Half of Catalan businesses believe that heatwaves have affected sales

BarcelonaAlmost half of Catalan family businesses in the retail sector —46%— believe they would have sold more during July if it hadn't been for the recent heatwaves that have hit Catalonia. While the sector presents itself as a climate refuge when temperatures are "unbearable", the Comertia association —which groups more than 65 businesses and 160 brands— believes that the record highs registered on thermometers have had negative effects on income. "The fact that people go out less makes it such that, in some cases, sales are not as high as they could have been," acknowledges the organization's president, Ignasi Pietx.

Despite the obstacles posed by high temperatures, Catalan family businesses have registered a significant improvement in income. According to the Comertia index published this Wednesday, sales for companies affiliated with the association during this July have increased by 7.6% compared to the same period last year. In fact, this is the best figure in the last year, after the sector registered a 6.7% turnover growth in June and 7.4% in April.

By type of activity, leisure and culture have been the main drivers of the improvement recorded in July, with a 25.2% increase in sales. Home furnishing stores also stand out, with a 14.4% year-on-year growth. In this regard, the Comertia index anticipates that sales will continue to increase throughout the summer for the sector as a whole.

Absence, at its highest

Another of the data collected by the association since the beginning of 2025 is absenteeism. In this case, Comertia limits itself to collecting absences of workers from the workplace, without making distinctions between justified and unjustified absences.

On this issue, six out of ten of the surveyed companies explain that they have had between 5% and 10% of their workers on leave. According to the indicator, this is the highest figure since the organization began collecting this type of data.

On the other hand, Comertia companies recognize that the challenge of finding qualified professionals to work in stores during the summer is also increasing. Specifically, 61% of companies say they have had more difficulty filling vacancies during July: of these, 25% speak of "much more difficulty" and 36% of "a little more difficulty".

Regulation of commercial rents

One of the current issues that businesses associated with Comertia have also addressed concerns the Barcelona City Council's plans to regulate commercial premises. Two weeks ago, the council led by Jaume Collboni approved a motion in the municipal plenary — with the votes of the PSC, Barcelona en Comú, and ERC — to request the Spanish government to modify the Urban Leases Law (LAU) so that it incorporates specific instruments to regulate or moderate increases in commercial rents.

Catalan retail maintains prudence and is waiting to position itself regarding the council's plans. As the survey indicates, 86% of merchants believe that it is necessary to wait before opining on this measure. Of the total businesses that participated in the study, 54% say that their stance "will depend on how this solution is concretized," while 32% state that they still do not have "a formed opinion".