I wrote to this newspaper a few months ago telling of the appalling state of upkeep at the Castello Lopes cinemas in Algarve Shopping and I have to say that I was actually pleased to hear about them having closed when I read last week’s edition. In these challenging times, it is not only a case of survival of the fittest but, more importantly, of those who offer both quality and survival, not only surviving but prospering. Consumers these days have become far more demanding and this may well be due to all of us having to be more careful about how we spend our money, so when we do choose to give our patronage to a business, be it a restaurant a supermarket or whatever, we demand quality. The world is changing in this respect and the old dinosaurs of the retail and leisure business need to be replaced by modern forward-thinking businesses. I hope that we will very soon see a quality cinema operation up and running at Algarve Shopping, to the benefit not only of the public but also of the retailers at the shopping centre who pay for the privilege of being located in what is supposedly a quality retail and leisure development.
By email – Name and address withheld on request