The commercial heart of Barcelona – the one that suffered the most from the pandemic and the temporary exodus of tourists – still has not recovered its volume of stores and sales to 100%, but no one would say it in view of the Marabunta human that this Saturday ran through all the arteries of Barna Centre. tens of thousands of Barcelonans and many others arriving from the rest of Catalonia with voracity of ‘Christmas shopping have crowded the commercial routes of the perimeter of the Catalonian square, savoring the Christmas atmosphere that the center finally manages to convey with quality lights and animation. But also the axes of neighborhood They have lived with intensity one of the star sales days. In this case, the businesses of feeding They have been the epicenter of the maelstrom. In some supermarkets and stores, for example, it was difficult to buy ham: They couldn’t keep up with replenishment.
The forecast is that – as usual – the afternoon of the 24th will not be as strong in commercial movement, with citizens more concerned about preparing the Christmas Eve feasts. But this 23 when falling in Saturday has filled the streets with last-minute buyers willing to spend, and also not a few walkers without bags. After a “‘summer’ autumn that has been fatal for the textile trade”, Black Friday seemed to change the trend and wake up the cash registers, which have been helped by the cold of recent days, he evaluates Gabriel Jené, president of Barcelona Obertaan association that brings together the main axes of the center and the most touristic areas of the city.
As he Portal de l’Àngel, like Pelai, Rambla Catalunya, Paseo de Gràcia, Diagonal... they have experienced a Saturday of great influx, which according to the first data has been accompanied by “a good sales rate.” However, there was no unanimity in the billing result, given that some businesses surveyed accused the weight of online competition and said they had not reached pre-pandemic figures. Perhaps that is why not a few establishments had made notable advances discounts and special offerswhich they advertised in their windows.
By car and public transport
Although this Saturday the macro parking Plaza de Catalunya has become full, many people have chosen to go to the center by public transport, with metro and buses packed all afternoon, and a strong presence of the Urban Police and Mossos bringing order. Jené remembers that the Christmas campaign “involves a ‘boom‘consumption and the desire to go downtown”, but takes the opportunity to regret that the effects on mobility of recent years are “harming the commerce of Ciutat Vella and the center of Eixample” the rest of the year.
In any case, the queues at the doors of popular stores such as Primark, or the luxury of Louis Vuitton and Loewe in the Passeig de Gràcia (in some they encouraged sales with cava, as in Yves Sant Laurent) they denoted that Santa Claus It is a great ally of commerce for the entire range of budgets. Precisely, the president of the golden axis of local commerce, Luis Sansdescribed the campaign as a “success”, both in sales and in the image that the center has managed to convey, thanks to the staging of the Plaza de Catalunya – with full stands at the performances – and the improvement in lighting.
The lights of the promenade, which this Saturday continued to attract thousands of people to take ‘selfies’ at its feet, directly translates into influx: around 15% more than last year. And although Sans pointed out that tourism is not a large client at this time in the city, the return, little by little, of the Asian could be palpable, wearing bags from Chanel, Vuitton or Dior, among others. The public that had arrived en masse was visitors from the rest of Catalonia, he highlighted.
There was even more turmoil in one of the star stores children of these dates: the Lego store, with full capacity and about five minutes of waiting on the street. Also packed at Apple, although at the doors there was a mobilization of the CNT union demanding job improvements for their workers. And ‘neules’ and other products are sold out in some central nougat stores like Planelles i Donat.
Decoration and gifts
On Diagonal, where the most activity was recorded was in the decoration businesses, with buyers looking for gifts and also decorations to decorate the house for Christmas visits. On the other hand, in the Turó Park area the atmosphere was calm and it seemed that people had already sorted out their gifts.
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The sensations this afternoon were also very good in the neighborhood axes. Pròsper Puig, president of Barcelona Comerçthe entity that represents them, highlighted that the majority had been “to bursting with people”, such as Sant Andreu, Sants and Creu Coberta, Sant Antoni… “Consumption supports the economy and it is noticeable that there is little unemployment,” he evaluated at the bottom of the canyon in Gran de Sant Andreu. In his area he confirmed that “middle class people spend if there is disposable income,” and the paralysis that had occurred with the purchase of clothes During the warm October and November it was giving way to a reactivation of that sector, which despite everything suffers and “accumulates a lot of stock.”
The same thing happened in other areas, after a 2023 of “containment“due to the inflation that has stopped many pockets. The campaign is being especially good for the food, floristry and jewelry, among others, Puig pointed out. In food and drink It is where the people of Barcelona have shown a special fever of consumption. The markets They had experienced a very busy morning, and the neighborhood food stores and supermarkets had worked piece-rate all day. Those who wanted Iberian ham had to wait in many stores to buy it by the cut, with the packaging exhausted and without the possibility for days of accepting orders for boning, commented buyers from different areas, who did not give up.