The more than 3,500 spanish supermarkets and convenience stores operating in designated high-tourism areas—mainly coastal and inland destinations—reinforce their operations through mid-September to serve foreign tourists. In the areas with the highest international tourism, foreign consumers represent approximately 18% of customers.
Languages, hours and product assortment are the three key areas that help meet the needs of these seasonal consumers, for whom convenience is the main purchasing criterion:
Product range: The most in-demand product categories—seeing sales increases of 10% to 15%—include soft drinks, beer, insect repellents and sun care products. When adjusting or expanding the range, special attention is also paid to frozen or refrigerated foods (easy to consume), beverages, and fresh products typical of Spain, such as cheeses, cold cuts, fruits and vegetables. Notably, there is also an uptick in sales of canned goods, milk and milkshakes.
Opening hours: To meet service needs, it is common to find supermarkets open on public holidays in high-tourism areas—sometimes only in the morning and in other cases all day. In accordance with current legislation, companies apply flexible scheduling practices tailored to the specific consumption patterns of each area and time period.
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English, French and German in stores: Although English is the primary language used by store staff in high-tourism areas, the large presence of certain nationalities in specific locations means multilingualism is common in many establishments. In some cases, visitors from other countries can identify staff who speak their language thanks to flag pins, with checkout being the main point of interaction.
Thanks to this effort, the local food retail sector helps maintain and enhance the excellence of Spain’s tourism industry—ranked second in the world in number of visitors, according to the World Tourism Organization. Nuria Cardoso, Communications Director at ASEDAS, stated: “Spanish supermarkets and convenience stores play an important role in the growth of Spain’s tourism industry. With a strong service-oriented approach, these local stores ensure customer satisfaction by meeting seasonal and regular consumer needs. They also serve as ambassadors for national products and showcase the efficiency of our country’s services.”
