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Barcelona Forbids Dark Stores in Blow to Q-Commerce

Barcelona City Hall has decided to ban dark shops.

Barcelona Forbids Dark Stores in Blow to Q-Commerce

Source: Pixabay.com

This resolution of the city’s leadership deals a blow to the fast trade industry. The Mayor’s Office has removed distribution centers from the space of legality, which are necessary for the activities of fast delivery companies, for example, Glovo and Getir.

The city administration explained its decision to preserve traditional shops and preserve the quality of life of Barcelona residents. The mayor’s office also says that dark shops cause tension in some professional communities.

Barcelona is not the first European city to apply the practice of banning the activities of dark shops. Earlier, similar decisions were made in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. In February last year, a moratorium on the opening of new dark shops was introduced in these cities. In response, Flink, Getyr, Gorillas, and Zapp signed a joint code of conduct, committing themselves not to open outlets on central streets, in pedestrian zones, and near schools. The complex of behavior for companies has not become an absolute salvation. Zapp has completely withdrawn from the Dutch market, and Getir plans to buy its competitor Gorillas.

In Paris, the city Council also banned the opening of new dark shops in residential areas and crowded places. Currently, in Europe, city halls are using all the opportunities they have to displace such stores in industrial and commercial parks that are located outside urban areas.

The European fast trading industry is currently under serious pressure. The actions of municipal authorities in this area are not the only influence factor limiting their activities. Against the background of the general economic downturn, the fast trade industry faced a growth problem.

Now London is one of the main places for Q-commerce all over the world. UK legislation provides for more favorable conditions for the development of the fast trade industry.

As we have reported earlier, Glovo partnered with popular discounter group from Germany.

Serhii Mikhailov

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Serhii’s track record of study and work spans six years at the Faculty of Philology and eight years in the media, during which he has developed a deep understanding of various aspects of the industry and honed his writing skills; his areas of expertise include fintech, payments, cryptocurrency, and financial services, and he is constantly keeping a close eye on the latest developments and innovations in these fields, as he believes that they will have a significant impact on the future direction of the economy as a whole.