Small shops continue to fight the big boys

News desk THE Small and Medium Sized Business Association, PIMECO, said it will continue to fight the opening of new hypermarkets and department stores which are “a threat to the survival of traditional shops.” The Association is a member of the Commerce Advisory Council and will use its position to continue its fight. A spokesman said yesterday that “containment measures” are needed to halt the “enormous saturation of this type of establishment which is a very alarming threat to the survival and viability of traditional shops.” According to PIMECO, Palma is already suffering from saturation when it comes to medium-sized supermarkets, franchises and fashion chains which are spreading to other municipalities, even though, the spokesman claimed, “supply in all commercial sectors is guaranteed to consumers.” The advisory council will be meeting today, and PIMECO will be seeking a moratorium. The spokesman pointed out that the Balearic Law on Commerce restricts the size of establishments in keeping with the population. The restrictions include 250 square metres in towns of fewer than 3'000 inhabitants and a maximum of 1'300 square metres in Palma. Even though last year, 64 per cent of the requests to open a new large establishment were turned down, PIMECO said that the opening of commercial chains and branches is now out of all proportion, and the spokesman said that they now form, effectively, large establishments “for which there are insufficient restrictive measures. PIMECO is also fiercely opposed to Sunday trading, and only grudgingly agreed to opening on eight Sundays or public holidays a year. They claim that unlike the hypermarkets and department stores, they do not have sufficient staff to open longer hours.