The Barcelona City Council has decreed a twelve-month moratorium on the issuance of licenses for the opening of 24-hour supermarkets. The measure, which took effect immediately following its official publication in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona (BOPB), halts the arrival of new businesses of this type with the aim of designing specific urban planning and commercial regulations for the entire city.
This decision responds to the significant increase in nighttime and 24-hour businesses recently recorded in the Catalan capital, where nearly 1,300 establishments currently operate under various categories of round-the-clock opening hours . The municipal government has specified that, in parallel with the drafting of the new regulations, inspection efforts will be intensified for establishments that are already in operation.
Concerns for traditional commerce
The rapid expansion of these retail outlets has caused discontent among residents of the most affected neighborhoods, especially in the Eixample district, where such establishments can be found on nearly every side of a single block. Residents associate this saturation with a deterioration of the traditional business environment and a gradual loss of neighborhood or local shops.
According to information provided by the local administration, a large portion of these supermarkets focus their business on the tourism sector rather than meeting the daily consumption needs of the resident population. Furthermore, municipal authorities have noted that a significant number of these businesses operate covertly as retail outlets for souvenirs and gift items.
