A supermarket in Hungary is playing Cupid in a bid to help its shoppers find their match ahead of Valentine's Day on Sunday by providing special baskets those who are single and looking for a partner can use to potentially meet "the one."

Shoppers entering the Auchan store in Csomor, east of Budapest, can choose a blue or pink basket with a "Single Seeking Mate" sign.

A sign above the stack of baskets reads: "Are you single? Use the singles baskets, so you can meet 'the one' in your favorite store".

"It's a great idea in this time of coronavirus. It's an opportunity for those seeking partners, and entertaining and funny as well," one shopper Csilla Beres, 25, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) while grabbing a basket.

"Let's see what comes up, and give it a try, we don't skip opportunities," said 25-year-old Tamas as he wheeled his basket into the store.

Staff who came up with the idea decided it could prove popular with unattached shoppers whose dating channels have been restricted by coronavirus safety restrictions such as social distancing and mask-wearing.

"Of course, we also draw attention to the fact that you can only get acquainted with the maximum compliance with epidemiological rules," Ildiko Varga-Futo, a manager at Auchan, told AFP.

After their success in Csomor, similar baskets will be used in other Auchan stores in Hungary on Valentine's Day on Sunday, she said.

"I guess not everyone heard about the news that there are such baskets here," a shopper Annamaria, 40, told AFP on her way out.

"It didn't work, but next time I'd try it again," she said.