Everyone is familiar with the expression ‘centro comercial’ and the idea of having a selection of shops under one roof. However some confusion arrives when you tag the word ‘abierto’ onto the end. This concept, which would probably be best translated as ‘open air shopping centre’, was introduced by local authorities some years ago to boost sales in town centre businesses. The key was to give shoppers all the advantages of a covered mall in a town’s main shopping streets, without, of course, the roof over their heads: pedestrianised areas; easy parking; standardised signposting as well as a complete range of business including cafes and restaurants. The concept seems to have been a success in municipalities such as the city of Malaga, Antequera or Estepona, where town centre commerce has won some custom back from the big shopping centres on the outskirts. Marbella, however seems to have got left behind.
According to a survey carried out among consumers only 1.8 per cent of interviewees were aware there was a CCA (centro comercial abierto) in Marbella.
“We have realised that the idea was not properly promoted”, admits Ildefonso Guerrero, president of the Marbella town centre traders’ association, responsible for managing the open air shopping centre.
In order to correct this lack of information the association has carried out a number of advertising campaigns. The most recent was to put up a tent in a central square and hand out leaflets to explain the concept of the CCA. There have also been advertising campaigns in the local media and a more standardised corporate image has been encouraged, as well as new signposting in general.
“It’s true that the majority of people are not familiar with the name, but the most important thing is that they come to do their shopping in the town centre”, explains Nieves Palma, manager of the association. She points out that Marbella’s open air shopping centre concept was introduced ten years ago and includes some 650 businesses, not just in the old town centre but going as far as the seafront or the Avenida Nabeul.
The system still has its problems. One of these is the lack of parking, although there are plans to offer an hour’s free parking to customers of local businesses. Another drawback is a lack of uniformity in shop opening hours. “Half of the businesses are closed on Saturday afternoons and we would like at least a group of them to commit to opening”, said the president of the traders’ association. Their most immediate challenge, however, is to persuade all their members to open every day during the Holy Week holiday.
Meanwhile Ildefonso Guerrero, along with his companions in the Malaga Federation of Commerce, continue to push for one particular idea they have been suggesting for a long time: to use one lane of Ricardo Soriano for parking for shoppers on Saturdays.
“It would be a great help”, points our Guerrero, who adds that the avenue does not tend to be very busy on a Saturday yet this is an important day of the week for shopping. So far the Town Hall has not responded to this suggestion.
