Malaga fights back against the big boys

Malaga’s Marbella fights back against the big boys. Marbella is fighting back against competition from shopping centres and large supermarkets.
Marbella hopes to boost traditional commerce from small-scale establishments using an online platform. Around 30 different groups have joined together to propose that a new online platform be created. Online marketing would allow local establishments to fight back against competition.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has hit small scale establishments hard. Diego Isabel La Moneda is the founder of Global Hub for The Common Good and director of the Nesi Forum.  The organisation hopes to help the people in Marbella.
La Moneda commented: “In Marbella, commerce is done in large supermarkets and there is not so much custom for local commerce. But, through innovation, we can raise awareness of local commerce through different methodologies so that people become accustomed to the positive impact of buying local.”
The expert believes that small businesses need to promote not only their products and services but also their contribution to society. La Moneda revealed: “They have to give an added value which, in addition to the product or the quality of their service, is the social and environmental value.”
A strategy is being put together that will promote the social side of the local economy for small businesses and groups.
“It is important that Marbella is committed to innovation and sustainability and we are going to work on promoting proximity and identity, so that residents feel part of the town,” commented La Moneda.
“We have identified the strengths and weaknesses of the city through a series of interviews and focus groups in which different entities have participated. We do not want a ten-year plan that is not fulfilled, but we want to apply the Agile system so that the strategies are really implemented and effective.”
Cristóbal Garre is the delegate for Economic Development. He highlighted that the plan is: “a working tool, not only for this year, but it is an open and participatory document that includes specific actions that we are going to start implementing”.

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