ARCHIVED - Winter sales now on throughout Murcia and the rest of Spain

Murcianos are expected to spend over 100 euros each this year

With the departure of the Three Kings to their homes in the Orient the winter sales season starts in Spain, and as shoppers flocked to the major stores and malls on Tuesday 7th January analysts were forecasting that on average each resident of the Region of Murcia will be spending well over 100 euros during the campaign, which lasts until the end of February.

In fact, some stores began slashing prices before the arrival of Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar this year, but the date of 7th January is ingrained in the minds of Spaniards as the day when the “real” sales begin, and this year it is expected that retailers will be selling at least 3 per cent more than in the 2018 campaign. As ever, the most popular items will be clothing and accessories, which account for almost half of all purchases, according to market surveys, and although the proportion of purchases made online continues to rise the need for additional shop staff is forecast to generate 5,600 jobs in the Region during the two months.

As for the bargains available, most shops are beginning with price cuts of between 25 and 40 per cent but with the expectation that according to how stock is shifted the discounts offered could reach 70 or 75 per cent as the season goes on.

To coincide with the start of the sales consumer rights organizations have issued reminders to the public of their rights and of the laws regarding sales: these state that the products on which discounts are offered must have been on sale in the store before the price reductions were made, they must be of the same quality as those which were sold without discounts, and the original price must be visible on the label, along with a clear statement of the percentage of the price reduction.

Similarly, the rights of consumers are unaffected by the sales in terms of returning goods and claiming refunds, except in cases where the retailer clearly states that special conditions apply.

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