Page 97 - economic report 2021

experience (sleeping in a hotel or going to a restaurant) much more than buying products. There
is also rapid growth in e-commerce which accelerated further with the arrival of the pandemic.
Alongside the depletion of some business models are the loss of product price differentials, the
smaller presence of commerce in tourist spending and the lower purchasing power of the average
client, as some of the weak points in Andorran commerce.

To meet all these challenges, the Government The new Strategic Plan for Commerce
presented the Strategic Plan for Commerce aims to improve the shopping
in January 2022, continuing on the Strategic
Plan for Shopping Tourism presented in 2016, experience, among other goals.
46% of which was achieved. Among the
actions were notably aspects such as making the urban area peaceful, merging commercial
associations, creating the brand The Shopping Mile, and working on the commercial model in
some parishes. The 2022 new Strategic Plan for Commerce identifies as major areas for action:
improving competitiveness; innovation and digitalisation, and the creation and promotion of a
shopping experience, to develop trading conditions and access new markets and new clients.
So, the goal of this action plan is for the shopping experience to be as satisfying, innovative and
different as possible, which means that the quality of the service must be improved. To achieve
this, a key aspect is to make the sector more professional which means, among other things,
improving employee training and living conditions. The new plan also poses other challenges,
such as attracting new brands, sustainability and improved communication. From the point of
view of communications, the fact that the Andorra-La Seu airport is now in operation represents
an opportunity.

As for events to promote the commercial attractiveness of Andorra, the Andorra Shopping 95
Festival was held in November 2021 after being suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic. The
balance was positive and even exceeded sector expectations thanks to a good influx of French and
Spanish visitors. Also remarkable was the campaign carried out by Andorra Turisme to promote
the country to the local markets of France and Spain, as a safe destination for short trips.

In 2021, the number of employees In 2021, there are three factors that caused
in the retail sector fell 9% and a reduction in employee numbers in the
reached a historic low. retail sector for the second consecutive year:
structural changes felt by the sector; the

Chart 12.3
BUSINESS ACTIVITY - RETAIL TRADE

Total retail trade Clothing & footwear Household equipment IT & electronics The Andorran economy: developments in the main sectors | XII. Services
Balance: Dif erence in opposing responses (posit ve and negat ve), as a percentage.
Source: Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of Andorra.