El Corte Inglés of Francesc Macià has never been too big nor too central, but it was liked by the residents of the area, who could go shopping without having to travel to the one in Plaça Catalunya ---too many people--- nor to the one in Maria Cristina ---too far away---. It also had as customers the office workers around it, who could go to eat on the fifth floor or make survival purchases before returning home in its supermarket on the underground floor.
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The establishment, built by Sears and later acquired by Galerías Preciados, closed its doors for the last time this Saturday, at nine at night, in a somewhat decaffeinated farewell due to covid restrictions on commercial activity. As a large department store, only the supermarket, the parapharmacy, and electronics have been open since last week, that is, products considered essential.
Although the news of its definitive closure caught more than one by surprise, the farewell to El Corte Inglés in Francesc Macià had been known for some time. In the summer of 2019, it transpired that the chain had sold the property to businessman Pedro Alonso, the former owner of Infun, a company manufacturing components for the automotive industry.
Although the news of its definitive closure caught more than one by surprise, the farewell to El Corte Inglés in Francesc Macià had been known for some timeFollowing the sale, the workers of Francesc Macià have been relocated to other establishments of the group, especially from the beginning of the state of alarm, when they went to support larger centers. In recent days, only about 150 employees remained, who will continue working in Plaça Catalunya and Diagonal.
With a total area of 40,000 square meters, the future of the building involves its transformation into an office building, with the possibility of establishing commercial premises on the ground floors, after the Barcelona City Council approved the change of uses, although no project has yet been materialized.
The little brother of the Plaça Catalunya and Maria Cristina centers
El Corte Inglés of Francesc Macià leaves with few anecdotes to remember, unlike the other establishments of the brand in the city. If the Plaça Catalunya center could show in 2012, on the occasion of its 50th birthday, photographs with characters like Elton John or pull on nostalgia with Cortylandia, the chain has not found iconic images for the Francesc Macià store in its farewell. Book signings by writers and musicians were not usually held there, with the exception of some Sant Jordi. In Francesc Macià, there have also been no queues to meet the singers of Operación Triunfo.
The chain does not remember too many anecdotes from El Corte Inglés of Francesc Macià, unlike other larger and more popular centers in the city, such as the one in Plaça Catalunya, where many remember the Cortylandia decorationsDespite everything, there will be those who will miss it. Like those who went to buy last-minute gifts. Or those who went to change watch batteries on the ground floor. And also those who remember how, not so long ago, they went to listen to records on the fourth floor or to look for information in books on the ground floor, when there was still no Internet and many doubts were resolved that way.