“We need greater flexibility in schedules to be able to compete with the e-commerce giants.” This is the claim that the large distribution and consumer companies have conveyed to the Generalitat of Catalonia in the midst of the debate on the reform of the trade law.
Traditional companies are seeking to introduce modifications to the draft law launched by the Government and which is currently undergoing public consultation. A draft that does not introduce major changes in terms of business hours and, therefore, maintains the general obligation to close on Sundays and unauthorized holidays. It would only authorize opening a holiday if two or more consecutive holidays coincide.
The preliminary draft of regional legislation, competent in the matter, falls short, consider the companies. “It should be adapted to the year 2023,” they denounce. “We are facing an initiative more typical of the nineties and that is not enough to compete against Amazon or Aliexpress,” those affected lament. Each business organization has presented its allegations and they all agree that the reform should be more ambitious.
The National Association of Large Distribution Companies (Anged), which represents chains such as El Corte Inglés, Carrefour, Alcampo, Ikea or Mediamarkt, has been calling for some time to extend the flexibility of hours so that businesses do not have to remain closed for a total of almost two months a year. The organization ultimately claims to converge towards “trade with fewer barriers.”
His position is supported by a report from the Catalan Competition Authority published last August, in which it analyzes the draft law. The regional supervisor points out that, in general terms, the legal proposal would pose problems for the offer and proposes introducing more profound changes. Anged also recalls that, in the latest European Commission index on commercial freedom, Spain is at the bottom, only surpassed by the obstacles to flexibility in France and Austria.
The Association of Manufacturers and Distributors, Aecoc, is another organization that has presented its allegations to the Generalitat. They go for another area. The group positively understands the role of e-commerce companies in the economy, although it considers it appropriate to address the challenges with physical stores. In this sense, the association calls for regulating more precisely the so-called dark stores, those businesses dedicated to the processing of goods from virtual companies. “The concept included in the text is broad, ambiguous and includes many businesses that, conceptually, are not in themselves” dark stores, he argues, among other issues.
The person who has also made his allegations to the draft law is Cedac (Council of Food Distribution Companies of Catalonia), associated with Asedas, which represents Mercadona, Lidl and other large chains. However, he prefers not to reveal his demands.
In general, distribution companies ask that the law that the Parliament ends up approving provides “legal security and coherence to commerce with the aim of guaranteeing the proper functioning of the market.” The sector hopes that the preliminary draft will become a bill before the end of the year.
