A study reveals the profile of buyers and opportunities to improve municipal equipment
Mercat del Lleó is Girona’s municipal market, located in Plaça Calvet i Rubalcaba, near the Onyar river. It opened its doors on November 3, 1944 under the name of the municipal supply market and has been a point of reference for citizens ever since. Currently, it has 59 stalls, where you can find quality products such as meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, cheeses, sausages and others. But the Mercado del Léó is not only a place to shop, but also a space with a history and a future, which must face the new challenges and opportunities presented by society.
A study commissioned by the City Council
The previous governing team of Girona City Council, made up of Junts and ERC, commissioned a study from the J3B3 consultancy with the aim of modernizing the Lleó market beyond 2027, when the current concession ends. The study, which had a cost of 29,315.31 euros and an 80% subsidy from the Catalan Employment Service (SOC), was based on surveys of 518 residents and consumers and 53 stallholders, interviews with experts and sessions participation in the Mercè. The study was carried out between May 29 and June 3 last year and collected data on the profile of buyers, consumption habits, the needs and expectations of users and stallholders, and the proposals equipment improvement.
The results of the study
The study revealed that 70% of customers in the Lion’s Market are over 50 years old, indicating that there is a lack of generational relief. In addition, 67% of buyers are women, which shows greater female involvement in the purchase of fresh produce. The busiest days are Fridays and Saturdays, with 40.3% of customers taking less than 10 minutes to reach the market, which has six entrances. The study also estimated that the León market receives 16,515 weekly and 72,000 monthly visits, and that it has an annual economic impact of 14 million euros. In addition, he noted that the León market has a loyal clientele, as 76% of shoppers go there every week.
A future project for the León market
The Lleón market has great potential to become a more attractive, dynamic space adapted to the new times. For this reason, the councilor for Economic Promotion, Gemma Geis (Junts), defends that the León market must be “what we are able to build together”. Geis is committed to “opening up the market in Girona, to young people and to people’s new uses”. Among the ideas he proposes, there is the possibility of creating lockers so that customers can pick up their purchases whenever they want, or tasting areas around the market. But he also recognizes that the current building does not make it a comfortable space, as it has air conditioning problems in both winter and summer. For this reason, he announces that the City Council will invest 175,000 euros this year to carry out works there and that there is also a construction and air conditioning project planned in the municipal budget for 2024. In addition, the council has started the process to to replace the market director, Narcís Matas, who retired.
The importance of the León market for local commerce
The Lleó market is not only important for the stallholders who work there, but also for the local commerce of Girona as a whole. This is what the president of the Girona Center Eix Comercial association, Mercè Ramírez de Cartagena, believes, who considers the Lleó market to be “a lung that connects the two commercial parts, the center and the Eixample”. Ramírez believes that the Lleó market should be reactivated and given a more modern air without losing its essence. As examples to follow, he mentions the market of Olot, which has recently been renovated and revitalized its entire environment, and that of Tolosa de Languedoc, where there are restaurants outside the shopping area where you can taste the market products. The grocers of Girona are one of the collectives that have participated in the participatory process for the preparation of the study, together with the School of Hospitality and Tourism, the Guild of Artisan Butchers and Butchers of the Girona Regions and the deanery of Tourism of the University of Girona, among other agents.