Figueres shop vouchers return with 100,000 euro budget
Figueres City Council is bringing back its discount voucher scheme for local shops this autumn. The earlier edition generated a total of 676,785 euros in sales for businesses in the capital of the Alt Empordà.
The new campaign runs from 20 October to 25 November. The council has set aside 100,000 euros for it, and each eligible resident can claim two vouchers worth 10 euros each.
The initiative again carries the slogan "Si t'estimes Figueres, compra a Figueres!", which translates as "If you love Figueres, shop in Figueres!". It is run by the council together with Comerç Figueres, the town's retailers' association, and the Cambra de Comerç de Girona, the Girona Chamber of Commerce.
Who can take part
The vouchers are for Figueres residents aged 18 or over who are listed on the town's padró. This is the municipal register of inhabitants that every resident in Spain is expected to join in the town where they live.
As in previous rounds, the dates were chosen to fall outside the Christmas shopping season. The aim is to spread the extra spending across a quieter part of the year.
How the vouchers work
Businesses that want to accept the vouchers can sign up between 14 and 19 October on the website comprafigueres.figueres.cat.
From 20 October, residents can download their vouchers at figueres.cat/comprafigueres. They can also collect them in person at the Tourist Office in plaça de l'Escorxador.
Once a resident has registered and requested the vouchers, they have 15 calendar days to use them. Each voucher can only be spent on a purchase of at least 20 euros.
The vouchers are accepted in any shop, bar or restaurant in Figueres that has joined the campaign. Participating businesses cover a wide range of sectors:
- food shops such as greengrocers, butchers, fishmongers and cake shops
- food service businesses, including restaurants, cafes and bars
- personal services such as hairdressers, beauty centres and laundries
- gyms and dance schools
- shops selling clothing, footwear, perfume and household goods, among others
More than 13,000 purchases last time
The previous edition was split into two campaigns. The first ran from 20 October to 25 November and the second from 6 February to 6 March. Between them, they produced 676,785 euros in spending in Figueres businesses.
Residents made 13,228 purchases in more than 100 participating establishments. Each campaign brought in more than 300,000 euros. The November round generated 346,603 euros from 6,352 purchases, while the February round generated 330,182 euros from 6,876 purchases.
Shoppers spent around 50 euros per receipt on average. The figure was 54.56 euros in November and 48.01 euros in February. That is well above the 20 euro minimum needed to use a voucher.
Business uptake also grew between the two rounds. The first campaign had 110 participating establishments and the second had close to 140.
Our Take
For readers in Empuriabrava and Castelló d'Empúries, the scheme is mainly of indirect interest. Only people on the Figueres padró can claim the vouchers, so residents registered in Castelló will not qualify. Many of our readers do shop in Figueres, however, and the campaign offers a picture of how the regional capital is trying to support its high street.
The numbers from the last edition look encouraging for the council. With average receipts around 50 euros, shoppers appear to have spent well beyond the value of the vouchers. The public money also seems to have been matched by a much larger amount of private spending.
The rise from 110 to nearly 140 participating businesses suggests that shop owners saw value in joining. It is worth watching whether that number grows again this autumn.
The campaign fits a wider pattern of Figueres council action on its town centre, including plans for a 50-metre gap between some city centre shops.
Two questions remain open. The first is whether the council will repeat the February round as it did last year. The second is whether neighbouring councils, including Castelló d'Empúries, might consider similar schemes for their own businesses.