Update on Mercadona in Butihondo....if any of you live down this way. Easy to get there, no restrictions on the road (some people still working on FV2 upgrade near Risco del Paso).
Pretty much the same as JR said. Most items in stock. Cleaning gel and gloves on the entrance, spacing at the cash desks and all staff wearing gloves and masks. The fresh fish counter is open with a spacing between counter and customers. Good idea.
The only real difference from your photos, was that we had no 8 litre bottles of water, and only a few 5 litres left. Virtually everything needed was available. Plenty of cleaning stuff, and toilet rolls!
Shortages on: Ready meals for 2 persons, frozen peas, ice creams, chocolate and candy. But, as someone mentioned earlier, these are probably sacrificed on the delivery trucks for essential items. As one would expect.
I went to Costa Calma Padilla on the way home, and they had plenty of water. A few people (tourists?) still around that area, and dozens of hire cars in the roads. Have many German long-term tourists opted to stay on, maybe?
(24-03-2020, 03:54 PM)Archer Wrote: Shortages on: Ready meals for 2 persons, frozen peas, ice creams, chocolate and candy. But, as someone mentioned earlier, these are probably sacrificed on the delivery trucks for essential items. As one would expect.
(24-03-2020, 03:54 PM)Archer Wrote: Shortages on: Ready meals for 2 persons, frozen peas, ice creams, chocolate and candy. But, as someone mentioned earlier, these are probably sacrificed on the delivery trucks for essential items. As one would expect.
Are you calling frozen peas a non-essential?!
Yes, I would say that Ducks I have always taken the stance that if Peas were meant to be eaten they would be square , of course, Management and the two daughters totally disagree.
(24-03-2020, 03:54 PM)Archer Wrote: Shortages on: Ready meals for 2 persons, frozen peas, ice creams, chocolate and candy. But, as someone mentioned earlier, these are probably sacrificed on the delivery trucks for essential items. As one would expect.
Are you calling frozen peas a non-essential?!
Yes, I would say that Ducks I have always taken the stance that if Peas were meant to be eaten they would be square , of course, Management and the two daughters totally disagree.
A neighbour reports that he was stopped on the way to Mercadona (from Antigua). He was told that he had to use his nearest supermarket, and would be fined if stopped again en route to/from Mercadona. I believe I've seen at least one other post saying much the same (but in a different part of the island).
This begs a number of questions. Firstly, why hasn't the island government shut Mercadona? The nearest residential areas are Costa d'Antigua and El Matorral. Both areas have local supermarkets closer than Mercadona (let's include Lidl - same applies). If the 'nearest supermarket' ruling is being applied consistently, then both supermarkets should be closed.
Is it a ruling being applied consistently? Seems like one GC tells you one thing, and another GC something else. So one believes your nearest large out-of-town supermarket counts as your nearest. Another restricts you to your small local supermarket
Has management at both supermarkets accepted that their customers are being blocked from travelling to them?
Whilst cost is obviously a consideration, variety is at least equivalent (IMHO). With fines up to €600 being levied, heading off to Mercadona/Lidl for items you can't get locally is very much a lottery. Effectively, our diets are being policed. Is it just me? Does no-one else find this objectionable?
That's the prob Sam. One GC says ok, carry on, another says €600 fine. That's quite a penalty for being unlucky. They should have better direction and be more consistent. I've told friends and family in the UK that the lockdown here is better - we have clear criteria, and know where we stand. The 'which supermarket' lottery is a glaring exception.
(23-03-2020, 10:55 PM)TamaraEnLaPlaya Wrote: COVID 19 has a lot to answer for - I'm now officially old! I got pulled from the back of the outside queue (15 people?) at Mercadona in Corralejo and escorted directly inside, not just to the front of the queue. When I was in the fruit and veg section the girl stocking shelves there let me make my selections and then directed me over to the fruit & veg packaging area - she took all prepacked fruit out of my trolley and marked it down considerably. I'm not sure whether that was an age thing or the fact that I always speak to her or she was due to mark the items down anyway, but I got strawberries, blueberries and grapes at less than 50% - nice one Mercadona
They were also nearly out of chocolate - that is worrying, it's one of my essential food groups!
All joking apart I was very impressed with how the shops/staff were handling things and the attitude of the public, it was all very calm and friendly everywhere I went today in Corralejo: Mercadona, Hiperdino in El Campanario, BP petrol station. Well done to all the staff who are facing hundreds of people everyday.
I think I was just ahead of you by a couple of positions...
Wearing mostly black?
There was someone behind who seemed a bit confused when the security person picked them out of the line and took them all the way in
It's a nice policy!