Women, terraces and war: the spending gap that divides

Terraces are full of women: consumption or a sign of inequality?

The scene repeats itself in any Spanish city: terraces packed with women, while men are almost invisible. It is not a subjective impression: data on commercial space occupancy confirm it. According to industry estimates, 90% of the floor space in shopping centres is devoted to women's products: clothing, footwear, cosmetics and accessories. In department stores like El Corte Inglés, the floors aimed at women multiply, while the men's section barely takes up a single reduced floor. The uncomfortable question is what this means in a context of war in eastern Europe.

Female consumption in times of conflict

The comparison with Ukraine is inevitable. During the war, the nightclubs of Kyiv and Kharkiv never closed; images of young people dancing while men were at the front spread like wildfire. Something similar happens here: women occupy the public space of leisure, consumption and social life, while men seem absent. Is it a matter of income, of priorities, or of an economic structure that positions them as the main targets of non-essential spending?

Underlying the debate is a tension: some see this pattern as a symptom of frivolity, but others point out that the service economy and marketing push women to become the engine of consumption. The reality is that, with inflation biting, spending on women's leisure and fashion remains robust, while other sectors suffer.

The allocation of retail space as a social mirror

The figures for square metre allocation in shopping centres reflect a division of roles that goes beyond economics. If 90% of the space is for products aimed at women, retail design is conditioning and reinforcing consumption patterns that, in turn, shape presence in public space. Terraces are no exception: they are an extension of the shopping centre.

What if war comes knocking?

The question left hanging is how long this bubble of female consumption will last if the conflict escalates. In Ukraine, the nightclubs emptied when missiles began falling nearby. Here, while the war seems distant, the terraces remain full. But the historical pattern suggests that when the economy suffers, non-essential consumption is the first to fall. Then, perhaps, it will not only be men in the mud.