Collboni proposes a network of public supermarkets in Barcelona

The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, is promoting a network of municipal food shops inspired by New York. The pilot test will be located in a municipal space in La Marina del Prat Vermell.

The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has proposed creating a network of public supermarkets in the city. The initiative takes as a reference the project of the mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, which plans to open five municipal establishments in the American city.

The pilot test will be carried out in a municipal space in the neighbourhood of La Marina del Prat Vermell. The aim is to offer quality food at affordable prices for local residents.

The proposal has raised doubts among economists. Professor of Economics Gonzalo Bernardos believes that the model is doomed to fail. According to his analysis, if the new shops sell good products at low prices, they will incur losses that will have to be covered by all Barcelonians through taxes.

Bernardos cites the price difference between chains as an example. In 2025, according to the OCU, a basket of 241 products of food and household goods cost 72.2% more in Sánchez Romero supermarkets than in Alcampo stores.

Moreover, the expert points out that Barcelona already has 39 municipal food markets, compared to only 6 in New York. Many of them are experiencing significant decline, with a high number of closed stalls. The main causes are the lack of generational change and the decreasing profitability of businesses.

Between 2020 and 2024, the net balance between openings and closures in municipal markets was negative: 193 establishments disappeared, representing 13% of the total. Bernardos criticises that Collboni has not adopted any useful measures to reverse this trend, which has been ongoing for the last 35 years.

"The current mayor prefers to imitate what his predecessors or other foreign leaders have done and shows a great aversion to innovate," says Bernardos.

The new supermarket in La Marina del Prat Vermell will be managed by an NGO or a third sector entity. For Bernardos, there is no reason to entrust them with the direction of a commercial establishment, just as no one would put these organisations in charge of an airport or a car factory.

The economist emphasises that when public money is used, the only relevant factor may be obtaining political profitability, so a good business plan, excellent management, and profit generation would not be necessary. In contrast, in the private sector, these three requirements are essential.

Collboni's proposal is set against a backdrop of debate about access to affordable food in large cities. The pilot test in La Marina del Prat Vermell will be the first step to assess the viability of the network of public supermarkets.