With the onset of summer, sales in the Canary Islands have commenced. While the official start date is July 1st, shops have the flexibility to initiate their discount periods at their discretion since the implementation of commercial liberalization. Consequently, many establishments have already begun their sales, some even online.
Abbas Moujir, the president of the Federation of Urban Areas of the Canary Islands, expressed optimism about this campaign, citing the strong sales figures observed over the past four months. Compared to the same period last year, sales have increased by 10%. Moujir remarked that the positive trend is driven by greater price stability due to lower inflation and promising prospects in the tourism sector. He expects sales figures to surpass those of 2022 by 5% to 10%. However, the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) adopted a slightly more cautious stance, anticipating sales growth but expressing concerns about potential financial strain on some households.
The OCU pointed out that although clothing and footwear prices have dropped by 0.8% this year, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has risen by 1.7% since January. This disparity raises concerns about the impact on family finances.
As is customary, the OCU emphasized that during the sales period, “prices are reduced, not rights,” underscoring that the guarantees for discounted products are the same as those for non-discounted items. In this regard, the organization provided five essential recommendations, including creating a shopping list, verifying that the original price is displayed alongside the discounted price, inquiring about any special conditions, prioritizing shops that are part of the consumer arbitration system, and retaining the purchase receipt or simplified invoice.
BUSINESS CLOSING HOURS
Regarding the proposal by Yolanda Díaz, the Spain’s Minister of Labor, to modify business hours to prevent late working hours for employees by closing between 17:00 and 19:00, Moujir firmly stated that such measures would favor e-commerce and devastate small businesses. He added that these propositions seem more like wishful thinking than practical solutions, highlighting concerns about the availability of services, particularly in tourist areas.
