BARCELONA, Spain, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- For decades, discount "bazaar" stores were the most visible sign of the Chinese community in Spain. Today, that picture is rapidly changing.
As online shopping expands and Spain's Chinese population grows to more than 226,000 people, with over half of working-age residents self-employed according to the Union of Professionals and Self-Employed Workers (UPTA), Chinese entrepreneurs are branching into new sectors.
Across Spanish cities, the number of traditional bazaar-style variety shops is falling, while new Chinese-run businesses are multiplying in areas such as beauty services, consulting, travel agencies, cafes, clothing boutiques, and supermarkets.
"In this area there are many more Chinese shops and businesses," said Guan Jie, president of the United Friendship Association of Chinese Women in Spain and owner of Barcelona-based travel agency, Viajes China Espana.
"There are legal consultants for the Chinese community and many new Chinese food shops." She added that Chinese owners now operate more than a third of restaurants and bars in central Barcelona, including those serving traditional Spanish cuisine.
One example of the shift is Mormor Asian Market, a supermarket opened this year in Barcelona by three young Chinese entrepreneurs who grew up in Spain. "We try to cover both sides of our culture," manager Chen Juyi told Xinhua.
"Locals lack information about Asian culture, so we opened an Asian market." She said the store attracts not only Asian and Spanish shoppers, but also tourists and new arrivals who often communicate in English.
Guan Jie noted that demand has also changed in her own sector: while her travel agency once focused mainly on bringing Chinese tour groups to Spain, there is now growing interest in trips from Spain to China, especially among Chinese residents.
Chinese brands are also expanding into Spain. Bubble tea chain TeaPanda, which operates around 8,000 stores worldwide, opened its first European outlet this year in Barcelona, with plans to expand to Madrid.
"Things are changing, and getting better," said sales assistant Zheng Dingxin. "More Chinese brands are coming, and that improves the food and everything else here."
Despite shifting business models, China's entrepreneurial footprint in Spain remains strong. With a self-employment rate of 14 percent, the Chinese community is the largest foreign group of self-employed workers in the country, according to UPTA.
