Bonus Consum boost neighbourhood shopping by nearly 700,000 euros

In its first week, 14,275 vouchers were used and 16% of the initial budget was spent.

Each QR code covers €10 on a minimum purchase of €30 in small and medium-sized shops. As of this Tuesday, 14,275 residents had redeemed their first Bonus Consum voucher at one of the 1,880 establishments participating in the campaign as of Wednesday afternoon.

The City Council estimates that these purchases total €697,081.88. So far, the average spend per ticket is €48.83: according to the council, each voucher has encouraged purchases worth an average of 4.88 times its value.

One voucher per person and an initial budget of €890,235

The campaign began on 13 October. In its first week, 70,666 Barcelona residents had registered on the municipal website to access the discounts; two out of ten had already used their first coupon.

For now, each participant can only use one voucher. The budget allocated to these first tickets was €890,235 and 16% has already been used. The City Council is allocating €1.82 million to subsidise purchases in this first round.

The promotion allows up to three vouchers, although the next ones depend on specific conditions. The second is activated when the first budget is used up and is only granted if the first voucher has been used within a maximum of 15 days from acquisition. To receive the third, both previous vouchers must have been spent in shops in the participant’s own neighbourhood.

The City Council plans a second round for the same amount at the beginning of 2027, after the January sales. Between both editions, it estimates that the vouchers could generate a return of €12 million for local businesses.

Eixample accounts for almost a quarter of the shops

24% of participating establishments are in Eixample, the district with the most businesses involved. Gràcia, Sant Martí, Sants-Montjuïc and Sant Andreu each account for more than 10% and together make up 44%.

Horta-Guinardó and Nou Barris account for another 17%. The City Council considers the campaign’s presence in Ciutat Vella y Sarrià-Sant Gervasi to be “significant”. Les Corts has the lowest number of participating shops, although the council notes that it has a consolidated commercial network and room to grow.

The municipal government describes the distribution as balanced and maintains that the vouchers reach both the main shopping areas and residential neighbourhoods. The mayor, Jaume Collboni, argued that this edition excludes franchises and focuses on small local shops, SMEs and self-employed workers. He also said that the campaign aims to encourage shopping in local shops and to make it a habit.

The initiative brings back the discounts first introduced by the City Council in 2021, when the vouchers were worth €20. The council maintains that the effect of each voucher exceeds its value because it helps stimulate spending. In another municipal initiative, Barcelona is also considering increasing the tourist IBI surcharge.

Junts questions the information provided to shops

The City Council’s economy committee discussed the management of the ‘Bons Consum’ this Wednesday. Junts requested explanations about the planning. Councillor Joana Ortega criticised the fact that some businesses were unaware of how the discounts worked or when the campaign started, and that some of the information material arrived late. She also pointed out that information had not circulated well in areas without active traders’ associations.

The Deputy Mayor for Promoción Económica, Raquel Gil, defended the preparatory work. She explained that around 70 organisations were involved through personalised meetings, work in the districts and presentations in markets. According to Gil, 8% of all retail establishments in the city have signed up for the promotion.