Under the decree law of urgent measures for the National Plan in response to the economic consequences and social aspects of the war in Ukraine, supermarkets will be allowed to limit the number of items each shopper can purchase. This is in order to prevent supermarkets from running out of stocks.
When there are exceptional circumstances and force majeure, such as the crisis caused by the conflict in Ukraine and the hauliers strike, commercial establishments will be able to temporarily limit the number of items that can be acquired by each buyer. In recent weeks, some supermarkets have been doing this, most notably with sunflower oil. A quarter of Spain's sunflower oil comes from Ukraine. There have also been some shortages of milk.
Consumer associations, such as FACUA, have been complaining about supermarkets engaging in rationing. The government's decree, given the current situation, now gives them the legal cover to do so if they feel there is the need to.