Open all hours in Mallorca (not!)

A sign showing closed for holidays at a business. | Ultima Hora

Jason MoorePalma27/07/2023 15:56

July and August are the months when Mallorca pays the rent. The millions of tourists who visit us effectively provide the cash which keeps the island going during the winter. But there are some notable exceptions. I find it amazing that swimming pool and air conditioning companies close in August. Even some restaurants and bars don't open for a holiday during the peak months. Also, many shops only work summer hours - in other words they close in the afternoon, but they still maintain their usual working hours during the morning.

I was deeply frustrated this week to discover that one dry cleaners closes in the afternoon but doesn’t open until 9.30am. I patiently waited and by 9.45 left because it still hadn’t opened. I would advise shops to open earlier because you can safely say that only Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the Midday Sun so it would probably be better to open earlier and close earlier. Eight to one rather than 9.30 to 1.30? I sometimes believe that in the case of some Palma shopkeepers the client is not always right.

Many small shops close at lunchtime, which is the time that many would-be clients have free time. Even those lucky few who can open on a Sunday fail to do so, blaming a lack of trade. In Gibraltar the shops open on a Sunday when there is a cruise ship in port. Now that makes good business sense. Why can’t Palma shopkeepers do the same? At the end of the day it is their business and they know what they are doing but there is no point in complaining about a lack of sales if you are opening when you want. I suggest a complete overhaul of working hours in Mallorca with more during the key summer months (when the big bucks are earned) and less during the poor winter months when there are no tourists.