Zara, Bershka, Adidas… in Gran Jonquera, 25,000 m 2 of additional shopping

The extension of the La Jonquera outlet shopping center was inaugurated this Thursday, October 10, after four years of work. And as soon as the curtains were raised, thousands of customers, mainly French people from the Pyrénées-Orientales or , rushed into the new businesses whose undisputed flagship is the Spanish brand Zara.

“The land of shopping”. The new slogan of the Catalan shopping center is displayed in the four corners of the new gigantic space dedicated to cheap shopping. A large part of the brands are in fact part of the world of “fast fashion”, these collections of low-cost clothing manufactured on the other side of the world).

No surprise then along the now 400 meters to walk from one point to another of the site, from the Escudero supermarket to the new Lefties store which now has two floors connected by a slide (and an escalator for the less adventurous). The brands parade under (very) bright lighting and a modern environment, in compliance with European standards in this area.

Red carpet for Antoni Escudero and his VIP guests including Joan Laporta, the president of Barça (right).
The Independent – F. Michalak

58,300 m2 of commercial space, 250 new jobs

Zara therefore, the gondola head of this Gran Jonquera 2 (even more so since the closure of the Figueres store, until then the closest to customers in the Pyrénées-Orientales or Aude) extends over two floors. This flagship of the Spanish textile giant Inditex (36 billion euros in operating profit in 2023) brings in its wake other brands of the group: Bershka, Stradivarius, and soon Pull & Bear which will operate the very large premises until ‘here occupied by Lefties.

Also read:
“It’s unfair competition”, the opening of the extension of the Gran Jonquera shopping center worries traders

Among the other new businesses: the British sporting goods brand JD, the German Adidas, a Toni Pons espadrilles store, a Julia Young perfume store but also a new Mango which is moving 300 meters to expand. All on 25,300 new m2 which brings the whole to 58,300 m2 to which Antoni Escudero, the creator of the supermarkets eponymous and, eleven years ago, of the first Gran Jonquera, is keen to add 71,500 m2 of parking, now accommodating 3,000 indoor or outdoor spaces compared to 1,200 until now.
The Catalan commercial site employs 550 people, its extension should generate 250 more, according to its promoter.

Crowds from the first morning of opening.
Crowds from the first morning of opening.
The Independent – Nicolas Parent

In the “land of shopping”, 75% of French people

An almost doubled surface area, new ready-to-wear brands, around ten restaurants and a mess of parking spaces, Gran Jonquera offers something to facilitate the arrival, journey and customer experience of the millions of French people who wander around every year behind its tall red facades.

Also read:
Catalonia: Zara, Bershka, Lefties, there were crowds from the opening of the Gran Jonquera 2 shopping center

Because the French clientele and in particular those from the border, the inhabitants of the Pyrénées-Orientales then Aude, the former Languedoc-Roussillon and PACA are the first customers of the Catalan shopping center. Antoni Escudero knows this well, he who therefore planted a small Eiffel Tower and a mini-pyramid of the Louvre in front of his new 25,300 m2 articulated around a “Place du Louvre”. “This extension is made for the French, does he support this without complexes when answering questions from L’Indépendant (read below). They are the first customers of Gran Jonquera, you are good customers!”.

I took a day off on purpose

Like Véronique, a thirty-year-old living in Collioure who was already coming here “twice a month for years” car “It’s close, I’m 40 kilometers away, and there’s a choice. Today, I came to discover the new stores: Zara, Bershka, Lefties”. Same Pavlovian reflex in Fabienne and her daughter Carla. This Thursday morning, the two Perpignan women, who arrived as soon as it opened at 9 a.m., continued a promising mother-daughter shopping trip if we trust the enormous bag on the teenager’s arm. “I took a day off on purpose! proudly delivered the mother. My daughter wanted to go shopping, we did them all! Usually we go to Girona, here it’s less far.” “The stores are beautiful, the young girl exclaimed. Zara is incredible, it looks like a museum! And at Lefties, there’s a slide!”. Target hearts reached.

Antoni Escudero, 70, opened his first business in La Jonquera 40 years ago.
Antoni Escudero, 70, opened his first business in La Jonquera 40 years ago.
The Independent – Nicolas Parent

Antoni Escudero: “This extension is for the French!”

Before delivering his inaugural speech in front of an audience of a thousand guests, a speech which ended with a “Long live ! Visca Catalunya!”, Antoni Escudero answered questions from L’Indépendant. The entrepreneur, now 70 years old, opened his first business in the city center of La Jonquera just forty years ago, a modest supermarket of 150 m2. This Thursday, he added 25,000 m2 to his flagship, the Gran Jonquera outlet shopping center, opened in 2011. The Escudero family (his daughter, Ana, gave a short speech in French this Thursday) is worth millions. Antoni Escudero is also vice-president of Barça, his friend Joan Laporta, president of the Catalan football club, was present at La Jonquera. “Antoni is a close friend and a key man at the club, he told L’Indépendant. His advice is valuable at Barça.”.

An Eiffel Tower, a Louvre pyramid… Was this extension designed to attract even more French people?

Yes, this extension is for the French who are the first customers of Gran Jonquera, and good customers! The Eiffel Tower, the pyramid, the Louvre… all that is France for me and the French are my privileged customers.

What is the percentage of French people in Gran Jonquera’s clientele?

Today, 75% but they are not all from the Pyrénées-Orientales.

You manage to attract brands like Zara or Bershka which are not in Perpignan…

Because we have established a major shopping center here and because the Inditex group (consisting of Zara, Bershka, Stradivarius, Lefties, Massimo Dutti, Oysho-NDLR) already had one store (Lefties), he added others.

Why are there no French traders in Gran Jonquera?

Maybe they don’t want to settle here even though I think it would be interesting for them.

This outlet attracts millions of customers, how much did its expansion cost?

Between 1 and 100 million euros!

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