Pimeco, one of the associations that represents smaller retailers, says that the sales period could continue until October in an attempt to counteract the "really bad" figures in August.
From its survey of retailers, 58% say that they sold less than in August last year. Only eight per cent registered an improved performance. Away from Palma, 60% of shops reckoned that August was worse than in 2016.
Compared with July, the situation wasn't any real better: 56% said that sales were down.
Bernat Coll, the Pimeco president, has expressed his concern with the findings, suggesting that economic recovery is not being reflected by consumer activity. The sales period, he adds, is not working, though 75% of shops will be extending it in the hope of shifting stock.
This latest announcement from Pimeco does have to be placed in context. The smaller retail sector consistently reports poorer than hoped for results, yet it is only one part of the sector. Supermarkets have been enjoying greatly increased sales this summer. The larger retailers and the shopping malls tend not to give out the same month-on-month information as Pimeco does, and they may well be enjoying better performance. A further factor, as has been noted in the Bulletin, is the increase in the number of shops since the economy started to recover. These shops are typically small ones.
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A lot of people are missing the point: if tourism is to be replaced as an industry then there must be a viable alternative. Retraining as a chiropractor is a great idea but without the income from tourism so locals can afford to pay a chiropractor then it's economic nonsense. The island must earn money into its coffers before it can distribute it in business within its own community and ONLY one thing is doing that to any degree - tourism! OK, so the export of Sa Pobla potatoes and a small amount of quality locally-produced wine helps in a tiny way, but so far NOBODY on here has suggested anything, industry or exportable commerce, that can make any inroads. When tourism , directly or indirectly is responsible for roughly 70% of income on this island, why are protesters not offering altetnatives?
Mike and Stuart. The population of Mallorca is very close to one million. A business should be able to survive without tourism if they offer the right product. My friend switched professions many years ago and studied to be a chiropractor. Her practice is booming because there are very few chiropractors on the island. Another friend opened a bar and she is struggling because we have too many bars and restaurants and unless you offer a product that is better than your competitors, you will not survive. I have never understood why town councils do not limit business licenses where there is an over saturation of similar businesses within a certain area. Yes we live in a capitalist society but allowing ten bars and restaurants in the same area is simply dividing the pie and making it hard for the business owners to survive. Sadly people think owning their own business will bring them untold riches. In reality when you calculate the time spent and the income derived, you are often earning peanuts. We really need to offer programs that prepare people who want to open a business for the reality they will face. I hate seeing people's dreams squashed but if you look at the numbers, very few businesses survive because they simply do not have the right tools to succeed.
Businesses fail because they simply don't understand the market. Those businesses here in Mallorca that rely solely on tourists are making a big mistake because that 'market' could change overnight. Look at what happened to Turkey and Egypt. I moved here three years ago and I can see retailers, big and small, making the same mistakes North American retailers made years ago. When you market 'price only', you find yourself going down a one-way street because the shoppers who are attracted by price and price alone will show no loyalty. They will simply go wherever the price is the lowest. Sadly many business owners know little about running a business and think all they have to do is find a location, stock it and open up. Stop blaming everyone else for your failure to succeed. I talk to business owners all the time and it is never their fault. There are customers out there, you just have to find innovative ways to attract them to your store. Sales staff need to be trained. Selling is an art and few business owners know that in order to make a sale, there is a sequence of events that needs to occur (the Anatomy of a Sale) and if you are not aware of this and do not follow it, you will not make sales. I used to have salespeople tell me all the time that the client was 'just looking'. Really? In this day and age, do we really have that much spare time. When a person goes into a shop, they go for a reason. maybe they won't buy today but they will buy at some point. Guaranteed!
Increase the tourist tax by a factor of three ...there are to many shops in Mallorca anyway
When the tourists stop coming every month will be like this.
This time next year small retailers will have gone and the greedy big ones will be moaning because the tourist tax will have slashed there takings because the numbers of tourists has plummeted
August always has been a poor trade period for the whole Island. But I do not know why it is always in August. But I feel that this anomaly will spread to other periods of the years, for many reasons already being introduced into the gradually falling economy.