Boost for local businesses

AN EMOTIONAL commercial will be broadcasted over the festive season, encouraging people in the Balearic Islands to shop at small businesses.
Launched by Pimeco, the most important association of small and medium trade in Mallorca, the objective of the campaign is to draw attention to the values ​​of local enterprises.
Written by Ernest Riera, the two-to three-minute advert will be shot in Palma and be screened during the Christmas period, a crucial time for entrepreneurs in the sector.
During a casting for the advert, Riera expressed his desire to show the advantages of shopping in small businesses which create a sense of community, stating that sometimes “you don’t realise their role until they disappear”.
In the last few years, more than 600 shops have closed in the Balearic Islands, with consumers opting to purchase goods online or at large retailers.
Toni Fuster the President of Pimeco, voiced his pride to have the Mallorcan-born screenwriter on board, where Riera has written several other successful films and documentaries such as 47 metres and Overbooking, which received acclaim amongst the public when it was screened at the Augusta Cinema in Palma for several weeks.
Riera accepted the role after being reminded of his years spent in England, where he saw many of his neighbourhood shops close. “The more you study the situation, you realise that the future for the sector is not hopeful”.