Supermarket chains begin to limit online orders due to higher than usual demand
Mercadona delivers to some parts of Barcelona only while Bon Preu halts service
Supermarket chains in Catalonia have begun to limit their online orders due to the heightened demand in home delivery services they have been experiencing as a result of the ongoing coronavirus public health crisis.
This is the case of Mercadona, of Spain's largest food retail stores, which in Catalonia is now only delivering to a number of zip codes close to the warehouse it has in Barcelona's Zona Franca industrial area.
The Bon Preu group, which has nearly 200 grocery stores all over Catalonia, has decided to halt further online orders until it manages to deliver those that have already been made – the exceptional situation has created a backlog it has yet to get through.
On the other hand, Caprabo supermarkets continue to provide their clients with home delivery and have increased the number of shifts to keep up with the "very significant" surge in demand they have seen since the outbreak of the crisis.
According to the company, it takes 3 to 6 days for them to distribute groceries that have been bought online while they are also trying to prioritize deliveries to the elderly and other more vulnerable groups.
Meanwhile, Condis supermarkets have recently informed their clients that they are once again providing home deliveries, but only for people who have already registered on their online platform as well as the elderly and other at-risk groups.