Barcelona’s retailers will be open for business on Sunday, 8 May. The date is one of five Sundays agreed for May and October when shops will be able to open from 12 noon to 8 pm.

This year, Sunday opening for the city’s retail establishments has been scheduled for 8, 15 and 22 May, and 2 and 9 October. The dates were agreed by entities, associations, commercial guilds, trade unions, the FAVB, municipal government and the PSC and ERC municipal groups. The move affects establishments in various neighbourhoods in the districts of Ciutat Vella, L’Eixample, Sants-Montjuïc, Gràcia and Sant Martí.

The Councillor for Commerce, Agustí Colom, highlighted the 50% reduction in Sunday opening as a move which will help improve and strengthen local commerce. “If there’s sense in opening on Sunday it’s because it generates new economic activity and jobs”, asserted the Councillor.

The agreement was given the green light by the Ministry of Business and Knowledge at the Government of Catalonia, which approved the modification to the 2014 resolution classifying Barcelona as a tourist municipality in terms of opening hours, updating it with the new framework approved by Full Council in February.