New shop opens in Malaga for tourists and locals who are quackers about ducks

Some of the main traditional characters of local culture in Malaga, such as the 'espetero' (sardine on skewer cook), the flamenco dancer and the "nazareno" (Holy Week participant), have been brought to life in duck form in a new shop in Malaga city centre: Los Patitos 22. The original store has recently opened its doors in Calle Compañía to the delight of locals and tourists alike.

The shop features more than 450 different models of ducks, and that number is growing every week. There are traditional yellow ducks, coloured ones, those dressed in different costumes, posing as different professions and even as famous people - such as Picasso, Trump and the Queen. The shop also offers all kinds of merchandising related to the world of ducks, such as hats, socks and clothing for dogs.

With a floor space of 45 square metres, the store is located at number 22 in Calle Compañía, which is a regular stop for tourists and local shoppers. It will initially open from Monday to Saturday, although the owners do not rule out opening on Sundays, depending on the demand.

The business is run by Carmen Gómez and Natalia Presa, two entrepreneurs who decided to try out the idea after seeing its success in other European cities, such as Venice, Amsterdam and Barcelona.

The businesswomen, who had been selling their products for two years at a stand in Muelle Uno, decided to open their first physical shop after seeing the great reception their products had. They have opted to set up in the Thyssen area and in a street that still retains its traditional character and a range of traditional shops, despite being very touristy.

Carmen explained that they are trying to reinvent the classic souvenir with a shop that, for the moment, has been very well received. "There are people who go on duck tourism and look out for shops like this," she said. To give their shop even greater exclusivity, they produce designs related to Malaga, such as the "espetero' - which is already on sale - the 'flamenca' and the 'nazareno' - which they will soon incorporate into the collection.

The entrepreneur said they wanted to open a shop "where everyone who enters, smiles", something they are achieving judging by the people who entered the shop during the interview. The ducks are sold at prices ranging from 9.95 euros to 11.95 euros and the most popular are those related to action characters. Soon - as is already the case with Funko Pop collectible figures - they will also have ducks licensed from films and TV series.

Carmen stated that the rubber duck trend dates back to 1992, when a cargo ship was shipwrecked on a route between Hong Kong and Tacoma (Washington). One of the containers contained 28,800 plastic toys, primarily yellow ducks, which ended up adrift at sea.

Far from being a problem, the shipwreck, she added, served as a natural experiment that lasted more than 15 years and has helped us understand the dynamics of ocean surfaces and tides. "It was a landmark event globally, and since then the rubber duckies have been known to the world."