The Local Spain https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Rent hikes threaten Spain's unique shops Around 200,000 people could lose their jobs just after Christmas when Spain scraps its current system of protected rents for small businesses. Critics worry the move could also turn Spain's high streets into bland, chain-store dominated affairs. https://www.thelocal.es/20141219/spains-family-run-shops-face-last-christmas-as-rent-controls-end Fri, 19 Dec 2014 12:00:00 +0100 spains-family-run-shops-face-last-christmas-as-rent-controls-end Spanish shops embrace Black Friday sales Customers will get a chance to do some early Christmas shopping on the cheap in the coming days as Spanish stores copy the US tradition of post-Thanksgiving sales. https://www.thelocal.es/20141127/spanish-shops-embrace-black-friday-sales Thu, 27 Nov 2014 12:43:00 +0100 spanish-shops-embrace-black-friday-sales UK-style 'pound shops' launch in crisis-hit Spain The UK chain Poundland has entered the Spanish market with its formula of top-brand products at rock-bottom prices now available in Alicante, Torremolinos and, as of Friday, Madrid. https://www.thelocal.es/20141031/uk-bargain-store-launches-in-crisis-hit-spain Fri, 31 Oct 2014 11:35:00 +0100 uk-bargain-store-launches-in-crisis-hit-spain Spanish retail giant Dia to quit France Spanish discount supermarket group Dia announced Thursday it is selling its troubled French operations, which employ some 7,500 people in 900 stores. https://www.thelocal.es/20140508/spanish-retail-giant-dia-to-shed-french Thu, 08 May 2014 17:46:49 +0200 spanish-retail-giant-dia-to-shed-french 'Barcelona's oldest shops could soon be history' Hundreds of Barcelona's historic shops are facing closure because of impending rent hikes and locals are worried plans to save them are "too little too late". https://www.thelocal.es/20140224/barcelonas-oldest-shops-could-soon-be-history Mon, 24 Feb 2014 14:45:00 +0100 barcelonas-oldest-shops-could-soon-be-history Spain's shops pin hopes on healthy summer sales Spain's summer sales, or 'rebajas', season starts on Monday in many parts of the country, with retailers saying the average spend per person will be a crisis-affected €50 ($65). https://www.thelocal.es/20130701/spains-shops-pin-hopes-on-healthy-summer-sales Mon, 01 Jul 2013 13:02:00 +0200 spains-shops-pin-hopes-on-healthy-summer-sales Spanish savers force factories into go-slow Spaniards just aren't buying big ticket items like cars and washing machines and this falling demand saw Spain's factories cut production for the 20th straight month in April, official figures showed on Friday. https://www.thelocal.es/20130607/savings-drive-pushes-spanish-factories-toward-go-slow Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:33:00 +0200 savings-drive-pushes-spanish-factories-toward-go-slow