Barcelona commerce values
Local commerce and municipal markets fill our neighbourhoods with life. As the years go by, Barcelona has been consolidating its commercial and municipal-markets model based on the values of proximity, responsibility and sustainability.
Positive community live
Barcelona's shops often take part in solidarity campaigns aimed at helping the most vulnerable people in their neighbourhoods. Among other initiatives, they look after elderly residents by taking part in the Radars project, they help children who are using the designated safe school routes, and they take part in the iLearnTap initiative, which makes establishments more accessible to people with autism.
The city’s commercial sector also supports accessibility as a right. Hence its active work to remove the architectural barriers and obstacles that hinder mobility both inside and outside establishments.
In addition, this commercial network in our city is composed of shopkeepers from many different cultures. By going to your local shops, you are helping to build a plural and open city.
Jobs
Did you know that commerce is the main source of local employment? More than 145,000 people work in this sector in Barcelona. Together with the catering industry, they represent around 12% of employment in our city. According to data from the latest municipal census, there are currently 61,875 commercial premises in Barcelona, 37% of which are service establishments; 34.2%, retail trade, and 17.6%, catering.
The majority of retail businesses in our city are food businesses. They are followed, in order, by personal equipment establishments, non-food groceries, household goods and leisure and culture establishments, among others.
Barcelona, a city of lively commerce
61.875
Premises with economic activity
21.167
Retail trade
33.740
Services
3,70
Establishments per 100 inhabitants
The money will com back in the end
Local commerce generates local wealth that stays in the local area. When you use your local shops, you’re supporting local producers and the establishments themselves, helping them offer more work and better jobs. A high percentage of retailers in Barcelona own their own business.
Websites, online shops, digital marketing, social networks, etc. Did you know that there is a growing number of commercial establishments in the city that are working on making the leap to the digital world? Given the current delicate situation, your neighbourhood's retailers are keen to make their products and services within your reach so you can enjoy them in comfort and ease.
Sustainable
Barcelona’s retailers are joining forces with the restaurant sector to stop food waste and are encouraging good practices and respect for the environment by taking part in the “More Sustainable Barcelona Commerce” programme.
In addition, shopkeepers have been working every day to instil these values in young children. Every year, dozens of schoolchildren in the city visit the shops taking part in the “Commerce and Schools” programme, where they learn at first hand about the local retailers’ daily efforts to look after local residents.
Open shops
The butcher who greets you every time you go past their stall, the pharmacist who asks you how your mother is, the bookshop assistant who knows what your favourite books are... You’ll always find a smile behind Barcelona’s shop counters. In fact, the most recent surveys on the city’s residents show notably high scores for the service provided in shops: 7.7 out of 10.
Behind the counter of the local shops and stalls in Barcelona’s markets, you will always find someone ready to listen and help. They are there for whatever you need. By visiting them, you are helping to make the city.