Hi All,

First question is about the size of the Carrefour stores - I see there are shops marked as Carrefour, Carrefour Market and Carrefour Express. Am I correct in thinking this might be the big "hypermarket" Carrefour, a grocery Carrefour and a small, local Carrefour? If I'm not correct can you let me know what the difference in them all is please.

I've read on other threads that their goods are very durable and value for money, however, because we're not over in Spain for very long this time I'm a bit reluctant to buy online in case our purchases don't turn up before we've left the country again. Is Carrefour like Makro? I've never been.

Yes more or less, just think Tesco & not like Makro.

Never found them to be best value for money myself.

Some people swear by them, for great value. IMHO they are cheap and you get what you pay for. They never seem to have enough staff. If you have a complaint no one seems able to speak english.

Nor should they

We find them OK, just like a big Tesco/Sainsbury

I can and do speak Spanish. My comment was for the benefit of the OP and others who are not as ............ smart as you.

They are more like a big Aldi/Lidl than Tesco/Sainsbury

The big Carrefours are enormous, and will sell anything, from motorbikes to cheese slices, in fact the one in Torrevieja is so large that the have assistants getting prices, changing problem articles, who travel the store on roller skates.
I've never had any problems with them, taken things back with no problems. The quality of thier clothes amd shoes is very good, back in the UK 4 years now and have just had to throw my last pair of Carrefour shoes away, they only lasted 5 years! and we are still using an electric heating pad we bought there.
They do also have other shops in the bigger stores selling things Carrefour don't sell, like pets etc.

Local expats who now have a choice avoid Carrefour because of the poor quality of their products and shocking after-service, the roller skaters may skate very well, but their rudeness is legendary.

Zenia Boulevard have practically closed down the big Carrefour in Torrevieja who are now sending their staff to learn customer care, in English, because the great majority of their customers are English, but it's all years too late - the British and other foreign expats are voting with their feet. The only useful function of the big Carrefour is as a free car park while people shop elsewhere.

I have to back this up its for me too, also did not the Carrefour at Habeneras have security guards that beat some french people to a pulp as they are racist arseholes.

Been to a Carrefour twice in my life, its not for me much better options available.

I had to visit the big Carrefour just the other day and saw that fat security guard who was one of the heroes beating the Frenchwoman a couple of months ago.

I think they imported this particular monster from one of the Basildon night clubs where the bouncers sold ecstasy tablets to schoolkids.

Luckily the Frenchwoman's son caught the assault on his mobile and Carrefour are being sued and I believe prosecuted by the Guardia.

(And it's a French company).

Why shouldn't they speak English and other languages? They have an international clientele , so it's in their own interest to speak other languages!

Hmmmm, mixed reviews then. We'll be taking a tour of some shopping venues next Monday, but we'll need to buy some essentials before then so that we can eat and sleep.

Andyrich666: you mention better options, which shops (and where) did you have in mind? We don't mind travelling - at least until the newness of the experience wears off.

I was in Carrefour San Juan (Alicante) this afternoon where the clientele are mainly Sapnish and the service is just as bad as in Torrevieja.

I think they need a major makeover - especially as Corte Ingles has just inroduced a fabulous range of products at extremely competitive prices.

Hi, For food or electronics ? and where ? Others might be better than me to reply. I dont like mercadona food either,

http://www.yourspain.net/la-zenia-bo...rihuela-costa/

I like the meat in Al campo but get most of mine from Lild or Gama for convinience, the Lidl at Habaneras also has a Butchers