During the recent crisis economic, the punjanza of international tourism allowed the commercial epicenter of Barcelona is not resintiera both fall in consumption and employment as other territories. But the float that seemed impregnable has also been deflated now, due to the effect of the pandemic covid-19, leaving behind a worrying scenario: many shops still closed in Ciutat Vella and part of the Eixample, a collapse of the billing even in the axis of purchases of Barna Centre, which hardly sells 40% of the usual, and the certainty that many small shops or medium-sized will not lift the blind to not be able to survive the high rents of the area, unbalancing even more the central supply.
The sector has given the alarm in the entire city. Even the operators of tourist areas such as Barna Centre (includes the Portal de l’àngel, Portaferrissa and many streets of the Gotic), the Born district, the passeig de Gràcia, Pelai and other axes defined in the association Barcelona Oberta speaking of stores to the limit. Nuria Paricio, director of the employer, demand a comprehensive plan of support and promotion by the administrations, that the city council is articulating.
The trade of the neighborhood, with 24 axes associated in Barcelona Comerç it has reopened in 91% of cases. Their results are mixed, as for almost half the sales have fallen by up to 25%, and for a fourth part including a 50%, with a strong decrease of flow, according to a survey. The collective number already in 3.3% of the closings, but anticipated that will arrive shortly to the 15% because many people are liquidating stocks. And that if action is not taken, “structural” in favour of the sector, this figure to rise to 30,” says its president, Salva Vendrell.
Two evils simultaneous
In the center, which until now was more resistant, they warn that they suffer two evils simultaneously. The most obvious is the loss of tourism by the health crisis (believe that just up this summer even though open borders Monday), that in these hunting grounds are in general nearly half of the sales, and sometimes the vast majority of all of your clientele. But the second shot to believe that you could have avoided: “At a time like this, in which a lot of people avoid public transport, it is madness to have cut the access in the car,” complains Teresa Llordés, to the front of Barna Centre. “In two areas as pedestrian as the Gòtic and the Born now not played a measure as close to the Via Laietana on the weekends,” adds Juan Carlos Arriaga, president of Born Comerç.
In the cotizadísmo shaft that opens after the Portal de l’àngel, they argue that the ‘boom’ tourist came as a wildcard, which has grown relentlessly, but you need to keep the influx of local and buyers from the rest of Catalunya. Estimate that half of these arrive by car to make major purchases, which implies that restrictions on the streets of the Eixample or the or the Via Laietana them drown, they argue.
The undersigned from the president of the paseo de GraciaLuis Sans, convinced that this type of measures on mobility in the centre of Barcelona can only be temporary, until the Santa Caterina marketthat will take the hands to the head to the recap on their collections on the last Saturday. “Here there are hardly any neighbors, we need buyers from other areas that now can’t get even to the parking area, and on Saturdays no longer come,” explained David Barroso, vice-president.
The city council is studying settings in your plan peatonalizaciones weekend, according to the areas
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In this sense, the deputy mayor Janet Sanz advances that are finishing solutions for open access customers in the market and to public transportation. For the other roads restricted to traffic for gain pedestrian areas, stipulates that as of September some re-closing only one weekend a month (the plan initiated in February), and other every Saturday and Sunday, in function of the response in each neighborhood.
Among other things, because its impact on each area is different and, in turn, can facilitate the consumption of proximity, as in the case of Creu Coberta. Vendrell adviertes these differences, but criticized the city council having acted unilaterally and without seeking the consensus of the industry.
But the socio-economic impact of the health crisis go beyond. The absence of tourists has led many small operators to choose not to pick up even the blinds, especially in streets of the Gotic and Born, while the multinationals have done so. It is not known how many of them will not return to work, but it is estimated that the closures are counted by tens. Barna Centre confirms the goodbye final of five shops in the street of Santa Ana.
Fear of more monoculture
And Llordés considered as urgent as aids is a new plan of uses that avoid the monodemanda current new operators as a handoff only want to dispatch covers mobile, or t-shirts of Barça, under the guise of fashion or gifts. This type of business has skyrocketed in an environment where there are increasingly fewer local services and less neighbors, contemplating with concern associations of merchants and neighbors. “If only survive major brands and souvenirs the Gòtic die because they do not want to the people”adds.
Arriaga notes that a third of shops in the Born still do not work and the estimated 20% no longer will the face of the many expenses that support and the scarcity of public. And complains that the licensing of large terraces of restaurants are very delayed.
“You cannot isolate it to this area”, says Nuria Paricio, director of the Barcelona Open, afraid to play a center model cities american where at night there are no neighbors or life. There is a fear more. The drought of income and high rents leads to the affected to cut costs, as their fees associative, which could undermine these entities.
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The council brings together their measures in a plan
After the health crisis, in the area of Economic Promotion of the municipality is to streamline the procedures and measures for the resuscitation of trade and hospitality. The councillor for Commerce, Montse Ballarín, has bonded the initiatives within the economic recovery plan to be adopted at the next plenary of the end of the month.
The first group aimed at ensuring the liquidity of the business with tax incentives and personalized support to small-scale establishments, as well as mediation with landlords; there are also actions related to safety and the image of trust of the city; enhancement of the trade of proximity, promotion campaigns, and training resources.
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