Strategy for rebooting local trade in Balearic Island towns

THE Balearic government has unveiled a set of measures aimed at rebooting local trade in the islands’ towns and assisting the sector’s recovery from the impact of the pandemic.
Regional government Vice-President and Energy Transition and Productive regional minister
Juan Pedro Yllanes explained the plan was principally about promoting actions which favour the creation of so-called ‘Open Sky’ commercial centres.
The term refers to the concept of combining private and public initiatives which are not only aimed at stimulating trade, but also at gaining the custom of local consumers.
The main objective, Yllanes said, “is to deal with the economic effects of the Covid-19 health crisis which the trade sector is suffering, and more specifically, local small traders.”
According to the Vice-President the involvement of municipal councils is essential in achieving this goal.
The plan includes up to 10 agreements on economic and commercial stimulation initiatives in town centres and for setting up Open Skies this year.
Inca became the first municipality to get on board, signing an agreement in July. The Balearic administration said it expected Arta, Manacor and Palma city centre to be among those signing up over the coming weeks.
“Now more than ever it is necessary to contribute to and to support local trade with specific measures and actions which allow shop owners to revitalise their businesses and be more competitive”, Yllanes maintained.
Regional Chamber of Commerce president Antoni Mercant echoed the Vice-President’s views.
He noted that boosting local trade “a strategic line on which the Chamber has been working for some time, commenting, “now more than ever it is essential that we intensify our assistance for this sector so that it recovers its vitality as a generator of work places and life on the street.”
Among the main actions featured in the plan for 2020 are running seminars for business owners to explain sales strategies, digitalisation and specific ways to improve the profitability of their shop.
Also trade and economy training courses and workshops for municipal councillors and local development agents, and promoting a web directory and electronic shop map.
More than €220,000 is being allocated to the measures for the remainder of the year, with equal contributions from the regional ministry and the Chamber of Commerce.