Palma Christmas shopping (from last year).

Palma Christmas shopping (from last year). | Teresa Ayuga

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma12/11/2015 00:00
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Following the recent report which said that the Balearic retail clothing sector had enjoyed its best October for seven years, there is more positive news for retailers. The improved economic situation and greater levels of consumer confidence will boost Christmas sales for retailers of all sizes, reckon Balearic business associations. ANGED, which represents the largest retailers, says that forecasts for the Christmas campaign point to a record level of sales for the Balearic retail sector, with performance back to that of pre-crisis years. "The outlook is very favourable. All indicators point to Christmas 2015 being very positive for retailers."

This is a situation which is having a benefit for employment, with increased sales leading to a 15-20% rise in staffing levels for the Christmas period. Temporary employment agencies are confirming this good forecast not just in the Balearics but in all the Spanish regions.

With prospects so good, large retailers like El Corte Inglés are giving ever more incentive to customers. It introduced its Christmas Advance campaign last year. Through this, El Corte Inglés card users could ask for advances ranging from 100 to 1,200 euros with which to make Christmas buys. For this year, the campaign is being channelled through the retail group's finance division and will keep the advance amounts open.

"The 2014 campaign placed our two stores in Palma in the first spots countrywide. The response from customers was very positive, and we expect this to be the case again this Christmas," says the company, which is facilitating a range of finance schemes in order to increase sales, such as splitting instalment payments without interest.