Tourists who shopped in Barcelona stores that opened on Sundays and authorized holidays in 2023 generated an additional turnover of 306 million euros. The spending by tourists is added to that made by residents of Barcelona and its surroundings on these dates, which amounted to 197 million, so the opening on Sundays from May to September in the most tourist areas of Barcelona implied a total turnover of 503 million euros, as shown in a report commissioned by Barcelona Oberta to analyze the effects of the commercial hours agreement.
Closed in 2022 and valid until December 2025, the agreement allows stores located in the Great Tourist Influx Zone (ZGAT) of Barcelona to open on Sundays and holidays between May 15 and September 15. Specifically, the 26 neighborhoods in eight districts located in this central area can open on these dates from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Barcelona Oberta study assures that 75% of the tourists interviewed would not have returned to the area where they shopped if the stores had been closed, so 288 million euros would have been lost in turnover if the establishments had not had their doors open.
Furthermore, the study shows that the ZGAT "does not cannibalize" local commerce, as explained by the president of Barcelona Oberta, Gabriel Jené. In an event at CASA SEAT, the results of the report were presented by the expert consultant in tourist retail and engineer Josep Maria Marcos, who detailed that the data indicates that 68% of residents' consumption would have been made in the same area on another day.
47.2% of the 6,423 non-daily retail establishments opened every Sunday they could in 2023Thus, opening on Sundays it does not absorb purchases that other residents would make in their respective municipalities or districts. In fact, the study points out that the expenditure redirected from places of residence to the ZGAT by this group is limited to 0.1%. As for the jobs created, the commercial calendar agreed upon in 2022 has generated between 1,600 and 1,800 jobs.
Synergies with restaurants
The opening of businesses in the tourist area also generates effects on restaurants. In fact, for every 2.1 euros spent on purchases, one euro is generated for restaurants. This is because 70% of those who shop in these neighborhoods will take the opportunity to eat or drink something in the establishments in the area. The average expenditure in restaurants on Sundays and open holidays is 41 euros, with 51 euros in the case of tourists, and 25 for residents.
Overall, shoppers generated 177 million euros in restaurants, which represents 10.5 million euros for each Sunday of opening. Of the total, 121 million correspond to spending generated by tourists, while Barcelonans and those who traveled to Barcelona from nearby municipalities allocated 56 million to restaurants during Sundays and holidays in 2023 when businesses were open in this area, which brings together 12,906 establishments.
Barcelona Oberta asks to go further
Jené has argued that the data on the ZGAT highlight the benefits for the city of allowing opening on Sundays and holidays. "Barcelona has been left alone in the race of big cities that close on Sunday, and it is an important competitive factor." Thus, he has advocated for further expanding the commercial calendar and hours, through joint work with administrations and the sector to reach "sufficient agreements to be able to expand the ZGAT both in territory and in calendar and hours." He asks to do so also taking into account events such as the America's Cup, which will be held beyond September 15, when businesses will no longer be able to open on Sunday.
Shoppers generated 177 million euros in restaurants, which represents 10.5 million euros for each Sunday of openingBarcelona Oberta defends extending the zone that allows opening to the entire city, and proposes reopening this debate before the current agreement expires in December 2025. "The sooner, the better; let's not lose these opportunities from an economic and city attraction point of view." The agreement was reached in 2022 between trade associations, employers' organizations and unions, with the approval of the City Council and the Generalitat, after years of debate about business hours in the Catalan capital. "And it shouldn't end here, it should end in a much more significant expansion," according to Jené.
Tourists and residents
Foreign tourists were the ones who spent the most in stores open on Sundays and holidays, with an average of 127 euros. The spending of national tourists was 68 euros, surpassed by that of residents from outside Barcelona, with 71 euros. Barcelona residents who visited neighborhoods with stores open on Sunday spent an average of 57 euros, which sets a general average expenditure of 86 euros.
The report, based on more than 2,600 surveys of shoppers, businesses, and residents, determines that 71% of people walking through the neighborhoods included in the ZGAT plan to compare prices in their shops during their visit. Among these shoppers, tourists and locals maintain a balance, with 51% tourists and 48% residents in Barcelona or its surroundings. The international profile of tourists stands out: 76% were foreigners, while 23% traveled to the city from other parts of Spain. As for locals, 75% were residents of Barcelona, while 24% came to the tourist neighborhoods from other surrounding municipalities.
75% of tourists directed their purchases to products such as clothing, footwear, and accessories; 19% acquired leisure and cultural products, and 12% opted for everyday products such as food and drugstore items. The percentages vary in the case of the resident population: 64% bought fashion products, and 17% looked for everyday products, while 16% did so with leisure and culture. However, local shoppers residing outside Barcelona have a purchasing behavior more similar to that of tourists, with 77% of purchases directed to clothing, footwear, and other accessories. In the study, conducted by RBD Consulting Group, shoppers expressed interest in both international (68%) and local (54%) brands.
On the other hand, 88% of tourists state that they would have visited these neighborhoods even if the shops had been closed, and 74% would not have returned another day to shop if the stores had been closed. Thus, tourist shopping is marked by a large component of opportunity, and would have been lost if the stores had not been operational. For their part, 28.6% of residents in Barcelona and its surroundings have traveled to the ZGAT to shop during Sundays and holidays when stores are open.
Foreign tourists were the ones who spent the most in stores that opened on Sundays and holidays, with an average of 127 euros91% of those who walked through the ZGAT neighborhoods stated that having open shops improved their visit experience. 52% of residents positively value their Sunday opening, and 41% of tourists visited the area aware that they would find shops to buy from. For its part, 63% of merchants consider it important to be able to open on holidays, while 17% are against it, in 2023, during which 47.2% of the 6,423 non-daily retail establishments opened every Sunday they were allowed to.
Promotion and accessibility
Looking ahead, Marcos and Jené have called for increased promotion of the commercial area that can open on Sundays during these four months. The president of Barcelona Oberta has also highlighted the importance of improving accessibility to this commercial area, and especially to the center of Barcelona. And it is that, although most Barcelona residents travel on foot or by public transport, visitors from the metropolitan area do so by private vehicle in 45% of cases. Within this group, 64% would stop traveling to the Catalan capital on Sunday if they could not do so by car. "We must not forget the car, which continues to be a key element for accessibility to the city center, which has sufficient parking infrastructure to accommodate it," Jené defended.