With the arrival of Easter Sunday, many Portuguese families gather for the usual festive lunches. However, anyone who leaves a purchase for the last minute can come across the closed supermarkets. Several chains will change their opening hours or close completely.
To avoid travel in vain, we leave below the scheduled times for the main commercial surfaces to operate in Portugal. This year, the operation on Easter Sunday follows the trend of previous years, with several establishments ending throughout the day.
Mercado and Auchan with closed doors
In the case of the market, the Spanish chain maintains the usual policy of ending on major holidays, and this Easter Sunday will be no exception. No Mercado store will open that day.
Also Auchan has confirmed that it will completely end on Easter Sunday. Thus, any purchase planned for this chain should be made by the end of the previous Saturday.
These two networks choose not to open on festive dates as a way to standardize their operation in the national territory, following similar practices in other holidays.
Aldi and Pingo Doce open only in the morning
Aldi will keep some of its stores in operation, but only during the morning. It is expected to end the doors at 1 pm. This reduced time will be valid for most establishments, even if there may be occasional variations according to the location.
Already the Pingo Doce slightly extend the time and should remain open until 14 hours. It is a slightly wider window, allowing for quick purchases on Sunday morning.
Both chains confirmed the times through their official channels, recommending that customers check the availability of stores in their area, as there may be local exceptions.
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Lidl keeps tradition and does not open
Lidl will not open on Easter Sunday either. The German chain often closes on the main festive dates and maintains this policy for this holiday.
With their doors closed throughout the day, customers should anticipate their needs and visit stores by Saturday. This decision applies to the entire national territory, without distinction between urban or rural locations.
This option, according to the, follows the practice of valuing festive periods as moments of pause, which is already known to many of its usual customers.
Schedule Easter Sunday
To help with a quick view of the schedules, we leave a synthesis with what is expected for this Sunday:
- Mercadona – locked;
- Auchan – locked;
- ALDI – Open until 13h;
- Pingo Doce – Open until 14h;
- Lidl – closed.
These times refer to Easter Sunday and may change depending on the store. Some locations, especially in shopping centers or urban areas, may have different times.
Check the stores websites
Thus, if a last minute need arises, the recommendation is to previously consult the official chains sites or directly contact local stores.
Easter is traditionally a time of great movement in the hypermarkets in the days before it, so the weekend can record high influx to the closing of stores.
Although some chains are working at a limited time, it is best not to have full availability during Sunday. Early organization can avoid setbacks.
In the return to the routine, normal times should be resumed from Monday. Until then, consumers should be aware of the exceptional adjustments of this holiday.
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