Sunday Opening - Valencian Region

[Carl]

The push is on once again to enable Sunday opening all year round as local retailers (particularly the owners of Zenia Boulevard) say that they are losing out to stores in the Murcia region who have Sunday opening, and in particular Dos Mares shopping centre gets a mention because of its proximity to Zenia Boulevard.

I personally can't see that Dos Mares opening on a Sunday has a detrimental affect on Zenia Boulevard, you don't see queues of cars heading to Dos Mares for people to get their Sunday shopping fix because Zenia Boulevard is closed. Obviously people would go shopping at Zenia Boulevard if it is open, but it's not so you just do something else.

The region has long opening hours 6 days a week, do we really need Sunday opening all year round as well ?

[Brandyboy]

You have to remembert that Torrevieja and the surrounding area is mainly a tourist area and it's not unusual for tourists to turn up late Saturday night or Sunday morning only to find that the supermarkets are shut.
I know in the summer it's not normally a problem because they would be open, but a lot of Scandinavians winter here.

[Carl]

There are still the odd small shop open on the Orihuela Costa area open on a Sunday morning or the 24 hour garages to get the essentials until the supermarkets open again on Monday morning.

Years ago people wouldn't have been bothered about shops not opening on Sunday, but perhaps because it is the norm in other countries we expect the same here.

Mercadona until recent years never opened on a Sunday anytime of year as they said there was no money in it. I assume with other shops opening on Sundays during the Summer months, even if they are not for it they had to at least show they were moving with the times and open. Super Cor was similar in their stance on Sunday opening, but have changed.

[Brandyboy]

We're not bothered about shops not being open on Sundays and gear all our shopping for six days but tourism is a seven day a week industry and I can remember I wanted to mend something urgently one Sunday and thank goodness Leroy Merlin was open.

[Bee]

I think it's ridiculous that the big stores are closed on Sunday particularly when they can open just across the border. As JamesB says it's officially recognised as a tourist area for 7 day opening at other times of the year so why not all year round. What makes the how ever many weeks they can't open so different? It must affect employment numbers.

Bee

[Carl]

You raise an interesting point about the affect on employment numbers Bee.

I cannot remember hearing/reading when stores went from opening 7 days a week all year round to 6 days (plus selective Sundays/holiday) that it resulted in job losses.

I think the initial concern about 7 days a week opening was the affect on small businesses.

[Retire1day]

I am flying to Spain on a Saturday night so it is a bit difficult where you can't buy the food you want until Monday. I expect it reduces the amount of tourism as some might put their flights off until the Monday.