Over time, we have become accustomed to simplifying and automating as much as possible the task of searching, choosing and organizing our shopping list, thus creating alternative ways that make the task of purchasing food products easier, such as through online stores, where with one click we can do our weekly shopping instantly.
Despite this, a series of doubts arise in this regard; If we have a disability… How could we use these online shopping tools?
Would we be able to make our purchases on the web portals of the supermarket chains with ease? To obtain answers we have selected the main supermarket chains nationwide and have studied their accessibility. We show it to you.
To carry out the analysis, a sample consisting of typical pages has been selected, which are common in the vast majority of websites of these supermarket chains, such as; Home page, product category page, product page, cart or checkout service and contact page.
Mercadona
Mercadona is one of the most popular supermarkets in Spain, trusted by more than 5.7 million households and a notable presence through its 1,630 stores in the country. It stands out as the food supermarket chain with the highest accessibility score of those analyzed, obtaining a score of 7.86.
Es importante tener en cuenta que su página de compra es sencilla y con pocas funcionalidades, lo que dificulta la detección de errores de accesibilidad. Regarding the level of adequacy, it is not valid, and although Mercadona has its own accessibility declaration model, it does not comply with the model required by the European Union.
On the other hand, its cookie policy is correct, complying with the required standards.
En resumen, Mercadona es reconocida como un supermercado de confianza en España y cuenta con una buena puntuación en términos de accesibilidad. Although it presents areas for improvement in relation to the level of adequacy and the accessibility statement, its cookie policy meets the standards.
Lidl
Lidl, a German supermarket chain belonging to the Schwarz group, has been in Spain for more than 25 years, with more than 650 stores in the country. Your website obtains an accessibility score of 7.65, below the established standard. The adequacy level is not valid and regulatory compliance is partially compliant.
The accessibility statement is not available and the cookie policy does not meet the required standards. Although Lidl has gained the trust of its customers, it is clear that there are areas that need improvement to ensure greater accessibility and regulatory compliance on its website.
In summary, Lidl needs to work on improving the accessibility and compliance of its website to provide an inclusive experience and meet established requirements.
ALDI
After the analysis we have that the ALDI web portal shows areas of improvement in its level of adequacy and compliance with European regulations. The accessibility score is 6.97, which indicates an acceptable degree in certain aspects, but general improvements are required.
The company is partially compliant meaning that it meets some requirements, but there are several areas in which it is not fully compliant. An accessibility statement is not provided, making it difficult to fully evaluate the accessibility of ALDI products or services. On the other hand, its cookie policy is correct, complying with regulations and best practices.
In summary, ALDI needs to improve its adequacy and compliance with regulations although it obtains an acceptable score in accessibility.
Alcampo
Alcampo occupies fourth position on the list of supermarkets analyzed. Its accessibility score is 6.76, indicating that there are areas that require improvement at an accessible level. The adaptation is not valid, which implies that it does not meet the established requirements.
Alcampo is partially in compliance with European regulations, complying with some criteria, but not in its entirety. You do not have an accessibility statement, which makes it difficult to obtain clear information about the accessibility of your products or services. Regarding its cookie policy, it is considered correct, complying with established regulations.
In summary, Alcampo needs to make improvements in terms of accessibility and level of adequacy. Although it partially complies with European regulations, there are several errors that could limit its use for people with disabilities.
Consum
The Consum supermarket has an invalid level of adequacy and an accessibility score of 6.67. It is partially compliant with European regulations, but does not have an accessibility declaration. However, their cookie policy is correct.
Consum needs to improve its level of appropriateness and accessibility to provide a more inclusive experience on its website. Although it partially complies with European regulations, the lack of compliance with some criteria makes it difficult to fully use its products or services in terms of accessibility.
Carrefour
Carrefour is a supermarket chain founded in France in 1959, which has approximately 175 stores throughout Spain. Its web portal occupies sixth position in the list of supermarkets analyzed.
To begin with, its level of adequacy is invalid and it has an accessibility score of 6.55. Its website is partially in compliance with European regulations in terms of accessibility, and it does not have an accessibility declaration.
