It just started the free hour opening wishes of any store to open upon its convenience. Spain comes again to the modern times

http://www.cincodias.com/articulo/empres...716cdscdiemp_7/

It started slow but it will pick up, Sunday shopping anyone? article in Spanish of course

Now all stores in the Comunidad de Madrid have the right/possibility to stay open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

I have seriously mixed feelings about this new law. It will mainly benefit the larger chain stores which can hire more personnel (or make the same workers work more hours at the same weekly wage) and likely hurt - or eventually close - the smaller shops, Mom&Pops, and even the markets as more and more people do food shopping at supermarkets on Sundays.

This is definitely not to say all stores WILL stay open, but those which more foot-traffic will most likely take advantage of the opportunity. Those shops in the neighborhoods won't likely open longer hours or more days but they may suffer along the week as people do shopping on Sundays at Malls.

We make see a total social shift as well, possibly aiding the decay of neighborhoods and their shops, providing a boom in the malls in the outskirts, forcing more and more people to live an American-like lifestyle, going everywhere in their cars or doing things on days/hours when they'd otherwise be resting or spending time with family.

This only affects stores and not bars or restaurants. You can be sure many of the Chinese/Convenient Stores WILL take advantage of this.

La libertad de horarios amenaza al pequeño comercios (Madridiario article in Spanish).

"De compras día y noche"

I can see this beneficial to tourists but at the same time isn't the IVA tax going up up up!

indeed all is moving to modern times, and more mom and pop will close as bigger mall types establishement takes advantage. That is going on already in France and here not all open on Sundays; some just in the mornings ,and still fighting to allow them full day.
It will provide more jobs thus! and convenience to other than mom and pops. And yes tourists will be help too. IVA is going up everywhere even transport prices, gas, electric, etc etc. What Spain especially needs is job generating schemes, and this one might help.

In Spain the IVA jumped from 18 to 21% so tourists will feel it in hotels, restaurants etc.I don't believe this was a smart move at the busiest tourist time=discouraging rather than encouraging tourism.Sounds somewhat desperate to me!

tourists wont even notice its included in the price ::)

Of course we will Pedmar-we are now savvy travelers!It was all over the travel forums and news in the States-not a good move to get potential tourists ticked off, especially during the busiest tourist months!

Of course we will Pedmar-we are now savvy travelers!It was all over the travel forums and news in the States-definitely not a good move to get potential tourists ticked off, especially during the busiest tourist months!

tourist are coming in record numbers to Spain and Madrid increases of 8% over last year. The problem in Spain is internal, and will take some time to resolve.

More people on the streets nowdays than ever even before the increase in the tax lol!!! It goes back all the way to Spain admission to the UE. I was there in businesses; going tomorrow to Galicia to review more businesses in trouble about 10 of them in farms...situation critical.

just an opinion of course. Cheers

Tourist MIGHT benefit from the ALWAYS-OPEN shops, but can't imagine, say, "SPRINGFIELD" on Calle Preciados (??) staying open 24-hours with so few people on the street at 4am. Plus, we may well see a wave of late-night robberies!

Saludos, MadridMan