Popular Malaga hypermarket celebrates 50th anniversary

Fifty years ago Malaga was in the news with the opening of what is today one of its most popular shopping centres. "Today Híper opens, the first hypermarket in the south", announced a full-page advertisement in SUR on 25 February 1975. Híper, later known as Pryca and today Carrefour Los Patios, was a commercial emblem of the city and the first of its kind to open in Andalucía.

Its opening was a revolution across Malaga province. Despite its location on the outskirts of the city and the fact that road access was nothing like it is today, thousands of people came to shop at Híper from the very first day. Being able to buy food, textiles and electronics in the same area, carefully distributed in long aisles and with huge trolleys, radically changed the mentality of customers.

The staff who worked there at the time still remember that "it was a real hit" as customers came from all over Andalucía and were surprised because "you could find everything". However, communication was not the best. "It was on the outskirts of Malaga; the bus would leave you at Puerta Blanca and you had to walk a long way," one customer explained to SUR.

The centre opened with an area of 7,000 square metres and 180 workers and today it has a surface area of 12,700 metres and more than 300 staff. Half a century later, the shopping centre still has a loyal clientele and a constant renovation of shops to attract all types of public. The latest company to open was German giant Rossmann in October last year, and the McDonald's restaurant reopened at the beginning of November after a complete refit.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary Carrefour is hosting a special edition of the Sabor a Málaga food fair with 199 local products on offer until 1 March. Fifty companies are taking part in the initiative which has been extended to all Carrefour shopping centres in the province.