Revenue falls by more than 10% in quality shops in Marbella's old town during summer

Businesses in the Old Town of Marbella closed August with a decrease in revenue of between 10% and 20% in establishments with a higher average ticket or higher quality, while those with more popular prices have remained stable compared to last year, according to Nahuel Klappenbach, the president of the Marbella merchants and restaurateurs platform.

The deseasonalization of the destination with the extension of the high season means that September “is going well so far,” the merchant evaluated, after a summer in which July saw 85,697 travelers, of whom 21,453 were domestic and 64,244 international, according to the Hotel Occupancy Survey published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

Klappenbach noted that during the peak months of the tourist season, such as July and August, “the number of people has been quite similar to 2024 and there has been a high influx of public.” However, spending behavior “was different and, above all, the partners who have been most affected are those with a significantly higher average ticket.”

Thus, rather than by sectors, the business representative referred to the ticket as a benchmark, highlighting that higher-level businesses with a “medium and high price have suffered” and “have had worse sales” compared to the previous year, estimating that “between 10 and 20% has decreased the revenue this summer” in these businesses of the Old Town and the center of Marbella. “It has not been drastic in most cases, but they have indeed noticed a decrease from 2024 to this year,” he added.

On the other hand, the president of the merchants and restaurateurs platform pointed out that establishments “with a medium and low ticket have been about the same as last year, which is good because 2024 was good,” an upward trend that he has noted, has been occurring since the end of the pandemic.

The representative of the group emphasized the current geopolitical situation and its influence on the economy: “The atmosphere is very heated politically and war-wise. The fact that a business suffers a 5% or 10% downturn seems more than coherent.” “Things are not like in 2024 and that will always create fear and uncertainty in certain people who will be less inclined to travel,” he pointed out.

Foreign tourism has gained a greater presence in the shops of the historic center, highlighting “European Americans and Spaniards,” Klappenbach noted, adding that there has been “somewhat less” national public compared to 2024.

“A place with more popular prices had a queue all summer in Marbella waiting for a table, and others that are a bit higher quality or more expensive had empty tables in August, which was not expected,” the merchant explained about the atmosphere in the hospitality businesses this summer, a situation he says has also occurred in the shops in the area.

Drop in Spending

The feeling among the merchants of the historic center is that of being in the "queue of August," Nieves Román, from the souvenir shop Regalmar, pointed out, as in September "the same tourism" arrives, "with a lower budget." Thus, she highlighted that in summer the sales decreased by 5% compared to 2024 and the spending behavior was "low in relation to the people we had, with many just strolling, looking, and touching." In her opinion, this dynamic is influenced by "tourist apartments," since "people have kitchens, do not spend on dining out, and come with tighter budgets."

Génesis Lara, a sales assistant at the fashion store Jazmín, indicated that the summer was "more or less" good, although she emphasized that customers "spent less" and "there were more visits than purchases." "In 2024, they came and spent 500 euros at once, this year it's not the same," the merchant evaluated, attributing this trend to the situation of "war" and the "fear of spending."

The owner of Mauro ice cream shop, Mauro Regis, noted that the summer went "quite well," although he mentioned that it was "a bit lower than last year" and with a decrease in customer spending, since "everything sells but in smaller quantities," despite maintaining prices. "People have less money and each year is worse," the restaurateur remarked, while lamenting that the Plaza de la Naranjos "closed earlier and by 00:30 it was empty."

"August has been the worst month in a long time, because the people who were there didn't feel like buying," stated the staff from the souvenir shop Roblaz, a behavior they attributed to "life being generally more expensive, and this is a luxury item that can be skipped. People leave the money they bring for this for drinks, tapas, and indulging themselves." "There were many people but it was weak, not like last year, with very bad days," they added, also noting that "September has started off weak."

"The summer has been low in terms of the volume of people and spending. There have been fewer people and less work, it wasn't like last year," commented Omnia Mahdaoni, a sales assistant at the fashion store Gaia mia, who noted that this summer tourists "spent less or complained about the prices."

The young woman emphasized the end of the high season, noting that "this year the summer ended early, which usually doesn't happen so soon," so she anticipates that "in September and October there will be no one," as there is currently "less influx and we close earlier."

Telpark to Offer 12 Hours of Parking for Less Than 3 Euros

The Marbella City Council and the company Telpark have renewed their collaboration agreement to facilitate parking and promote local commerce and dining, offering the company 12 hours of parking for prices ranging from 1.99 to 2.99 euros, as announced by the Traffic Councilor, Félix Romero.

This was highlighted by the councilor at the presentation of the initiative, where he was accompanied by the southern regional director of Telpark, José María Fayos, and the president of the Merchants and Restaurateurs Platform of Marbella, presided by Nahuel Klappenbach.

Romero explained that the initiative will allow parking for a special rate starting at 1.99 euros for 12 hours, depending on the selected facility, and that this year it includes a new feature: a 30% discount on charging electric vehicles until December 31 for those who purchase the so-called ‘multipass’ vouchers.

Specifically, parking in 3 of the parkings managed by Telpark in the city will cost less than 3 euros for 12 hours, with the rate being 1.99 euros for the Marbell center parking, 2.79 for the one located at the Terrazas de Marbella, and 2.99 for the Market one.

For his part, Fayos stated that the “purpose of this action is for people who come to the town center to be able to do their shopping peacefully, also take the opportunity to eat or handle personal matters.”

As detailed, purchases of the ‘multipass’ can be made from today until September 30, and he pointed out that more than 3,500 people in Marbella have already benefited from this action in these years.