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Jorge Alacid
Madrid
Friday, 30 August 2024, 13:25
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August has come to an end and most of Spain is packing its bags and returning from summer holidays, travelling across the country to return home with an empty wallet and, of course, a souvenir.
Far from the figurines of flamenco dancers which traditionally sat atop the family television, today's holiday mementos embrace modernity. They are embodied in the form of a cow: the friendly animal which greets us at the entrance of 250 ALE-HOP shops across Spain - with 55 more in Portugal, Italy and Croatia.
The brand's allure is a cocktail of sacrifice, commercial savvy and daring: this sums up the epic career of its creator, Vicent Grimalt, the 73-year-old businessman from Alicante. This family business, now an empire, has its origins in Grimalt's first business venture, in 1990, which specialised in trading decorative items.
"I started my professional career in 1968 when I was only 17," he says. "My father was a farmer and I started selling products from our home town, Gata de Gorgos, a village of 5,000 inhabitants in the province of Alicante where wickerwork is very popular."
- What are the origins of ALE-HOP as we know it today?
- It was born from that first business, founded in 1990, which was called Clave Dénia. Not long after, alongside my wife, Pepa Monfort, I opened the first Clave shop, which focused on selling household items. It was a great success. I had to wait until 2001, when my eldest son finished his university studies, to change the focus and go for a different product line, with smaller dimensions...
- So, is that ALE-HOP? Is that how you would define it?
- Well, it's also known as the 'cow shop' (he laughs). We wanted a name like ALE-HOP: fun, entertaining, novel, exciting, surprising... It's short, and it's also an international expression and easy to pronounce.
- So you got yourselves into something huge.
- I am used to dealing with difficulties. When I was 17 years old, I was already buying handicrafts and selling them at Spanish village festivals. I remember that I sold more Mexican sombreros than anything else. So many that it occurred to me to ask for a loan from the bank to invest the profits I had made, and use the money from the loan to buy lots more for the next summer. What happened? They were no longer in fashion and, to top it off, it rained that year. I was left with all the hats, without any profit and with a loan to pay back. And I said to myself, never again: the profit I make, I keep. And whatever money I have, I invest.
- And you went from a sombrero, to a cow.
- I have always liked to test products and this was one of those tests. On one of my trips I found a stand selling life-sized animals, including the famous black and white cow. As it is an animal with positive connotations, it occurred to me to put one in a shop, to see how it would look. It was such a success that we are better known for being the 'cow shop' than AALE-HOP.
- Cowbell included.
- That was the second test (he laughs). Another success. Now, everyone turns around if someone rings the cowbell, and to this day it must be the most photographed cow in the world. We take good care of her - we want her to keep giving us milk!
- And what is your star product?
- Our cow, although it is not for sale. There is no star product. Every week we draw up lists of the best-selling products. And never are there any items that are best-sellers week after week, precisely because of this rotation of products.
- Can ALE-HOP be understood as a kind of refinement of the souvenir shop concept?
- I prefer to think not. It has never been our goal. Although we are traditionally a company focused on national and international tourism, we offer a wide range of products that we always try to keep in line with trends, and with exclusive and distinctive designs. From fashion accessories and unique gifts, to wellness products and decor. 'Ale-hopers' buy on impulse, but also take into account new demand. We always focus on providing good value for money.
- Is summer your favourite season?
- Fortunately, this is not the only profitable season for our brand. Although during the summer there is an increase in tourism and an influx of customers, our business model is based on the brand being relevant and appealing all year round. We rotate products and launch new arrivals practically weekly. Our focus is on continually surprising our customers, whatever the season, and ensuring that ALE-HOP has a place in people's lives all year round.
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