Long lines as Spanish supermarket offers free bread and water to customers

A supermarket in Valencia is flooded with desperate customers every time it offers 200 free bottles of water and bread baguettes at 9 o’clock in the morning.

Staff at the Eroski food store in Carcaixent (Valencia) have started handing out basic goods to customers as part of a campaign to help those struggling to make ends meet. The freebies are basic: one baguette and one bottle of water per customer.

The shoppers aren’t necessarily just homeless people as one might expect, but customers who regularly buy at the supermarket and have to show a bill from a previous shop at the same store.
“A line forms before we open up the store, people want to make sure they get their basic goods,” an Eroski manager said. “Others who notice the line outside the supermarket don’t mind waiting in line for a while either as soon as they find out there’s free bread and water.” Every Tuesday, the line of students, housewives, pensioners and ordinary folk keeps getting bigger.