He proximity trade faces one of its main challenges: trying to move forward in a context marked by the lack of generational change, the closure of traditional establishments and changes in consumer habits. To address this situation, the City Council has designed a Comprehensive Support Plan for Local Commerce 2026-2028 which will mark the lines of action for the next three years, with special attention to young people, the revitalization of commercial streets and the future of municipal markets.
The strategy, as TRIBUNA has learned, is based on a double need: maintain initiatives that have proven effective and incorporate new measures to respond to problems. All this accompanied by a monitoring system based on the collection of data and indicators to evaluate the results of the actions. One of the main novelties of the document is that it is not limited to encouraging purchases in local establishments, but also focuses on those behind the counters. The objective is to guarantee that, in addition to customers, Valladolid continues to have merchants in the coming decades.
In this sense, the generational change becomes one of the priority axes. The strategy seeks to highlight the profession of the merchant in question, both in customer service and in business management, resource organization or personnel management. A concern that takes on special relevance in municipal markets, where jobs such as butcher or fishmonger They require specific knowledge and experience that is essential to transmit to new generations.
The City Council considers that young people will play a decisive role in the future of the sector, not only as consumers, but also as potential entrepreneurs capable of providing continuity to businesses that, in many cases, face closure due to the retirement of their owners.
Furthermore, the approval of the plan by the Governing Board allows for the availability of a road map to access field programs regional, national and Europeanas well as opting for funds and subsidies from other administrations.
Three pilot projects to boost commerce and measure the impact of the works
The plan includes three actions with which the municipal government team aims to address some of the main challenges of commerce. The first of them is the program ‘Trade mentor’an initiative aimed at facilitating the transmission of knowledge and experience between veteran merchants and people interested in continuing their activity. It is about taking advantage of the good work accumulated over the years by professionals in the sector to favor the replacement at the head of the establishments..
The second action is aimed specifically at young people. Through an awareness and promotion campaign, the City Council seeks to stimulate their purchases in local businesses, improve the social perception of the profession and raise awareness of its economic and social importance that small businesses have in the city. The third project focuses on a particularly sensitive issue for establishments located on streets subject to urban interventions: the impact of the works on commercial activity.
To this end, the renovation of San Luis Street has been chosen as a pilot experience. The City Council works with the Chair of Innovation of the Faculty of Commerce of the University of Valladolid in the collection and analysis of information that allows us to know how sales and pedestrian flows evolve before, during and after the works. The intention is to have objective data that makes it possible to evaluate the consequences of these interventions and improve the participation of the sector in the definition, planning and execution of future urban projects.
In parallel, the City Council will maintain its policy of supporting establishments affected by the works on the streets of the city, a line of action that is also included in the new strategic plan.
Mantería and the challenge of keeping the streets alive
The revitalization of traditional commercial hubs constitutes another of the municipal priorities, especially given the closure of historic establishments due to the retirement of their owners. This is the case of Mantería Street, where, as this media outlet reported, another business will close its doors.
The City Council defends the need to protect the streets that are commercial references in Valladolid and reinforce their attractiveness to maintain the influx of users. In Mantería, one of the roads with the most pedestrian traffic in the city, different actions have already been carried out to improve the urban environment. These include the installation of benches, the incorporation of more vegetation and the renewal of lighting, with the purpose of making the route for pedestrians more pleasant and promoting the activity of the establishments.
However, improving public space is only part of the strategy. The municipal government team also supports fiscal measures and specific programs that facilitate business continuity. Among the existing incentives, it stands out the 50% bonus on the Tax on Constructions, Installations and Works (ICIO) for remodeling actions of commercial premises. Added to this is the ‘Valladolid Traspasa’ program, aimed at avoiding the closure of establishments, which will be complemented by the new ‘Mentor Trade’ initiative.
Training also occupies a prominent place in the municipal roadmap. The digitalization and modernization courses promoted through the ‘Emprende Mercados’ program have registered a positive reception among professionals, which reinforces the commitment to improve their skills and facilitate the adaptation of businesses to the new demands of the sector. However, the City Council recognizes that local policies, alone, are not enough to guarantee commercial revitalization.. Factors such as VAT, tax pressure, salary costs, self-employed fees or environmental requirements determine the profitability of establishments and the decision to start a business.
It is also a problem that does not affect only Valladolid, but is reproduced in numerous Spanish cities.
Record participation in the decorated streets contest
Another initiative aimed at energizing commercial hubs is the decorated streets contestwhich this year has broken a new record since its launch. The call was brought forward a month to facilitate the preparation of the projects, a decision that has contributed to registering nine initiatives corresponding to as many commercial streets.
Finally, the winning proposals were those on Joaquín María Jalón street, located in the La Rubia neighborhood, and San Martín street. The City Council trusts that the decorations will contribute to increasing the visibility of these areas and reinforcing their commercial attractiveness.especially in a period in which purchases take on a special role.
The Delicias and Rondilla Markets, with 27 vacant positions
Markets also take center stage in the strategy to support local commerce, especially with the arrival of the Christmas campaign. The situation of the municipal markets of Delicias and Rondilla It reflects, however, the need to continue working to attract new professionals and increase the occupancy of its facilities.
In the case of Las Delicias Marketthe evolution of recent years shows a trend positive. The number of positions filled has increased from the 11 registered in 2023 to the current 17. Despite this growth, the dimensions of the venue mean that there are still 19 positions availableso the municipal objective is to maintain the dynamic of incorporating new merchants. The situation is different in La Rondilla Marketwhich currently has ten positions filled and another eight vacancies.
In total, both markets have 27 free positions, a figure that shows the importance of promoting commercial entrepreneurship and facilitating the arrival of new professionals to these traditional spaces.
The works on the Campillo Market will begin before the end of the year
One of the most important municipal projects is the improvement project in the Campillo Marketwhose works to correct pathologies are scheduled to begin before the end of 2026. The action will have an estimated duration of 18 monthsalthough the development of the work will not mean the closure of the facilities.
During the execution of the works, both the market itself and the underground parking and the civic center located on the first floor of the building will remain operational. The intervention will also have a significant weight in the municipal accounts for the next financial year. In fact, The correction of Campillo’s pathologies is emerging as the main investment item linked to the Commerce area in the 2027 municipal budget.
With these measures, the City Council intends to face the future of Valladolid commerce from different fronts: stimulating consumption, facilitating generational change, modernizing establishments, improving urban spaces and strengthening municipal markets.
Source: www.tribunavalladolid.com
