The Ferrer family says goodbye to Calle Real in Arrecife

A living legend of Lanzarote's commerce, Almacenes Ferrer, leaves Calle Real in Arrecife, from where for more than half a century it showed the latest fashion trends and demonstrated new ways of doing business. The competition from international fashion chains and the progressive decline of the center of Arrecife as a shopping place have forced the Ferrer family to close down. 

The 60s and 70s were "years of apogee, my father had contacts in Barcelona and Bilbao and introduced a very modern credit sales system," Pedro Ferrer Jr., the youngest of the brothers, who is currently the CEO of the family business, explains to La Voz. 

"Here the families were, at that time, fishermen and farmers, who did not get paid periodically, so the system introduced by my father was quite successful." 

A fashion reference on the island

At that time, due to its size and novelties, Almacenes Ferrer was considered one of the best stores in the Canary Islands and the vast majority of Lanzarote residents went to the store in the center of Arrecife to do their shopping. 

In the 80s of the last century it was still a fashion reference on the island as demonstrated by the parades organized in collaboration with the Sociedad Democracia, although the wear and tear due to the growth of competition had already begun. 

The arrival of tourism to Lanzarote was accompanied by a growing number of clothing stores of international chains that reduced Ferrer's business volume in the center of Arrecife. 

To compensate for the situation, Ferrer was gradually opening other smaller stores in the tourist areas. First in Puerto del Carmen in the mid-70s of the last century, and in recent years, with openings in Puerto Calero and Playa Blanca.

 "Closing in the center of Arrecife is very painful for us"

However, the growth in tourist spots has not been enough to compensate for the growing economic losses of the store in the center of the capital. Ferrer had 80 employees in its best times. Today there are only 23.  

"Closing in the center of Arrecife is very painful for us. Our whole life has revolved around that store, in which the workers were like family," explains Pedro Ferrer Jr.

 "What was definitive was the opening of the Open Mall. The drop since then has been brutal," explains Pedro Ferrer Jr., who also recognizes the slump suffered by many other businesses throughout Calle Real.

However, when asked if the approval of the opening of the Open Mall was a mistake by the public administrations, since it was to the detriment of local commerce, the CEO of Ferrer does not blame the competition of large surfaces, but the deterioration of Calle Real as a place to shop.

"In all cities the best commercial area is the center, but here it has collapsed"

"In our time, Lanzarote was a small destination and the big brands did not come, but then it grew a lot in inhabitants and tourism and this model had to arrive yes or yes. To me the Open Mall seems like a commercial success. What is wrong is that Calle Real, which should be another commercial success, has collapsed during the last 20 years," he argues.

"In all cities the best commercial area is the urban center", he explains and gives as an example the commercial areas of the center of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Madrid. "But if the center falls and there is no commitment to fix it and improve it, it ends up like this." 

The CEO of Ferrer believes that the improvement of the center is not only a task of the public authorities, but that "it is everyone's business. The streets deteriorate like us as we get older. We don't realize it, but 20 years later we are very old and that is why we have to take measures little by little before that happens."