Retail

Mixed reactions to full Sunday opening in Palma

Two more Sundays for shopping this year. | T. AYUGA

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma03/12/2019 09:56

There will be two more Sundays this year when all stores will be allowed to open. The Sunday just gone was the third to last of the year.

The large stores didn’t really need the incentive to open, but continuing with Black Friday offers was an added opportunity not to be missed.

The El Corte Inglés department stores report that the Black Friday period was positive and that sales were up compared with last year. The stores didn’t detect any of the “supposed lethargy” caused by slower economic growth. Fashion sales were particularly strong.

As ever, the smaller retailers’ experience was different. According to the president of Pimeco, Toni Fuster, only 35% of smaller retailers were open on Sunday. A reason is the added cost that Sunday opening entails.

Sales for those shops which did open, he says, were like last year’s or less. Usually only retailers in the very centre of Palma are allowed to open on Sunday, however, in the run up to Christmas the council has lifted the restriction.