Pas de la Casa Merchants Face 80% Sales Collapse Amid Empty Shops

Merchants in Pas de la Casa are grappling with desperation amid empty shops and sales drops of up to 80 per cent, even as government officials announced aid packages and discounts on Thursday.

The border village, typically bustling during peak ski season, presented a stark contrast: wide-open storefronts, idle staff behind counters, and empty restaurant tables at lunch hour. While institutional meetings focused on relief measures like subsidies and tax breaks, business owners on the high streets voiced urgent pleas for immediate cash flow. "It's completely deserted," said a hotel worker, who is now job-hunting outside the area due to slim local options. He noted no tangible effects yet from the announced support, forcing many firms to cut staff or hours. "They're laying people off or giving unpaid days off, which means less pay—and less spending," he added, describing a tightening cycle.

Quantitative impacts paint a grim picture. A motorcycle accessories shop saw just three customers all morning, with only one purchase. Its manager estimated revenues down 70-80 per cent. He welcomed the aid intentions but criticised the timing: "We need it now, not by late May." Transport disruptions compounded the woes. Cross-border commuters, including the manager and his employees, faced chaos with cancelled trains from L'Hospitalet and absent shuttles. "The bus and train situation is a mess," he said. "We arrive late and leave early—but with sales like this, it hardly matters."

Supply chain strains hit harder. A supermarket manager reported delivery runs stretching from three to seven hours due to the France border closure, despite unsuccessful attempts to reach the government for help. Clothing retailers, meanwhile, sit on unsold winter stock piled up since December. "We've never had so much inventory, so we've never discounted this heavily," one explained. They praised the aid package but highlighted bureaucratic delays: "You have to apply, and that's a long process." In response, they're imposing extra staff holidays to trim costs.

The Episcopal Co-Prince visited to assess the encampment situation firsthand. Though political commitments signal support, the gap between policy pledges and street-level reality remains wide. Local traders hold on, hoping measures materialise before the season fully collapses and winter looms.