Residents of Sóller, on Mallorca’s north-west coast, are to get a new large supermarket, easing a long-standing complaint about the cost and choice of everyday shopping in the town and its port.
The problem
Sóller’s mountains, beaches and orange groves make it one of the most attractive places to live on the island, but the weekly shop is another matter. The port in particular is served mostly by small shops with limited ranges and high prices, and a family shop can cost considerably more than in Palma.
The big discount chains and wholesale stores are in and around the capital, about 30 kilometres away through the Sóller tunnel. Until now, the only larger supermarket in the valley has been an Eroski store, which residents say is cheaper than the shops in the port but still leaves much to be desired.
The new store
A Hipercenter supermarket is due to open in the coming months on the Son Angelats industrial estate, just outside the town. Signs announcing the opening have already been put up on the site.
Residents hope it will offer more choice and lower prices, both for locals and for the many visitors who rent apartments and holiday homes in the valley.
Why it has taken so long
There are different explanations for the lack of large supermarkets. Part of the answer is the strength of the town’s small, often family-run shops and its market, which have long supplied fresh and local produce. Planning restrictions in the Tramuntana, a protected landscape, also limit large commercial developments.
A boost for local life
A larger supermarket is unlikely to replace the small shops and the market, which offer local products that a chain cannot. But for families who live in Sóller all year round, a cheaper option close to home should make a noticeable difference to the household budget.
