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Small businesses criticise Carrefour Sunday opening
Staff Reporter / 2005-06-16 14:33:43
Manuel Villagordo, the former president of the small businesses association (Apymeco) in Torrevieja, with the backing of the association and several town centre businesses, has released and official statement expressing the uneasiness felt by small local traders at the fact that the Carrefour supermarket is open every Sunday through the summer. The supermarket is perfectly within its rights to do so as Torrevieja has been designated a tourist municipality.
However, the association are wondering why other branches in similar areas such as Alicante, San Juan, Gandia and Valencia do not open on Sundays. Señor Villagordo pointed out that a look at the Carrefour website showed that many other branches of the chain across the country are also closed on Sundays.
The small businesses are concerned at the loss of trade they are suffering. They are also worried about the large shopping mall, currently under construction beside the Carrefour, which is due to open its doors early next year. Señor Villagordo wondered if it too would be allowed to open on Sundays.
The small businesses feel they can't possibly compete with the big chains, even if they too open on Sundays. They also feel that the Council has made access easier to the Carrefour, plus allowed signs for the supermarket to be put up all over town, while the town centre suffers traffic jams and lack of parking and as a consequence, this summer's sales have been poor for the small businesses.
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