The Feixina Christmas Market has a distinctly Central European flavor. According to the list of stalls submitted by the organizers to the Palma City Council, which ARA Baleares has obtained, 45 of the 61 stalls are registered to just two businessmen from Germany and Austria. Months before the event, these two men formed a limited company to manage markets. Gerald Kendlbacher, who has gained media attention as a collaborator in organizing the market, controls 29 stalls. This past February, he founded the company dedicated to organizing "events, fairs, concerts, and markets," according to the commercial registry.

The Santa Catalina and Jonquet Residents' Association criticizes the Christmas Market set up in Feixina Park, which they say transforms a public space into a private "theme park" for two months. The association asserts that the City Council has handed the park over to private promoters "without prior notice," preventing residents from enjoying one of the few green spaces in the neighborhood. In response to the employers' associations in the trade sectorThe residents ask: "What does the Feixina market contribute to local commerce?" They explain that, despite having requested the administrative file, as well as economic, environmental, and safety reports, they have still not received a response from the city. The residents state that they have had to learn the details of the event "as it was being organized" and that the lack of transparency has been evident.

The Christmas Market set up in Feixina Park continues to generate controversy in the neighborhood. The Barrio Cívico Residents' Association accuses the organizers of cutting branches from a tree that bothered them. "They've become obsessed with putting the German market in Feixina Park no matter what, against the wishes of residents, local artisans, the trees, whatever it takes," they wrote in a tweet. They criticize the fact that, to accommodate attractions like a slide, vegetation has been "damaged" and mobility has been reduced within a heavily used public space.

Black Friday has already passed in the Balearic Islands, and the opinions of small businesses and large retailers there couldn't be more different. While local shops describe it as a "disaster" and a "negative campaign," large chains maintain that sales are going well and they have "good prospects" for the start of the Christmas season.

The Balearic Islands Federation of Business Owners (Afedeco) asserts that the draft agricultural law being promoted by the government could negatively impact the sector, as it opens the door to new commercial establishments under the guise of promoting direct sales. According to Afedeco's president, Joana Manresa, the draft introduces concepts that "may extend beyond the agricultural sphere and directly affect the regulation of retail trade," which could create legal uncertainty and disadvantage legally established businesses. Business owners are asking the Ministry of Agriculture for regulatory "consistency" and, therefore, for respect for current urban planning regulations "to avoid contradictions" and prevent potential situations of unfair competition under the pretext of promoting direct sales. They maintain they are not against farms selling their products, but say the wording of the law goes much further and could harm them with new establishments.

The Afedeco trade association will celebrate Tourist Smile Day on February 27, 2026, when it will distribute bags with the slogan Thanks for visiting Mallorca to visitors who shop at local businesses, the organization explained in a statement on Monday. Afedeco is thus joining the initiative of the Mallorcan Hotel Business Federation (FEHM) to thank tourists for their presence on the island and combat the messages conveyed by citizen protests against the touristification of residents' living spaces. "This isn't just any bag; it's a small gesture that encourages people to fill it with purchases, local products, and beautiful souvenirs to take back home," the organization states.