squares.

Cards (Visa and Mastercard) are accepted in almost all shops, and contactless and phone payment is common, and the need for cash is less but it is accepted, and some small markets and bakeries accept cash only.

• Bizum is a common transfer app between friends and is accepted in some online shops.
• Written prices include value-added tax (IVA) at 21 per cent for most, 10 per cent for processed foods and 4 per cent for essentials (bread, milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables).
• Unit prices (precio por kilo) are written for comparison.
• You pay at the checkout and pack your items yourself, and pay for plastic bags, so bring your cloth bag.
• And a bottle deposit is paid in some places only.

Halal butchers (carnicería halal) and Arab, Moroccan and Pakistani shops are widespread in most cities, especially in migrant districts, and provide halal meat, spices, rice, legumes, Arab bread and familiar sweets.

• And some big supermarket chains (Carrefour and Alcampo) sell halal products in a dedicated corner.
• Read the ingredient list (ingredientes) and look for gelatine, alcohol and animal fats, and for cerdo, meaning pork, which is common in dishes and sausages (chorizo and jamón), so take care because many Spanish foods contain it. Fish, vegetables and fruit are available abundantly at good prices in municipal markets.
• Do not hesitate to ask about ingredients in bakeries and restaurants.

Sales (rebajas) are held twice a year: winter from 7 January to about the end of February, and summer from the start of July until August, and in them prices of clothes, shoes and appliances fall.

• And Black Friday offers are widespread in November.
• For second-hand use Wallapop, Milanuncios, Vinted, charity shops (tiendas de segunda mano) and second-hand markets (rastro, such as El Rastro in Madrid).
• Inspect the item in person and pay on receipt, and avoid transferring money in advance to a seller you do not know, and beware of fraud.
• For new furniture there are IKEA, Leroy Merlin and Maisons du Monde.
• Check delivery times and cost.
• And in some town halls old furniture collection is provided by service appointment (recogida de muebles).

When buying online from a shop in the EU you have the right of withdrawal (desistimiento) within 14 days of receiving the goods without giving a reason, and you get the money back within 14 days, and you may bear the return cost unless the seller says otherwise.

• For a defective item there is a statutory warranty (garantía legal) of three years for new goods since 2022, and one year for second-hand by agreement, and you have the right to repair, replacement, price reduction or refund.
• In physical shops there is no legal right to return a sound item, but many give a voluntary period with a receipt.
• Keep receipts.
• To complain ask for the hoja de reclamaciones in the shop, and go to the consumer office (OMIC) or EU consumer sites.
• And check the reputation of the online shop.

How many days for the withdrawal right in online purchases?