“Shop owners should be demanding longer opening times...”

“Shop owners should be demanding longer opening times...” | plozano

Jason MoorePalma21/08/2021 11:33
TW
1

I don´t doubt that anyone would disagree that it has been a hard time for shop owners and staff. It is clearly evident if you walk round the high streets in Palma, there are plenty of empty shops, their owners have been forced to close because of the pandemic. Stores which have been open for decades have been forced to close because of the lack of tourists. Now that most of the restrictions have been lifted you would have thought that shop owners would be demanding longer opening hours.

Bar and restaurants owners have been putting pressure on the local authorities for some time now to allow them to open longer. But not a word from shop owners. Why? I am still rather amazed that some shops still close on a Saturday afternoon especially as they have a golden opportunity at the moment to make some cash after a very prolonged financial crisis.

Also, the local authorities should allow shops across Palma to open on a Sunday. At the moment only those shops in the city centre can open their doors on a Sunday (around the Jaime III). Amazingly, not all shops in this area open on a Sunday. I find this rather incredible.

Cruise ships are slowly returning to the port of Palma and there are tourists about. Not as many as before but there are some. Imagine you sail into Palma aboard one of the big liners only to find that most shops in the city are closed. The Palma city council should allow shops to open when they want, not when the council dictates them to do so.