Santa Cruz de Tenerife Launches Discount Voucher Scheme to Boost Sunday Retail

Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council is launching a new economic stimulus plan to boost local retail throughout October. By encouraging shops to stay open on Sundays, the council hopes to build on the momentum of the upcoming Plenilunio event and turn weekend shopping into a regular habit for residents and visitors alike.

In partnership with the Federation of Urban Areas of the Canary Islands (FAUCA), the council is releasing 4,800 discount vouchers, with 1,200 available each week. Shoppers can buy a 25-euro voucher for just 12.50 euros, with the city covering the remaining half. Each person can claim up to two vouchers per Sunday, with a total limit of six vouchers for the entire month.

To keep the program running smoothly, vouchers go on sale every Friday at 10:00 a.m. and remain available until Sunday at noon or until they sell out. Vouchers must be used on the specific Sunday they are issued, and they cannot be combined with those from other shoppers in a single transaction. Additionally, each business can redeem a maximum of 1,500 euros in vouchers per day.

The initiative is open to businesses within the city’s designated tourist zone (ZGAT). To participate, shops must agree to open for at least three of the four Sundays in October, between 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Nearly thirty businesses have already signed up, and the council is still accepting applications from other local retailers.

This push for Sunday shopping reflects a broader trend in Spanish cities, where local governments are adjusting business hours to better match modern tourism and leisure habits. By making the city center a more vibrant destination, officials hope to help physical stores compete with online shopping. The long-term success of the program will depend on whether these discounts can successfully turn occasional visitors into loyal, repeat customers.