Every year around Easter, shoppers in Alicante face a familiar question: which shops stay open and when? Holy Thursday marks a holiday in many regions, shifting regular schedules. Good Friday is also observed as a public holiday, and in 2022 both days had special status. In Alicante, Mercadona stores follow their usual hours on Thursday, April 14, operating from 9:00 to 21:30. The same schedule applies on Saturday, April 16, while Sunday, April 17 remains a closure day for the chain’s central offices.
When planning a shopping trip, it helps to know that store hours can vary on Easter Sunday and in tourist zones where some centers extend or shorten their openings. Mercadona, for example, tends to operate on Good Friday with variations depending on location; coastal and tourist municipalities like Alicante, Benidorm, Torrevieja, and Dénia might offer limited hours around midday, while other areas follow their standard calendars.
The easiest way to confirm Mercadona hours on a holiday is to visit the supermarket’s site. On the homepage, the top navigation includes a section labeled Supermarkets. A search tool appears where shoppers can enter a postal code, city, or address. Selecting the desired store reveals a drop down with the week’s hours, upcoming holidays, and whether that specific center will be open on those days.
Carrefour centers in Alicante follow a similar pattern. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday tend to see open doors, though Good Friday hours can vary by hub. In tourist areas, some locations stay open, while others close early. To be certain, consumers can enter their zip code or city on the Carrefour site and pick the store for a precise schedule. Typical hours span from 9:00 to 22:00, but this can shift for holidays.
Lidl also sticks to regular hours on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. If a location opens on Sundays, it will typically maintain the same pattern on holiday Sundays. For the most accurate information, Lidl’s official site provides hours by store, and regional differences may apply during Easter.
Another major player in the Alicante shopping scene is Alcampo. During Easter, Alcampo stores generally welcome shoppers daily, including Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with hours aligning closely to their standard daily openings. It is wise to check the specific center on the Alcampo site to confirm any local variations during holiday periods.
For travelers and locals alike, northern and southern excursions around Easter can include quick shopping stops to stock up on essentials. While Major League cities in North America may not mirror the exact holiday pattern in Spain, the principle remains the same: always verify holiday hours online for any large chain, especially in major tourist zones where hours can be fluid. Online store locators offer the most reliable guidance, reducing the risk of a wasted trip.
In short, during Easter in Alicante, shoppers should expect some variation by chain and location. Mercadona, Carrefour, Lidl, and Alcampo often keep doors open on the key holiday days, but hours may shift in tourist hotspots and on Good Friday. Checking the retailer’s official store locator before heading out is the smartest approach for a smooth shopping experience.