Shorouk Express
The rumour mill has been churning online with several social media videos and media outlets suggesting that many of Spain’s Chinese-owned convenience stores are shutting up shop. Is there any truth to this?
You’ll find at least one Chinese bazaar in almost every neighbourhood in many of Spain’s biggest cities. They are a one-stop shop for everything from food and tools to stationary, mugs, homeware, fancy dress and even pet supplies.
If you live in Spain, chances are you’ve definitely shopped in one.
The products they sell are often much cheaper than usual and many items are shipped straight from China. They often not the best quality, but if you need something quick and inexpensive and there’s not too many working parts, these stores can’t be beaten.
READ ALSO: Five facts to help you understand Spain’s Chinese community
Recently though, there have been many stories in the Spanish press suggesting that these bazares chinos are closing down en masse and that their Chinese owners are leaving the country.
The rumours began when owners of a Chinese bazaar in the Son Castelló industrial estate in Mallorca decided to give away all their merchandise for free. Several other bazaars across the island also decided to close down.
This sparked more speculation on social media and many videos began appearing with people asking why all the Chinese stores in Spain are closing and where the owners are going.
Data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) reveals that in 2024 there were 226,718 Chinese people in Spain, a slight increase in the number of compared to 2023, when there were 219,929 Chinese nationals residing in Spain.
So if there are more Chinese nationals moving to Spain, what’s happening to their convenience stores?
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A Chinese resident in Spain who goes by the name @kiwi_xu online, and has two million followers on TikTok, has released a new video and believes that he knows the answer.
“It may be because people are getting used to buying online,” he explains. He also points out the reason for this change in shopping habits: “We all like the convenience of having something delivered to our home at the same or lower price”.
Put simply the bazaars which were once profitable businesses are now finding it hard to complete the likes of online stores such as Amazon, Temu and Alibaba.
He also blames increasing rental prices and the rise in the cost of goods.
Another Chinese resident in Spain who goes by @_thechains on Instagram agrees with this take in his video, but also blamed increasing prices. He explained “Now it’s not profitable, and we’re raising prices. People buy a lot online, and sales have dropped dramatically”.
But rather than leaving the country, the Chinese are reinventing their businesses and pivoting to other models such as others in the services sector.
Whereas before they might have immediately thought to open a Chinese restaurant, minimarket or a bazaar now they’re thinking about beauty salons, fashion stores, haute cuisine restaurants, sushi bars, technology stores, bubble tea shops and travel agencies.
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And the Chinese in Spain are extremely entrepreneurial and hard-working when it setting up their own businesses.
In fact, the Chinese community in Spain is currently the most predominant in the Self-Employed Regime. According to the latest data, 14 percent of foreign self-employed people Chinese origin, with 66,515 workers.
READ ALSO: Five facts to help you understand Spain’s Chinese community
More than half of working-age Chinese citizens (55 percent) are entrepreneurs, compared to 45 percent who are salaried.
According to the Union of Professionals and Self-Employed Workers (UPTA), Chinese are the only nationality with more self-employed workers than employees in Spain.
“In the face of recent rumours pointing to a supposed mass exodus from the country, what’s happening is a process of reinvention and diversification,” UPTA explains.
So while people may not be shopping in bazaars quite as much anymore in Spain, there are still many millions who certainly are still using their services.
In Catalonia (particularly Barcelona), home to the largest number of Chinese in Spain, Chinese-owned businesses are becoming increasingly popular and more and more are opening all the time from Asian supermarkets to comic book stores, food trends such as bao buns, dumplings or tofu-based drinks like Chinese Tofu Magician.
Another rumour that’s been around for a long time is that Chinese nationals don’t pay taxes for the first five years that they run their businesses in Spain, something that’s also been disproven.
“We pay taxes, more than you do,” Spain-based Chinese TikToker jiajunyin3 said in a video, adding that it would be illogical for the Spanish government to create a tax deal that benefits foreigners but not Spaniards as they can’t vote.
“You work 24/7 and you’ll also have money”.
