# More woe and doom - Sorry!



## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

Spanish news today. 

January saw a 27% decrease in car sales, more or less across Europe. In Germany they're starting to offer 2500Euros for your old banger if you buy summat 1yr old or younger. 2500 will be tempting.

In Spain another sector that's struggling - the fitness business. Private Gyms closing as they simply cannot compete with the municipal places. Hardly a surprise - it's a luxury. Electrical goods sales DOWN except for TV's which are UP. 

The TV boom was reported as being because more folk now stay home and watch TV. But the arrival of TDT receiver requirement and the space advantages of flat screens probably play a part - i,e it's a short term boom.

Also being "promoted" was house swapping as a holiday alternative to hotels etc - this is a bit surprising (given Spains affinity with tourism) - but indicates trends.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

chris(madrid) said:


> Spanish news today.
> 
> January saw a 27% decrease in car sales, more or less across Europe. In Germany they're starting to offer 2500Euros for your old banger if you buy summat 1yr old or younger. 2500 will be tempting.


Laptop sales are down for the first time in living memory - hopefully they will drop to a sensible price here where they are artifically expensive. It's amazing that I was even thinking of getting 3 new ones from Sweden!!! 

Hotel rates are very soft at the moment and the Semana Santa is being heavily discounted. 

I was at a wedding today (in same hotel anyway) and NO expense was being spared there. Very impressive. Good Luck to the "happy couple". Still think he should have gone to Barcelona for the Real Madrid game. That's the last time the game will be played at the Olympic Stadium - he'd have remembered that day LOL


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

SteveHall said:


> That's the last time the game will be played at the Olympic Stadium - he'd have remembered that day LOL


Why was the paint still drying?


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

The paint was still drying, the grass was still growing ..... and still more exciting than a wedding!


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

"El paro subió en 154.058 personas en febrero hasta los 3.481.859 desempleados"

Unemployment up in Feb 2009 by 154,058 to 3,481,859. Just for the record. As things stand - my guess is that I'll increment it in May.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Andalucia figures just in - biggest rise in Spain. Another 5,000 people registered.

El paro sube en 4.855 personas en febrero en Málaga, y ya son 150.978 los desempleados en la provincia. SUR.es

This is getting serious and I am NOT convinced that the results in Galicia nor the Basque Country will do anything to assist those regions. 

(That said, I am not sure that other results would have "helped" either. 

¡Qué follón!


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## john j (Jan 20, 2009)

Yep ! dos'nt look good.... and i can tell you from the point of view of the construction industry here that its fallen of a cliff. I'm self employed Carpenter, my phones stopped ringing and had a client the other day who asked me if i could do the job and she'll pay me in 3 months!!!!
Thinkin of givin up!!!

John j

Square Carpinteria


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

john j said:


> Thinkin of givin up!!!


I can only sympathise John.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

¡No te rindas, John!

.........that said I have just been listening to the president of the Málaga Estate Agent Association . What, dreadful listening. 

What was that song, "You ain't seen nothing yet"? ...and this is a usually upbeat agent talking! There are going to be bargains to be hand


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## neilmac (Sep 10, 2008)

We run a B&B just inland from Gandia and we don't honestly expect to get many bookings this year. For the last 2 years the majority of our guests have come from the UK and with the general doom and gloom about we reckon that most of those folks will be keeping out of the Eurozone for the time being.

Looking forward to some "green shoots" of recovery but don't expect much too soon.

Neil


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## john j (Jan 20, 2009)

Agree Steve, there will be bargains to have but Spain with nearly 14 per cent unemployed and according to the news likely to rise to 19!! before it drops only the very lucky ones will seize the chance.... I'm looking to change my job, out of construction( 20 years experience) and thinking of teaching!! its not what i wanna do but have no choice.... or maybe rob a bank!! We''ll they have been robbing us for years so maybe payback time! lol


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