hello,
I just wanted to tell readers that the souvenir shops that have sprung up like mushrooms all over lisboa that sell mass produced items such as cups and magnets are destroying local neighborhoods. They pay very high rents that other more traditional businesses can not afford to pay and are manned by employees who do not even speak portuguese. Everyone has the right to purchase where and what they like but please remember you are buying something not made in portugal and that there are more rewarding purchases out there and there are rumours of human trafficking and money laundering attached to many of these businesses.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Sounds like Rothenburg ob der Tauber. I wonder if Mr. Steves ever enquired why so many of these shops tend to be staffed by young Asians?
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
8938 posts
If you have a city with lots of tourists from certain countries, you will want to have staff in your stores that can speak to them and sell to them. Otherwise, you will lose sales. Most of the designer stores in Frankfurt have staff that speaks Chinese, thus they recognize sales opportunities. Rothenburg is no different. You want to sell that smoker, pyramid or cuckoo clock? Then have someone that speaks the language of the customer
Posted by
OP
2 posts
it has nothing to do with the language that the shops use. The items sold in these shops are all the same. Magnets, t shirts and post cards none of which are made in portugal. There are shops that struggle to stay open due to the high rents but these shops spread. They also use public space, the sidewalks, to display their wares making it difficult for those with baby carriages to use the sidewalks. I suppose this happens in all cities and little by little familiies leave these areas and they become for tourist only areas