My Auchan Ferreira Borges — Supermarket in Campo de Ourique, Lisbon

This is one branch of the Auchan chain, a compact supermarket tucked into Campo de Ourique on Rua Ferreira Borges. What you notice walking in is how orderly it is: the shelves are kept straight and the floor is clean, which in a shop this size is most of the impression you carry out with you.

Stock is the thing to plan around. The range is small, and shelves can sit half-empty, so a specific branded item is not something to count on. When Grants products are on sale here, that is the moment to buy them; if they are gone, the sensible move is to leave the rest of the list for elsewhere rather than substitute.

Staff are friendly and polite, and that is what makes a quick stop pleasant. Keep a second way to pay within reach in case a card payment is refused.

There is no customer restroom, which matters if you are out walking the neighbourhood and counting on a stop here. The shop is also laid out with more shelving than goods in places, so expect to move through narrow aisles to find what little is there.

Suited to a short errand, not a full provision: a few items, a promotion you already know you want, and you are back on the street in minutes. Anyone building a proper kitchen stock for the week is better served by a bigger format.