“Insufficient”. This was how the Association of Medium and Large Distribution Companies in the Canary Islands (Asodiscan) characterised the proposition put forward last Monday by the mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, to restrict commercial openings in the municipality to just three additional Sundays per year. This measure would permit large retailers to operate on 13 days annually, in addition to the 10 Sundays and public holidays already allowed by the Government of the Canary Islands.
The Secretary General of Asodiscan, Alfredo Medina, conveyed to Diario de Noticias yesterday that “we appreciate the mayor’s good intentions with this proposal, but we urge the City Council to exhibit more boldness in expanding the area of high tourist influx (ZGAT). Offering an extension of just three days falls considerably short of resolving the issues faced by large retailers, and we have been highlighting the discriminatory conditions we have endured since 2012, aimed solely at excluding certain businesses from the freedom of operating hours that shops in the historic centre do enjoy.”
Medina stated, “In the past 13 years, this policy has failed to deliver the expected results for the city and has fostered a preferential situation for one supermarket chain, to the detriment of others. Moreover, it must be noted that the rise of online shopping now represents 20% of total sales, compelling consumers to fulfil their purchasing needs via the internet, which characterises a city as being closed on Sundays or public holidays.”
He added that “the City Council must respond to the demands for freedom in trading hours that many businesses advocate. The existing limitations are not only unproductive but also detrimental to large stores, shops, and hotels situated in the high tourist influx area. Therefore, we have submitted a letter to the town hall requesting this extension, signed by Meridiano, Carrefour, Media Markt, Nivaria shopping centre, El Corte Inglés, and Aldi. We believe we have a legitimate case and will defend it wherever necessary, whether in the City Council or in the courts, where we also support rulings issued in other cities regarding areas of high tourist influx that substantiate our argument.”
In response to the solution proposed by the first deputy mayor, Carlos Tarife, during an interview with a newspaper, wherein he suggested expanding the capital’s ZGAT by referencing the commercial opening model used in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Medina noted that “this would indeed be a viable solution from our perspective. In Las Palmas, commercial establishments operate seamlessly from October 1 to April 30, balancing small and medium-sized businesses with larger retailers, without leading to the demise of traditional business activities, as some alarmingly assert regarding the downtown or Fauca areas.”
When questioned about the opposition to the ZGAT expansion expressed by merchant associations in the downtown region, the Asodiscan spokesperson remarked, “When central areas like Yy Fauca speak of the demise of small businesses, I recall they claimed the same when Alcampo or El Corte Inglés opened, as well as during the implementation of the urban plan or tram. The tradition of speculative real estate interests or digitisation.”
Thus, he concluded, “The central and Fauca areas are reluctant to relinquish the advantages they have enjoyed for years, but now the responsibility lies with the town hall to define the model of the city they desire and what they would like to offer to both tourists and residents.” Medina emphasised that Asodiscan proposes three alternatives: expand the ZGAT to Cabo Llanos; create new areas of significant tourist interference; or declare unrestricted trading hours for the entire municipality.
He also pointed out that, “even though the City Council insists that future decisions will be made based on consensus, it should be acknowledged that this may serve as a goal, but it can never be seen as a requirement. No discrimination or injustice has ever been resolved by consensus.”
