Historic Shops at Risk

Barcelona is facing a steady loss of long-standing local businesses, with closures including Magatzems Del Pilar (113 years in the Gothic Quarter), Casa Darío (since 1968), Cisterelleria Castell (founded in 1830), Windsor, Papereria Conesa (since 1917), Ferreteria Camps on Gran de Gràcia (since 1934), Pastisseria Rovira in Horta (1954), and Merendero de la Mari in Barceloneta, which operated for a century before closing. These losses highlight a broader trend: traditional shops are being replaced by tourism-focused outlets with less local heritage value.

Expanded Protection Planned

Since 2016, the city has maintained a catalogue of 208 emblematic establishments, of which 21 are now closed, according to City Council data. However, current protections primarily cover the buildings themselves rather than the businesses operating within them. Deputy Mayor for Economic Promotion Raquel Gil stated that the council is now redefining the catalogue to better protect commercial activity. "Now we want to go a step further; we have a new tool, the commerce law, which allows us to broaden our perspective on what we consider emblematic." This means businesses as young as 40 or 50 years old could be included if they are deeply rooted in their communities. Gil cited Casa de la Estilográfica on Carrer de Fontanella as an example of a non-centennial business that holds emblematic status.

The City Council's economy commission approved a proposal from ERC on 21st October 2026, supported by PSC and Barcelona en Comú, to regulate commercial rents and create a price reference index by neighbourhood and commercial axis. Junts, PP, and Vox opposed the measure. The proposal aims to stabilise rental costs and promote long-term leases to protect local commerce. Separately, a Junts proposal was approved to study financial incentives for moving commercial activities from residential flats to ground-floor premises. It includes direct aid and a 95% reduction in IBI (municipal property tax) for five years. Municipal services estimate around 21,000 economic activities currently operate from flats, while 5,000 ground-floor units remain vacant.

New Fund to Preserve Key Businesses

Mayor Jaume Collboni announced plans to create a municipal fund to acquire premises through pre-emption and redemption rights, aiming to prevent the loss of strategically important businesses. Funding will come from the tourist tax, which generated 148 million euros last year. The initiative, expected to launch next year, will allow the city to intervene when historic shops are at risk of closure due to rent hikes or sale of premises. Catalonia’s Generalitat is also working to extend similar mechanisms to other municipalities.

What an emblematic business needs to survive is to be known, for people to come in and buy,

said Councillor Raquel Gil, underscoring the importance of public support.

Cultural Heritage Law in Progress

While current protections under the city’s emblematic establishments catalogue are architectural, the new commerce law and an upcoming heritage law being processed in the Catalan Parliament could extend recognition to the commercial activity itself. Gil confirmed that the council has requested that the operations within businesses be recognised as part of cultural heritage, offering a stronger layer of legal protection. This is increasingly urgent: some historic premises, like the centuries-old La Estrella pharmacy on Carrer de Ferran, have been repurposed into costume jewellery shops or cannabis stores, losing their original cultural function.

Sources: El Periódico, Generalitat de Catalunya.