Mercadona supermarkets has extended its opening hours from yesterday (Monday 11th May), and will join other chains selling disposable masks.
The food retailer has announced that its current opening times – 9am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday, except bank holidays – will now increase by an hour, closing at 8pm.
This will put it in line with most other supermarkets, such as Mas y Mas, Consum, Lidl, Día, and El Corte Inglés – although other stores such as Spar and Carrefour closing at 9pm and Alcampo at 10pm.
It is not clear when supermarkets will restore their previous opening times – in the case of Mercadona, remaining open until 10pm in July and August – but it is likely this will start to happen when the country enters into ‘Phase 2’ of recovery, a time when large shops, chain stores and retail centres will be allowed to open again.
The Valencia-founded supermarket also announced it will shortly be selling face masks – sold under its own-brand toiletries label Deliplus – in packs of 10 for €6 from Thursday, 14th May.
With the relaxing of quarantine measures, Mercadona says it has reinforced its daily disinfecting and cleaning processes, given that it anticipates increasing numbers of customers.