The Digital Shopping District of Famalicão includes 20 streets and 455 shops in the urban centre of Famalicão.
The project, presented yesterday to the community, aims to modernise and digitise traditional commerce, with the aim of promoting the digital transformation and economic modernisation of establishments in the urban area, making commerce and public space more attractive, with creative, entertaining initiatives that promote good consumer experiences, centred on people and support for traders.
‘It's a project with different aspects, with a focus on economic dynamism and the digital transition of commercial establishments, but also the implementation of measures and equipment that allow the connectivity of the urban space and intelligent mobility, with improved signage, which in the renovated urban centre and in addition to the actions that we have promoted to boost this space, we want to promote more attractiveness and a good consumer experience,’ said Mayor Mário Passos at Thursday's presentation.
It should be noted that the project to implement the ‘Bairro Comercial Digital - Comércio da Vila’ is a consortium between the municipality and the Famalicão Commercial and Industrial Association (ACIF), with a budget of around 706,000 euros, approved in a formal application to the PRR - Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Among other responsibilities, the Municipality is responsible for reinforcing the Wi-Fi network in the perimeter of the Digital Shopping District, creating multimedia infrastructures and entertainment, parking lot sensor and signage.
The management of a Market Place that brings together the various shops, the logistical delivery system and the promotion of capacity-building and training plans in the digital area are all actions that will remain within ACIF's sphere of management.
Fernando Xavier Ferreira, president of the Commercial and Industrial Association, said that ‘this is a decisive step for commerce, bearing in mind that today the world is digital - and we have to be pragmatic - customers demand that we adapt to this reality’.
It was in this context that the ‘Digital Accelerator’ was also presented, a project also promoted on the ground by ACIF and which provides funding of up to 2,000 euros per shop for training and capacity building for digital commerce. ‘It will take the burden of investment off entrepreneurs and is an opportunity to train entrepreneurs and employees in the digital area,’ said the president of ACIF.
It should be noted that the project will be implemented until September 2025.