ISSUE NO. 1436
10 - 16 JANUARY 2013
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.ES
Hard-up shoppers hunt for bargains By Laura Bruce THE sales rush has begun. But most shoppers have less
money to spend this year. With the two-month long winter sales officially starting
TOP FLYERS: 14 paragliders made a bull’s-eye landing.
High in the sky MORE than 100 paragliding experts from around Europe took part in Almuñecar’s second Paragliding Festival. Participants took off from the Loma del Gato hills and landed on El Tesorillo beach.
on Monday, traders early on identified that shoppers were out and about seeking the best bargains. For many people, Monday was an official holiday following Three Kings falling over a weekend, and this saw many malls crowded with bargain-seeking shoppers, with the majority anxious for special deals and heavily-discounted items. Ana Fernandez, a shop assistant at Spanish chain Mango, saw an early rush of customers like last year. “Customers hurried through our doors to snap up reductions, including many cut to half price,” she said. Helena Martinez from El Corte Ingles also noted an early sales surge. “It’s hard to say officially, but the store seemed as busy as last year. Our special deals and some 70 per cent offers encouraged consumers looking for that extra bargain.” She said it was too soon to
know if shoppers had more or less money to spend. But according to official statistics, the ongoing economic difficulties throughout Spain mean shoppers have less to spend in the winter sales than one year ago. A recent Independent User-Consumer Federation (FUCI) survey revealed the Spanish will spend an average €80 in this year’s winter sales, 11.1 per cent less than in 2011. Two in three people indicated they plan to bargain hunt, but 83 per cent of those in the survey indicated they will spend less this year. Clothes are the top item for 67 per cent of shoppers, with other percentages indicated being accessories (21), technology (7) and leisure items (4). Costa del Sol expatriate Susan Williams admitted to checking out the sales on the opening day in Marbella, but spent less than previously. “My grandchildren were totally spoilt at Christmas, leaving very little spare opportunity to treat myself. However, I did manage to bag myself a great bargain in C&A.”
FRONT EXTRA
Full sail for Motril NEARLY 300,000 people used the Port of Motril in 2012. This is a 270 per cent increase over the previous year, the Port authorities have reported.
Plant theft MORE than 300 poinsettias were stolen from gardens and pots in the streets of Velez-Malaga during the Christmas festivities, the town hall reported. In 2011, around 800 were stolen.
€4m leak THE €4 million Civic Centre in La Herradura, opened in 2006, is, according to Deputy Mayor Juan Jose Ruiz, ‘so damaged by water leaks that it should be knocked down and built again’.
Long wait AT 59 days, Malaga is the Andalucian province where people have to wait the longest to get an operation through the public health service.