Good practice:

Small towns’ open-air malls in Aragon

Since the 1995 large investments have been made in shopping centres in Aragón, located at the only big city in Aragon, which is Zaragoza.
As consequence, people modify their buying habits, and leaks of consumptions occur on weekends, and at times of increased consumption to the large shopping centres.
These grants are necessary since small retailers must compete with large commercial areas that have greater financial capacity, more ressources to advertise their offers, and to attract customers.
The procedure for granting these grants will be processed in a competitive regime. This procedure being the ordinary on for granting aids as provided in article 14.2 of Law 5/2015, of march 25, on Aids of Aragon, and in accordance with the principles of publicity, objectivity, transparency, equality and non-discrimination
One of the aspects that have led to the success of this grant progrma has been the involvement of the merchants and their professionalization, as well as the figure of the dynamizer
The Regional Government of Aragon approved the first Retail Plan of Aragón on May 22nd by Decree 112/2001.
The Plan Subsidies to retail associations:
• Promotion of small towns’ open-air malls: up to 80% costs.
• Salary of the commercial promoter: up to 60% costs.
• Salary of the NT Technician (since 2018): up to 60% costs
Actors involved:
• Retail SMEs.
• Retail associations.
• Chambers of Commerce.
• City Councils.

Human resources: Own staff of the Government of Aragon.
Financial resources: about 2 million euros per year.

• 14 small towns' open air malls in Aragon and other 45 retail associations organize frequently activities of retail promotion in the main commercial streets of the towns. These fixe population and consumption in the rural environment.
• In the 2015-2018 period grants was given to 1.353 retail SMEs. Total investment made by SMEs in the retail sector was 17,6 millions euros and public Budget was 8,6 million euros.

To compete with the electronic commerce. Digitalizing of the small retailer and its associations is necessary and urgent.

Key success factors:
• Close private & public collaboration.
• Training & skill of the associations’ commercial promoter.
• Innovative actions that attract a large number of buyers.
• City councils take care of the aspect in the open-air malls streets.

Negative aspects:
• Without public aids they would decay, it’s needed that retailers be economically involved in promotional activities.
• Large retail chains or their franchisees do not participate in promotional activities although they benefit from them.