More shopping hours in more places on Sundays and public holidays
An agreement has been reached to allow shops in a larger area to open on more days in the part of the city classified as a major tourist zone. Shops and businesses will be able to open from 12 noon to 8 pm on Sundays and public holidays between 15 May and 15 September, through until 31 December. At that point a new regulation will need to be approved. In the case of commercial establishments with floor space under 300 square metres, these will be free to open.
The new agreement expands the area of commerce geared towards tourism compared to the current regulation and includes zones 1 and 2 of the Special Urban Plan on Tourist Accommodation (PEUAT), as well as the following:
- Ciutat Vella: El Raval, El Gòtic, Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera and Barceloneta.
- Eixample: Nova Esquerra de l’Eixample, Antiga Esquerra de l’Eixample, Dreta de l’Eixample, Sagrada Família, Fort Pienc and Sant Antoni.
- Sants-Montjuïc: Sants, Hostafrancs, Poble-sec and La Font de la Guatlla.
- Les Corts: Les Corts.
- Sarrià – Sant Gervasi: Sant Gervasi – Galvany, part of the neighbourhoods of El Putxet i el Farró.
- Gràcia: Vila de Gràcia, part of the neighbourhoods of La Salut, El Camp d’en Grassot i Gràcia Nova and Vallcarca i els Penitents.
- Horta-Guinardó: part of Baix Guinardó.
- Sant Martí: Vila Olímpica del Poblenou, Poblenou and part of the neighbourhoods of El Parc i la Llacuna del Poblenou, Diagonal Mar and El Fòrum Marítim del Poblenou.
In addition, the regulation must provide guarantees on labour contracts, with Barcelona Activa the body tasked to monitor and ensure this is the case.
Besides these days, commerce all around the city can open on ten public holidays. In 2022, these days are 2 and 9 January, 6 June, 15 August, 26 September, 27 November and 4, 8, 11 and 18 December.
The agreement is endorsed by the Fundació Barcelona Comerç, Barcelona Oberta, PIMEC Comerç, Foment del Treball, the Associació Nacional de Grans Empreses de Distribució (ANGED) and the UGT, with the municipal government also giving it the green light. It will be signed on Monday, 21 February, and voted on in the full council meeting of 25 February before being elevated to the Directorate for Commerce with the Government of Catalonia, the body responsible for regulating on this matter.
