Barcelona City Council will reintroduce its popular Bonus Consum vouchers this autumn, offering residents discounted spending at local shops. This initiative aims to revitalise neighbourhood commerce and will feature updated rules for its distribution.
The scheme allows citizens to purchase a €20 voucher for €10, with the council contributing the remaining €10. Fifth Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, Raquel Gil, confirmed the council's plans. She stated, "The City Council is working on a new edition of this measure for the promotion of commerce through the promotion of purchases."
Ms Gil added that the new vouchers will be "agreed with the sector, which also views it favourably for its capacity to stimulate consumption." Local commerce employs nearly 150,000 people across Barcelona, making this support critical for the city's economy.
Lessons from the 2021 Programme
The previous Bonus Consum programme in 2021 proved highly successful. It generated €7.5 million in citizen spending from a €4.04 million public investment. Of the public funds, €3.8 million directly supported local businesses.
Many Barcelona residents discovered new shops and services nearby through the scheme. However, the 2021 rollout faced challenges due to its rapid popularity. One knowledgeable source recalled, "We exhausted one million euros in vouchers in just a few hours, it was too fast."
The 280,000 vouchers released in October 2021 sold out within two weeks. A further 100,000 issued in December lasted less than a day. Some individuals redeemed an unusually high number of vouchers. One resident reportedly exchanged 169 vouchers, while a food shop in Fort Pienc accumulated 12,740.
These extreme cases highlighted the need for improved restrictions. Most consumers, 93%, redeemed fewer than six vouchers. In fact, 58% used only one. The new rules will try to prevent such over-use and encourage wider participation.
New Rules for Fairer Distribution
The upcoming edition will introduce changes to prevent similar issues. Sources from the commercial sector confirmed advanced discussions. One negotiator noted, "We are at the end of the road, looking at how to articulate the re-edition."
Merchants have asked the council to avoid coinciding with the Christmas and sales periods. This would prevent an unmanageable peak in workload. October and November are considered the most suitable months for the launch.
The scheme will continue to exclude large chains, franchises, and multinational companies. This ensures support focuses on independent local businesses. Potential technical changes include externalising voucher management through a tender. Other proposals involve conditioning voucher acquisition on a prior purchase.
Setting limits per beneficiary is also under consideration. These measures aim to ensure wider and fairer distribution among residents. The City Council is currently finalising these details.
Boosting Commerce During Capitality Year
The re-edition of Bonus Consum aligns with Barcelona's status as the European Capital of Local Commerce 2026. The city holds this title until December, supported by a €2 million budget. Mayor Jaume Collboni has publicly expressed his desire to revive the vouchers during his current term.
With municipal elections in 2027 and the Capitality year ending soon, this autumn presents the only viable window for the programme. Other Catalan municipalities have successfully implemented similar voucher programmes. Badalona, for example, distributed 400,000 'Badabons' in just two hours this April.
Vic, Abrera, Rubí, El Prat de Llobregat, and Castellar del Vallès also run similar initiatives. These examples show the positive impact of such schemes. The City Council expects the new Bonus Consum programme to provide a significant boost to Barcelona's local economy and its many neighbourhood shops.
Come and join our Barcelona English Speakers community on WhatsApp.
Originally published by El Periódico Barcelona. Read original article.