However, their cookie policy is correct. Carrefour has stood out for its innovative approach and international expansion since its inception. Despite this, it requires improvements in terms of accessibility and suitability to ensure an inclusive experience on your website.
In general, Carrefour is recognized as a potential brand in the distribution sector, but it must work on improving the accessibility and suitability of its website.
Ahorramás
It is a supermarket chain established in Spain in 1979, which is in seventh position in the current ranking. Although it partially complies with European regulations, its level of adequacy and accessibility require improvements.
The lack of an accessibility statement and a cookie policy that does not respect preferences are aspects that must be addressed to provide a more inclusive and respectful experience for users.
Ahorramás stands out for its focus on offering quality products at competitive prices, with the aim of helping customers save on their daily purchases, but at the accessibility level, its web portal needs some improvements.
Dia
DIA is a prominent supermarket chain founded in 1979 in Spain. Which has a wide network of stores and a diverse offering of products at competitive prices.
However, there are aspects that require improvements in your web portal. Its level of adequacy is not valid, obtaining an accessibility score of 6.47. Although it is partially compliant with European regulations, it lacks an accessibility declaration.
On the other hand, its cookie policy meets the required standards. In conclusion, DIA stands out for its commitment to affordable prices and for having a wide range of products, so with improvements in terms of suitability and accessibility, DIA could continue to strengthen its position in the supermarket sector in Spain.
Hipercor
Hipercor is part of the El Corte Inglés group, it is a renowned hypermarket chain in Spain. Established in 1980, it has been a benchmark in the supermarket sector.
Although it has an invalid level of adequacy and an accessibility score of 6.36, it is partially compliant with European regulations. However, it does not have an accessibility statement. On the other hand, its cookie policy is considered correct. Hipercor has stood out for its wide range of products and its presence in multiple locations throughout the country.
As part of El Corte Inglés, it has been an important player in the Spanish retail market, but requires several improvements for its website to reach a good level of accessibility.
Eroski
Eroski is a supermarket chain established in Spain in 1969. Although it has expanded with a network of stores throughout the country and diversified its offer, Eroski occupies the last position in terms of accessibility.
With an invalid level of suitability and an accessibility score of 6.21. Although it partially complies with European regulations, it lacks an accessibility statement and its cookie policy does not respect user preferences.
Despite its presence in Spain due to its focus on product quality and diversity, its web portal presents numerous accessibility challenges that could limit its use for some people.
Summary Table Accessibility Level of Food Supermarket Chains
| POSITION | PRODUCER/ MARKETER | LEVEL OF SUITABILITY | AVERAGE WEBSITE SCORE | COMPLIANCE SITUATION | ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT | COOKIE POLICY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercadona | Invalid | 7.86 | Partially compliant | Invalid | Correct |
| 2 | Lidl | Invalid | 7.65 | Partially compliant | Not available | Does not respect preferences |
| 3 | ALDI | Invalid | 6.97 | Partially compliant | Not available | Correct |
| 4 | Alcampo | Invalid | 6.76 | Partially compliant | Not available | Correct |
| 5 | Consum | Invalid | 6.67 | Partially compliant | Not available | Correct |
| 6 | Carrefour | Invalid | 6.55 | Partially compliant | Not available | Correct |
| 7 | Ahorramás | Invalid | 6.55 | Partially compliant | Not available | Does not respect preferences |
| 8 | Day | Invalid | 6.47 | Partially compliant | Not available | Correct |
| 9 | Hipercor | Invalid | 6.36 | Partially compliant | Not available | Correct |
| 10 | Eroski | Invalid | 6.21 | Partially compliant | Not available | Does not respect preferences |
After this analysis, we can affirm that the websites of the largest food supermarket chains in Spain have problems in terms of accessibility, and these are partially in compliance with European regulations.
Therefore, if you want you can count on our services. From Web Accessibility, we encourage you to visit us www.tuwebaccesible.es.
It has not been possible to audit using the observatory’s analysis tool, so the notes obtained have resulted from a manual review taking into account some of the most notable accessibility criteria:
- Cannot navigate with the keyboard
- There are images without alt
- Headers are misused, there are header breaks and missing main headers
- There are contrast problems
- Forms do not have labels
- There is redundancy of links
