Wave of historic shops closing down in Barcelona strikes nerve among locals

Barcelona is always changing and evolving, but in recent months, some changes have struck a nerve with locals. Many old and historic businesses, sometimes in iconic locations, have been replaced by things like convenience stores, or other tourism-facing businesses.

Throughout the city center it’s common to see the historic façades of old businesses adorning the outside of establishments, but selling souvenirs rather than engaging in whatever the original trade took place there. 

During the summer, the opening of a new 24-hour convenience store in the Eixample district of the Catalan capital incensed social media users.  

This case was particularly striking because the building where the store opened is the former head office of the Catalan economy ministry and was considered a protected cultural asset for its architecture. The building, known as Casa Heribert Pons, was constructed in 1907 amid the boom of Catalan modernism and is a good example of the decorative architecture that gives Catalonia its signature look. 

The debate had already resurfaced over the use of patrimony heritage buildings, but anger grew further when it was revealed that the supermarket did not have the proper licenses to open. The city council has since opened proceedings, but the shop will stay open until at least October while legal deliberations are ongoing.

Another aspect of this store that perplexed some on social media was the fact that this was the third such 24-hour store that had opened in a 50-meter stretch of some of the most prime real estate in the city, with some of the highest rents for such businesses in the city. 

Historic businesses replaced

As well as these new tourism-facing shops opening across the city, Barcelona is also seeing a wave of historic shops closing down and being replaced. One such store that is no longer was Casa Gallofré, in the heart of the Sant Antoni neighborhood. 

During the Civil War, this old textile store made combat outfits for Republican troops in the city. It was open for 109 years until closing down earlier in 2024, citing rising rents and losing business to online retailers. By September 2024, the locale has remained empty. 

On La Rambla, the charming façade of the old Xancó shirt store is still there, but the business that stood for almost 200 years isn’t. Xancó was in the hands of the 4th generation of the same family that had run it until its 2019 closure, and contained furniture dating back to 1912. 

In a similar vein, the Windsor shirt store on Rambla de Catalunya has been converted into a boutique hotel. These three stores made garments and shirts tailor-made to fit the client who requested them, as opposed to the more modern situation of mass-producing items at generic sizes. 

These are just some of the local, historic businesses that have been unable to keep up with changing consumer demands in a city that welcomes more and more tourists each year, and where rent prices are skyrocketing. 

Cultural establishments haven’t been immune to the wave of closures either. 

For 60 years, the Comedia was one of the most popular cinemas in the city, Yelmo Icaria had become a staple for film lovers for almost three decades years, while Sidecar was a concert hall that gave young people some of the best nights out of their lives for 40 years; all of which closed down in 2024.