San Sebastián Shops: a guide to immersing yourself in the best shops in the city
San Sebastián Shops: a guide to immersing yourself in the best shops in the city
Shopping is advancing on its path to contribute to the circular economy and will do so even more strongly in the years to come. Current fabrics and production models are the cause of 850 million tons of CO2 being emitted per year by this industry. Sustainability and responsible shopping will be one of the great drivers of market growth. The great challenge is to change consumption habits, to eradicate or complement the so-called fast fashion. Trends indicate that environmental and social pressures will intensify; thus, change will have to come from both small and large brands.
Following this line of thinking and fully entering into the matter of responsible shopping tourism, the aspect that will be emphasized the most in the future (avoiding the traditional concept focused on offering brands recognized both internationally and nationally, located mainly in shopping centers and in the most emblematic streets of some cities) will be shopping tourism for products with a cultural identity (local creative, cultural, handmade, culinary, and retail sectors) – a new way of going about things that integrates the local industry in a region into the concept of shopping tourism and the international promotion of local cultural values. This type of responsible shopping tourism allows us to offer the traveler a unique and different experience to discover and purchase products made exclusively in the tourist destination.
The Basque Country has top-notch brands that strive for unique, sustainable products with their own identity. In 2006, the Basque Government, the San Sebastián City Council, the Chamber of Commerce of Gipuzkoa, and the San Sebastián Merchants’ Associations signed a collaborative agreement to create the figure of the “Urban Center Manager” – and San Sebastián Shops was born thereof, being the entity in charge of managing the city as an open shopping center. The figure of Manager and the entity itself have evolved over time, becoming what they are today: a collaborative platform for urban commerce. The non-profit group includes existing merchant associations and urban shopping centers.
Its main objectives include the representation and defense of sector interests; active participation in the institutional sphere, collaborating in regulatory development for matters that concern the shopping sector; promoting shopping through revitalization activities that benefit the sector and the city itself, improving positioning; contributing to professionalism in the sector through innovative programs that boost company competitiveness; developing strategic lines of support for commerce; and working to improve the urban environment, adapting it to the realities and needs that dictate commercial activity.
Therefore, the organization’s aim is to defend the sector and design and coordinate initiatives aimed at promoting the improvement of urban commerce’s competitiveness, in turn positioning the city as a preferred shopping option. And all of that is exactly what is being achieved, as shopping in San Sebastián is a real pleasure. The city has a broad variety of shops –the greatest number of establishments per square meter in the Basque Country– and shopping is becoming a determining factor when tourists choose to visit the destination and a prominent component of the overall experience of visitors. Loreak Mendian, Minimil, Atlantis, Pertegaz, Box, Barayazarra + Casteres, Torrubia & Torribia, Ternua, Hawaii, Pukas, Aldabaldetreku, Isabel Zapardiez, Anhelo, Berriz, M32, Auzmendi… the list of local fashion and accessory brands, handcrafted jewelry stores, multi-brand stores, tailors, and haute couture designers seems to never end (and we must add to that list shopping centers like La Bretxa, San Martín, and Arcco). The oldest establishments in the city deserve special mention, with their essence remaining kindled even today: the Casa Ponsol Hat Shop (founded in 1838), the Otaegui Pastry Shop (1886), the Arenzana Department Store (1900), the Benegas Perfumery (1908), the Iriondo Basket Shop (1920), González Larrauri Jewelers (1923), the Matilla Perfumery (1928), the Irulea Custom Garment Shop (1932), the Leclercq Hat Shop, (1932) and Casa Munoa Jewelers (1935). Thanks to the tenacity of these entrepreneurs and the support of players like San Sebastián Shops, the city has become an attractive shopping destination with commercial streets that even to this day maintain their identity and charm.
San Sebastián Shops
