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Saturday, November 18, 2006
Sunday opening in the Canary Islands
Whilst the rest of the "civilized" world is used to 24 hour shopping, 365 days a year, the Canary Islands have been notably slow to catch on to the modern idea.
Consumers welcomed the recent initiative of the Volkswagen network in the Canary Islands to open on Sundays and Public Holidays, however, the Government has begun a case to sanction Volkswagen over their Sunday opening. Volkswagen have decided not to carry on with the Sunday opening, so as not to cause a confrontation with the government, who could demand the definitive closure of their premises.
The basis seems to be that, the sale of goods outside the nine "exceptional days" allowed is an illegal activity, however, by law, a vendor is obliged to sell the items it has on offer on all the days that they open. Volkswagen were merely opening to show what they have available and give prices, without actually selling on Sundays.
Consumers' associations say that the current law, is "contrary to the necessities of consumers". They also say that they opposed the law from the outset as, they opine, that it was "born with a perverse aim". Reading what this is supposed to be - to limit the implantation of large shopping malls - I have to say that I agree with them.
Given that none of the islands is that large and that every family and his dog has two cars, even a limited number of such establishments are well within everyone's reach. And there are several. And they do seem to open at times, including Sundays, when everyone else isn't allowed to. That does, indeed, seem perverse logic, which at once, puts the small business at a distinct disadvantage in the marketplace.
Another criticism has been the lack of stores open on Sundays when cruise ships dock in Santa Cruz and this is a clear case where it would benefit everyone - bored tourists, shopkeepers and the island's coffers alike - to have those stores open.
The Canarian authorities, however, say they have no plans to make any changes to the current law, because, during the first quarter of 2007, a new European directive to regulate Sunday and holiday opening is due to come into force.
The new regulations, they say, will be much less restrictive than the current law, with the emphasis on environmental issues and economic parameters - which sounds like it might translate to good news for shops and shoppers. They did add, that, of course, the islands will have different treatment in relation to their distance from the European Union, so exactly what it will mean, still remains, very much, to be seen.
Los consumidores critican la ley que impide abrir domingos y festivos
Industria inicia un expediente de sanción a Volkswagen por abrir los domingos
