Having grown tired of tourists who visit solely to admire the aesthetics, the owners of Queviures Múrria, a century-old grocery store in Barcelona, have introduced a 5 euro fee ($5.6) for those who enter just to look around.
Established in 1898, Queviures Múrria is a highly picturesque destination in Barcelona, attracting numerous tourists daily. The store’s vintage appearance and traditional interior design captivate visitors. However, the issue arises when many of these tourists show no genuine interest in the products available for purchase, such as various traditional Spanish cured sausages, cold cuts, cured cheeses, oils, wines, and more.
According to one of the managers, numerous tourists enter the store without even acknowledging a simple greeting, wander around capturing photos, and depart without making any purchases. To deter such behavior, the decision was made to charge a fee for those who are solely interested in browsing.
Toni Merino, one of the managers at Queviures Múrria, shared that the idea of imposing a fee on tourists for merely entering the grocery store and looking around initially started as a joke. However, as both the staff and regular customers became increasingly inconvenienced by tourists who showed no genuine interest in the displayed products, the fee was implemented.
Merino clarified that he and his partners are not genuinely interested in enforcing the fee. Nonetheless, by displaying a warning about the 5 euro fee on the shop window, they have successfully discouraged most unwanted visitors.
As a result, the majority of people who enter the store now end up making purchases, while those who are not interested in buying prefer to admire the store’s interior from outside the shop window.
When photos of the 5-euro fee announcement went viral on social media, Queviures Múrria faced significant backlash earlier this month. The management was compelled to explain the reasons behind its implementation and clarify that the fee was not intended to be strictly enforced.
Overall, the measure appeared to have achieved its intended purpose.
