Supermarkets and buying masks in France

Some stores had reserved masks for the customers who have a store loyalty card while others are selling them at the reception desk or openly at the till.

Here is a round-up of the current situation as reported by major chains. Is it working this way at your local store? You can let us know at news@connexionfrance.com

Note that masks come in two main kinds - single use, disposable ones, and fabric ones that can be washed and reused a number of times (the packaging should state how many times is recommended before they become less effective). The latter cost more, and usually the price also rises depending on how many times they can be reused.

Carrefour

Masks are available at the checkout. They are sold by lots of five and ten.

The CEO of Carrefour group, Alexandre Bompard, said he wanted a “simple distribution” as 10million masks are available from this week and another 175million should be available from May 11. Disposable masks cost 58 centimes each and fabric masks cost €1-€3.

Intermarché

Intermarché prioritised those clients who have a loyalty card by offering them, from last week, the opportunity to reserve masks online before picking them up at the store reception.

However, from this week anyone can also reserve a box of 50 disposable masks online and pick it up from the reception at the store between set dates and times that will be indicated in an email. The box is sold for €29.54. Only one box can be reserved by customers.

You can reserve your box directly at this link: https://www.intermarche.com/enseigne/bons-plans/masques

The supermarket will also sell washable fabric masks in the coming weeks.

Netto

Netto is part of the same Les Mousquetaires group as Intermarché, and takes the same approach. A lot of 50 masks can be reserved online and the customer will have to go to the reception of a store to collect them. Only one lot can be reserved.

Monoprix

At Monoprix, masks are sold in batches of 50 for €29.90 or batches of 10 for €6.90. Fabric masks are sold in sets of two for €4.40. The masks are available at the cash desk, at the reception of the store, or in the pharmacy section of the shop.

Leclerc

Leclerc is selling masks individually or by sets of ten at the reception of the store. Each mask costs between 50 and 60 cents.

Lidl

Lidl sells single-use masks in batches of 50 in all its supermarkets, except in Paris where they are sold by batches of ten. Customers are limited to one pack of 50 masks per person, or two packs of ten in Paris.

A box of 50 masks costs €30 and a box of ten masks costs €10.

However, in just one day, Lidl sold its stock of 5million masks. More masks will be available soon as Lidl expects 100million masks in the next weeks, as well as fabric masks, visors and hydroalcoholic gels.

Casino

In Casino supermarkets, the box of 50 is sold at the checkout for €29.54. It is limited to one box per person and per week.

Franprix

At Franprix, masks are sold at the checkout, in batches of 10, 20, 25 and 50. The box of 50 masks costs €29.90; it's €15.90 for a box of 25; €12.90 for 20; and €6.90 for 10 masks. Fabric masks will be on sale from May 11 for €2.20.