Local shopping on our high-streets during the pandemic has been quiet, until more recently. Over the past year and currently, shopping in Barcelona on the high-street is well-organised, with a collective sense of solidarity amongst shoppers and people visiting the city. Most shoppers understand why to shop local and in-turn shoppers have endorsed local shopping constraints such as, capacity limitations, a two-metre distance queue to enter, wearing a face mask and using a rudimental drop of hand sanitiser. All of which are commonplace in Barcelona now.
Shops in Barcelona and shops across Spain are open for business as normal, with the mentioned local shopping practises. The shopping high-streets in Barcelona are know where near as hectic or elbow-knocking as they would normally be at this time of year, nonetheless, tourists and shoppers are slowly trickling into the city from different countries and different parts of Spain.
Many hotels have reopened (not all of them) and it's clear to see small groups of tourists with tour guides exploring the city again, which is great to see.
Why to shop local
Shopping local doesn't just mean, popping to your corner shop for bread or that you only buy brands from your country of residence, because that would be such a boring way to shop! Shopping local means, shopping in local shops near where you live and when you travel. If desirable, high-street shops close, our local high-street dies and the local economy suffers. Obvious stuff, but worth mentioning!
Shopping local
We are naturally social creatures who are born to mingle, although, not everyone enjoys meeting people. Humans are naturally social animals, but if you are someone who is reluctant to shop on foot on your high-street, shopping online or using a local shopping app is easy enough.
I looked at four popular local shopping apps, of which failed for different reasons, therefore it makes no sense to name them!
The first local shopping app I tested, only brought up three products in my area. The second local shopping app, did not recognise my post code, and the third local shopping app, directed me to American shops such as, Macy's, Bloomingdales and Walmart, all of which are great shops, but the local shopping app failed as it did not configure my post code! Shopping locally on the high-street is straight forward, as is shopping local online, as you can 'click and collect' in-store or delivery with many online shops. If you are trying to shop local, for something crafty or handmade without venturing outside, it's easy, so don't forget to check out Etsy.
How to shop local on Etsy
If you are trying to shop local for something crafty, without venturing outside , Etsy will accommodate you. Etsy is an American e-commerce brand that showcases handmade products, crafts and vintage clothing from all over the world. It allows you to reach creative, independent small brands and designers easily and quickly. If you would like to know, how to shop local on Etsy, go to Etsy and follow these three steps;
After you search for something, click Custom under shop location
Type in your city, town, state, or country
Select your location from the dropdown list. Your search results will refresh and only show you items from shops in the location you chose.
It's easy, which is why online shopping has accelerated throughout the pandemic, with e-commerce as a whole being projected to grow by nearly 20% in 2021, and with 91% of us saying, 'We miss shopping on the high-street in stores'.
"We miss shopping on the high-street in stores".
Anyhow, I am yet to meet anyone, young or mature, who doesn't enjoy a shopping package arriving at home or at work, but as the majority of people shop online, let's remember to collectively support local businesses and small independent local shops and brands, because the people in the city, and the shops in the city make the city.
Discover more about shopping with new brands and shopping in Barcelona by subscribing to my blog. Alternatively, if you are planning to travel to Barcelona, check that it's safe for you to travel, then check out our shopping in Barcelona A-Z Shopping Guide.