Where do friends who immigrate to Portugal generally shop for groceries? Recently, researchers in Portugal released a survey report on the shopping index of various supermarkets in Portugal. According to this report, Continente is the most favored supermarket among the Portuguese people. Among the items purchased by the Portuguese, an average of 35 kg of products per 100 kg comes from Continente. The next supermarket is Pingo Doce, while the German supermarket LIDL shares the second position with Pingo Doce, with an average of 24 kg of products per 100 kg purchased from either LIDL or Pingo Doce. The fourth place is Intermarché, with 14.6 kg of products per 100 kg purchased from this supermarket. Minipreço ranks fifth with 13.5 kg, and Auchan is sixth with 12 kg.
The average monthly supermarket spending for each household in Portugal is 186 euros. Among the purchased items, 40% are fresh products. Of the food, 31.3% is grains, 19.7% is dairy products, and 15.4% is fish, meat, and egg products.
This research report also shows that the leading supermarket, Continente, is so popular due to its large scale and comprehensive range of products, which can meet the daily shopping needs of ordinary Portuguese citizens. Notably, Continente also provides consumers with free plastic bags, while other supermarkets require customers to purchase them. The provision of free plastic bags attracts many customers to shop as much as possible. The popularity of Pingo Doce and LIDL is attributed to their proximity to residential areas. Many Portuguese families can find these two supermarkets just around the corner. Additionally, the variety of products in the supermarkets is extensive, and since they have their own manufactured goods, the prices are also affordable.
Furthermore, many Chinese residents in Portugal may have noticed that there are many small supermarkets run by Indians located in residential areas. Although the variety is not as extensive and the prices are slightly higher, their proximity makes shopping very convenient, and they tend to have longer operating hours in the evening, which makes them quite popular as well.
