What would Barcelona be like without the merchants who raise the blinds of their businesses every morning, the stallholders of the 43 municipal markets who fill their stalls with seasonal products, and the shops that, beyond offering products and services, contribute to building the neighborhood? It is a particularly significant question in a year in which the Catalan capital acts as the World Capital of Local Commerce, a recognition that the city has wanted to extend to the more than 60,000 commercial establishments spread throughout the Catalan capital. A milestone that, in addition to reaching every merchant and establishment, does not want to be limited to a one-time celebration, but aspires to leave a tangible legacy, with more than 220 activities spread across the ten districts throughout the year.
Precisely, one of the most tangible legacies of this capital status materialized this Tuesday at the Montjuïc venue of Fira de Barcelona: the birth of the Commerce Fair, organized by Fira de Barcelona and the Barcelona City Council, through Barcelona Activa. The event, which takes place between today and tomorrow, Thursday, October 22, is born with the will to have continuity beyond this year and to place local commerce at the center of the debate on Barcelona's economic and social future.
Beyond celebrating the Capital of Local Commerce, the fair is born with the will to give local commerce its own space in Barcelona's trade fair calendar. The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has claimed the birth of the fair as one of the great legacies of the Capital of Local Commerce. "How can it be that a city like Barcelona, with an economy so linked to commerce, had not had its own fair until now?" he asked during the inauguration. For Collboni, the event is born to give the sector the recognition it deserves and consolidate its role in the city's economic future.
And it is that local commerce not only forms part of Barcelona's identity, but also has a considerable weight in its economy: it represents 13.2% of the city's GDP, generates more than 152,000 jobs, and keeps 90.9% of commercial premises active. But its value goes beyond the figures. Neighborhood establishments also contribute to keeping the streets alive, foster neighborly relations, and give cohesion to municipalities.
"Because, if a business closes, not only is a business lost: life also dies out in neighborhoods and municipalities. Its value goes far beyond the weight it represents in the GDP; it is a social and territorial issue," recalled Josep Ramon Mut, delegated president of the Area of Commerce, Consumption and Public Health of the Barcelona Provincial Council. An idea also expressed by Nadia Quevedo, commissioner for Economic Promotion, Commerce and Restoration, in vindicating the role of the sector: "Commerce today plays an essential role. An asset to build a more just and sustainable world, but also more human."
The importance of local commerce in the city model will also be reflected in a study to be published in January by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which will study local commerce in the city. According to data presented at the show, Barcelona has 3.7 commercial establishments per 100 inhabitants, a density higher than that of other European cities such as Paris, where the figure is below three businesses.
This social dimension is also present throughout the show, where even the floor, with the characteristic tiles of Barcelona's pavement, evokes the streets where local shops open every day. Under the slogan Local commerce, from within, the event has transformed 1,500 square meters of the Montjuïc venue into a meeting point for professionals, merchants and experts. Throughout these two days, the program includes more than 50 sessions and nearly 80 speakers, with spaces dedicated to sharing experiences at the helm of these establishments, receiving advice and finding tools to face changes in consumption habits, digitalization and the future of businesses.
From virtual glasses to businesses seeking continuity
But the fair is not limited to presentations and talks. Among the proposals that can be found during a visit to the fair, virtual reality glasses stand out, which allow visitors to delve into a municipal market and converse with its stallholders. Another immersive experience proposes touring a municipality that has lost its local shops. Two different ways to approach the same reality: what happens when the businesses that serve residents and contribute to keeping public spaces alive disappear?
Generational handover is one of the great challenges for commerce and occupies a prominent place both in the talks and in the Reempresa space. Here, businesses seeking continuity meet people interested in taking over an already operating project. Among the opportunities presented are an online specialty coffee shop, a brand of natural snacks for dogs, an office furniture company, a bakery, and an herbalist with over thirty-five years of history. These are businesses from very different sectors, but they share the same challenge: finding someone to take over and prevent the accumulated experience of years from being lost when the owners decide to retire.
In fact, the coincidence with the Employment Fair, which is held at the same venue and on the same dates, opens the door to bringing local commerce closer to new audiences and awakening interest in the professional opportunities it offers. The coincidence also highlights one of the sector's great challenges, as emphasized by Marta Angerri, Director General of Commerce of the Generalitat, and has championed the collaboration opportunities opened by the joint celebration of the two fairs.
Training, advice, and the exchange of experiences by sector professionals with voices such as Meritxell Falgueras, from Celler de Gelida, and Alba Zarco, owner of the yarn shop Dos Punts. Their contributions are part of a program that also aims to offer practical answers to the challenges of establishments, with workshops on tools to adapt them to new times, share knowledge, and establish contacts with other agents in the sector.
Because the challenge, once the World Capital of Local Commerce is over, will be to give continuity to this momentum and consolidate it over time. The new Saló del Comerç wants to contribute to this objective, offering a stable space for meeting, learning and collaboration for professionals in the sector. A commitment that will also be built day by day, with businesses that find someone to take over, new professionals who join and residents who continue to shop at establishments in their neighborhood.