The denial of the Diagonal Avenue’s reform = potentiating effect for Rambla Catalunya

27 July, 2011 No Comments

Despite the efforts, no changes will be made to Diagonal Avenue, since the project of building a pedestrian zone and convert it into a commercial area was postponed after Barcelona’s citizens voted against it.

This may be one of the factors that have made Rambla Catalunya (another street downtown Barcelona) to have a rotation again of over a month to cover an available store space. The area with the highest demand is along the middle of the Rambla where several Zaras and the Pink Boulevard are located.
In comparison to Paseo de Gracia, the public who shops in Rambla Catalunya is more local, where in the first, is highly international mainly because there are several must-see buildings for tourists in Barcelona, and the supply for dining is growing fast. In Rambla Catalunya there are still traditional businesses (Quilez, La Selecta or Mauri), which in comparison with newer fashion brands, may make it look a calmer environment.

However, we should not forget that another reason for the increase in demand from local brands in Rambla Catalunya, could be due to the lower price asked to rent a store caused by the current crisis, which in the past, made it impossible for these brands to access the street. A third reason, not less important, could be that the payments for the transfer of store space have gradually disappeared.

Some store spaces that recently were held by banks or restaurants have been replaced by new retail brands. The people involved in the sector (expansion 7.10) state that there are no longer opportunities and that the demand of brands for these spaces already exceeds the available supply of stores.

In 2010 brands such as Custo Growing, Etxart & Panno, Imaginarium, Tuc-tuc, Pretty Ballerinas, Aninoto or GC Watches have entered the Rambla.