There are two types of shopping in Spain, that which you do in larger towns and cities and that which you do in the small villages. The shopping that you will do in the big city malls and shops is far less interesting (and challenging) than that which you will do in the villages.
In the smaller villages there still is no such thing as the one-stop shop. Women seem spend the whole day shopping just to get through the day. However, in this day and age, most of us are more accustomed to going to that great big “Super” market that has everything under the sun, loading the 10 heavy bags of groceries into the car and driving up to our front door to unload everything.
It doesn’t work like that in the smaller Spanish villages…… first of all, everyone walks to the store and can only buy what you can manage to carry home as you wobble down the cobblestone streets while your fingers turn purple from the lack of blood circulation. For this very reason, most people (typically the woman) shop once in the morning to buy fresh food for lunch (almuerzo) and then once again in the afternoon to buy food for dinner (cena).
Shopping also includes making many stops; one to the butcher (carniceria), one to the street market or fruit & vegetable store (fruteria), one to the fish monger (pescaderia), one to the bakery (panaderia) and one to the general store for miscellaneous items. This shopping ritual is done daily, except for Sunday when ALL the stores IN SPAIN are closed. So, this means double duty for Saturday shopping. This is when you drag the kids with you to help lug the extra groceries back home!
Personally, I like this type of shopping, getting everything fresh on a daily basis, just buying what you need. Shopping in Spain can really be like stepping back in time, a glimpse of how locals for centuries have been buying the things they need. It gives me a new appreciation of how people got things done in the past, before we became spoiled by the ease of shopping malls, “supermarkets” and cars.
Don’t forget about the corner mom & pop (I should say mama & papa) shop which actually does has everything under the sun. These stores are usually someone’s living room that has been converted into a tiny shop that only holds 4 or 5 customers at one time. Mama & papa stand behind the counter and you tell them what you want and they go (very slowly) and get it (no self service). If you don’t speak Spanish you just stand there and point and make up words! If you don’t’ see what you want, just ask and they are sure to have it in some hidden nook.
One word of advice, do not go there when you are in a hurry! Not only is this a store, it also doubles as the local social hub for all the neighbours……ladies young and old catch up on the current town gossip while doing their shopping. The woman in front of you may only be buying dishwashing soap and one tomato, but combined with the gossip update, the transaction can seem to (and sometimes does) take forever! If you can manage to restrain yourself from screaming for service and can relax and take in the experience, it can be very entertaining because the locals are usually very animated when they are telling their tall tales! Shopping and entertainment all in one!
Aside from food, there are always odds and ends to be purchased and these can be purchased at the small family run stores (tiendas) crowded with merchandise that line the town streets. For cleaning and beauty products, you go to the local drug store “drogería”, and for everything from plugs, nuts and bolts, saucepans and small electrical appliances you call in at the hardware store (ferreteria). Even such specialised goods as knives have their own store.
In the larger cities and towns, these individual shops have virtually disappeared or have given way to huge supermarkets that have everything under one roof but still can be found tucked away on city side streets. There has also been an explosion of huge out-of-town shopping centres (centro commerciales) with stores, cinemas and food courts. This is where you are guaranteed to find the latest in fashion and technological gadgets.
Some malls are well designed with light and airy construction and high glass ceilings, with plants and art exhibitions. Others are full-on, shop-till-you-drop Meccas with booming music, glaring lights and tunnel-like walkways. Whether or not time and money are saved is a question we often ask ourselves. We get lost in the endless aisles, pushing a cart with enough “stuff” to open our own small shop. The beautiful Spanish sun shines outside but these cathedrals of spending are always full. In the end, are we ruining the charm of a small country?
Though Spain has picked up its pace and is slowly joining the fast paced 21st century lifestyle, there are three things that still force Spaniards to slow down……..fiestas, siesta and summer! Aside from the shopping malls and the major city hubs, all shops still close between the hours of 2:00 and 5:00 for siesta. They also close for all “fiesta” days, which pop up all the time, sometimes as many as 4 or 5 a month! So pay strict attention to your Spanish calendar to avoid being left with an empty refrigerator.
Summer is when everything really slows down (almost to a dead stop) and people close up shop for as much as one month to take their summer vacation in August. You will see handwritten signs on the doors of many of your local stores…..”On vacation”.
Shopping in Spain has something for everyone: antique stores, shopping malls, open markets, traditional Spanish stores, street vendors and international stores. You can shop till you drop all the way through Spain.
