Hopes were high that this weekend would signal a recovery in trade and give store owners a much needed boost in the run up to Christmas.
Thousands of 'Black Friday' discounts were on offer and stores were open on Sunday in Palma, giving shoppers an extra day to find bargains and do some Christmas shopping. But the combination of bad weather, the coronavirus pandemic and thousands of people out of work or on ERTE meant that most people stayed at home.
The big stores were open all day, but most of the small and medium sized businesses in central Palma were closed.
Pimeco President Toni Fuster said the smaller shops had decided not to open because most people usually go to the big shopping malls on the outskirts of the city on ‘Black Friday’ weekend.
He also acknowledged that traders are very concerned about Christmas sales because "people have very little money in their pockets at this difficult time” and called for Palma City Council to make it easier for shoppers from outside the capital to get to the city.
Shoppers were few and far between on Sunday morning, but business did pick up a little bit in the afternoon.