Guía práctica para ir de tiendas por Ovido - Turismo Oviedo

Commerce

COMMERCE

Commerce has marked the history of Oviedo, a city of services.

The capital was and still is synonymous with quality commerce and personalised attention, offering a very wide range of products. To go shopping in Oviedo is to enjoy a wide range of options from department stores and franchises to traditional shops, with many years of experience that, nevertheless, have known how to adapt to the new tastes and preferences of consumers. Shoppers will find a great variety of products and a friendly face; the traders will become hosts who welcome travellers.

Shops selling clothes and accessories – bags, shoes, hats, umbrellas… – are surely the most popular establishments in a city that has always had a reputation for dressing well.

This is also a city of good bookshops and there are also many major decoration and craft shops. You will also find a varied offer in optics, perfumes, flowers, household goods, sports articles, telephones, travel agencies….

Travellers always find that gastronomic products are good items to buy because you can enjoy a souvenir of your visit when you return home or even share it with friends and family. Shop at the market (El Fontán) or at one of the many specialised shops, where they will also advise you on the products and/or their preparation. Don't forget that there are magnificent confectioneries in Oviedo.

Historical importance

In Oviedo, commerce goes hand in hand with the city's history. Trade has been important to this area since the beginning of the 9th century with the origins of the Way of St James, given the great number of pilgrims who started the route here. This gave rise to medieval markets that mainly sold clothes and food. According to the book “Historia del comercio y de los comerciantes de Oviedo” (History of Trade and of the Traders of Oviedo) by Carlos del Cano, the second great boom occurred after the devastating fire that destroyed the city in 1523. To stimulate growth, King Carlos I granted the city a tax-free market, to be held on Thursdays. The pilgrims, the ecclesiastical community, the inauguration of the University, the settlement of the aristocracy…historically followed one another as promoters and “consumers” of trade; the guilds also changed and expanded and, much closer to our days, the construction of infrastructures connecting to the central plateau and the rest of Asturias also had a significant impact.

Multiple streets

In the old quarter and city centre, travellers who want to go shopping will find several streets where they can find shops of all kinds on a route that is very comfortable because these streets have either been pedestrianised, resembling large open malls, or they have wide pavements, where you will also find bars and cafés, with their terraces, if you prefer to take a break from your shopping.

The Old Quarter

The first route we shall be describing here, following a fairly common itinerary among tourists, starts at Cathedral Square and continues along Rua and Cimadevilla, which, in the past, before Uría Street was built, was the major commercial street in Oviedo. When you reach the square where the Town Hall is located, you have several options: take Magdalena Street; pop into Peso Street and continue along Riego Square and Mendizábal; take Jesus toward Fruela; or take a walk around El Fontán, its arcades and markets (Tuesday and Thursday and a flea market on Sundays) and then continue along Suarez de la Riva.

Fruela-Uría

From Fruela, Suárez de la Riva or San Francisco streets, you can reach Escandalera Square, considered the actual centre of the city. Uría Street starts at its northwest corner. This is the main street in the city and ends at the train station (RENFE and FEVE) called Estación del Norte. In Uría Street and its vicinity, you will find many shops, mostly franchises.

Palacio Valdés

On the other corner of Escandalera Square, where the Campoamor Theatre is located, you will find Pelayo Street. This is a pedestrian street, as is the next street, Palacio Valdés Street, and the street that crosses at the beginning of Melquiades Álvarez, known as Doctor Casal Street.

Gil de Jaz

Just a short distance along Uría Street, with the Paseo de los Alamos and Campo San Francisco Park on the left, you will come to a pedestrian street called Milicias Nacionales, and further on, on the left, Gil de Jaz Street, both full of good shops. Gil de Jaz Street will take you to another area where there are excellent shops, including luxury brands, especially in the side streets of Marques de Pidal, Asturias, Cervantes...

Unlimited opening hours and a few Sundays

In Oviedo, shops have unlimited opening hours. However, their opening hours must be clearly indicated on their door or in a visible place in the shop window. Shops usually open from Monday to Saturday at between 09:30 and 10:30 in the morning and close between 19:30 and 20:00 in the evening. However, traditional shops may close at midday from between 13:30 and 14:00 to 16:30 and 17:00. Department stores and franchises do not close at midday; they are open from 10:00 in the morning to 21:00 or 22:00 in the evening. Many small shops do not open on Saturday afternoons during the summer.

To protect traditional shops, Oviedo only allows shops to open on Sundays on a few occasions, limited to 8 days throughout the year and to an area considered to be of major tourist significance. If you are looking for a chemist, be aware that they also have business hours and close at midday; however, there are always chemists on duty and some of them open 24 hours a day (see www.farmasturias.org or www.farmacias.com)

Not everything is in the city centre

Although most of the shops are in the city centre, there are other areas where you can find excellent shops with a wide ranging offer in various neighbourhoods, that visitors may pass through on their way to their hotel or on sightseeing tours. Based on the concentration of population and developments or the presence of major services, other areas are extremely interesting, such as Pumarín and Milan, Vallobín or Cristo-Buenavista. Don't miss out on the chance to do some good shopping at establishments where you will definitely be treated very well.