A small candy store located on Ultònia street in Girona has become a reference point for several generations of the neighborhood. Consol Sobrerroca, 61 years old, has been in charge of the establishment for 24 years, a premises of barely 12 square meters that has resisted the changes in commerce and the competition from online sales.
A business with history and personal ties
The owner acquired the store after leaving her job in a sausage factory and buying the premises from a mother from her daughter's school. Since then, her counter has witnessed the confidences and routines of the neighbors. Sobrerroca recalls that, after her husband's death from a heart attack when her daughter was seven years old, customers brought her food to make sure she ate. The store was her refuge and allowed her not to stay locked up at home.
The relationship with customers goes beyond the sale. Notes of affection are common that she finds under the door, especially from ballet girls or people who have not been able to coincide with the opening hours. Loyalty is constant. Many regular customers only need to say "Consol, my usual" for her to know exactly what they are looking for.
Preferences, routines and new customs
The mornings are territory of older people who go to the market and take the opportunity to buy candies. According to the owner, they return when they run out, usually after a week. Teenagers, on the other hand, have a predilection for sour candies, especially keys and red tongues. Sobrerroca points out that young people tell her before their mothers who they like and that they come to the store to share confidences.
"Young people tell me who they like before their mother" - Consol Sobrerroca, owner
The store is also a witness to the restrictions that some parents impose on young children, who usually choose only two or three sweets. However, Sobrerroca observes that those who have had more limitations in childhood are the ones who, already teenagers, buy larger bags. During exams, the demand for sugar increases and students ask for sweets to cope with the effort.
The impact of online sales and adaptation to the market
The owner regrets that more and more people buy candies and sweets online, both on large platforms and on other portals. She considers that society seeks convenience and that if they can receive a one-kilo bag at home, they prefer not to travel. This change has forced the business to adapt. Before, each sweet cost five cents, but now they are sold by weight due to the increase in product prices.
Quality and freshness continue to be the hallmark of the store. Sobrerroca states that every day he refills the compartments to ensure that the product is in optimal condition. Many customers assure that theirs are the best sweets in Girona.
The future of the store, still undecided
After more than two decades at the helm of the business, Consol Sobrerroca acknowledges that she has not yet made a decision about her retirement. Meanwhile, she continues to perfectly know her clients' tastes and offering novelties for them to discover new flavors. The shop on carrer Ultònia continues to be a meeting point and a place for confidences in the center of Girona.