Sales in Barcelona: when, where and how

Generally, the shops tend to announce their discount days all year round, and it is completely at their discretion when to do so. Nevertheless, serious sales tend to occur regularly several times per year. In 2018, sales in Barcelona are expected to follow the same schedule as usual. Therefore, when planning to visit the Catalonian capital, you can make sure to check the calendar for these discount events.

Sale periods

Christmas sales in Barcelona begin on December 25th, on Christmas day. On the first, shops reduce the prices for all New Year gifts, wrapping supplies, Christmas toys, and other holiday accessories. Almost concurrently, at the end of the holidays (January 7th), the January sales in Barcelona are organized. During this period, the prices on clothing and other goods fall significantly, gradually reaching a 70% discount (approximately by March). In the period of summer sales in Barcelona, from July 1st to the end of August (and sometimes for an even longer period), the shops do not close for siesta or simply schedule a shorter lunch break.

Finally, tourists should not forget about the favorite event of shopaholics, El Viernes Negro – Black Friday. This year, the last Friday of November falls on the 23rd. As a result, almost all online shops and the majority of the shops on the city streets will initiate a drastic drop in their prices and carry out a total liquidation of their previous collections. The Black Friday sales usually attract countless customers. For this reason, it is a good idea to prepare yourself psychologically for massive crowds of buyers beforehand and to look for the items you desire online as well.

Main shopping zones in Barcelona

In addition to the generally famous El Corte Ingles, where shoppers will find luxury brands of clothes and cosmetics, Barcelona has many malls. In these places, you can always find the brands of clothing, shoes, and accessories you like as well as other items that might be of interest to tourists visiting the city during the sales period. L’illa Diagonal is one of the poshest shopping centers in Barcelona. Here, you can find more than 170 shops, restaurants, and salons. The Pedralbes shopping center really resembles traditional American malls. Here, you will see not only shops, but also a roofed skating rink and a hotel. The Bulevard Rosa complex on Passeig de Gràcia stands out among other shopping sites due to its huge selection of brands. This unique place offers its clients brands that would take hours of searching to find in the Gothic district and in El Born. Instead of investigating the small boutiques offering Spanish clothing and shoe brands all over the city center, it is far more efficient to visit a shopping center where all of these items are available at once.

In El Triangle in Plaça Catalunya, the shoppers will find not only clothes, but also a large bookstore where, in addition to books, you can also buy computer accessories, disks, movies, computer games, and tickets to the major concerts in the city. Football fans should visit Maremagnum center, located in front of the famous Aquarium of Barcelona, where they will find all the most famous brands in addition to the official FC Barcelona shop. The Glories Mall in Poblenou is a convenient center due to its spacious parking lot. Moreover, shoppers here will encounter all kinds of stores selling everything from clothing to groceries. There is also a multi-complex for family leisure activities where visitors can choose something exiting from among the numerous activities available for kids. Finally, don’t forget about the outlets: despite the fact that La Rocca Village lies half an hour’s distance from the city center, the low prices on the last season’s collections from the top brands are worth the time and effort.

Tips for shopaholics

• The first important piece of advice is not to get lost in such a vast tourists’ hub as Barcelona. It is a good idea to buy a “Barcelona Shopping Guide” (Guia de Compres) at one of the newspaper kiosks or bookshops. This book is a full reference guide, in which more than 450 shops are listed alphabetically by name and positioned thematically by shopping category.
• Another option is to take the Barcelona Shopping Line, a bus route that is 5 kilometers long, beginning near the old port and ending next to the Barcelona exit along Avinguda Diagonal. The blue buses of the Barcelona Shopping Line circulate all over the city from Monday to Friday (7:30 am – 21:45 at intervals of 7 minutes) and on Saturday (from 9:30 am to 21:20 at intervals of 15 minutes).
• By buying a ticket from a bus driver at only 10€, you get the chance to take a route that stops at all the major shopping sites throughout the day: Port Vell — Raval — Ramblas — Ribera — Barri Gotic — Plaça de Catalunya — Eixample — Passeig de Gràcia — Rambla de Catalunya — and Avinguda Diagonal.