Last month Lidl finally opened in Arrecife.

The German supermarket chain is opening 11 stores in the Canary Islands, and apparently there were long queues to enter the store when it opened on 11th March.

Lidl during the construction phase

Comments online have talked generally about the opening being good for tourists and locals alike, who will benefit from lower prices compared to those found in the smaller supermarkets in the resorts.

Of course, those tourists who stay in self-catering apartments but do not have the use of a hire car will not be able to benefit directly, so it is vital for them that the other supermarkets do not suffer.

Lidl is located on the Eastern side of Arrecife in Calle Océano Atlántico.

What do you think?  Have you been to Lidl in Arrecife yet?

(See a photo of Lidl’s opening day on TwitPic)

One of the interesting things about visiting foreign countries can be the different type of food available.  Either there are local, previously unknown, delicacies.  Or there may be the same brands, but with different varieties of their products.  Sometimes there are even the same brands under different names (one of the best-known examples being Twix, known previously in Germany as “Raider”).

Of course, this can make shopping in a foreign country, especially in a foreign language, an interesting experience.

Now, I found the idea of a 24-hour supermarket in Puerto del Carmen innovative.  What I am not so thrilled about is reading today that the supermarket chain Lidl are building a store near Arrecife.

Not that I am opposed to Lidl – I shop there myself in Germany.  But I am wondering how much local produce they will be stocking, and how much it will be geared towards the tourists on the island?  Will you need a car to get there?

Let’s hope that it doesn’t have an adverse effect on the smaller supermarkets.