THE OPENING day of Portimão’s new
Retail Park, April 22, was filled with excitement
and activity, but there was
also an element of disappointment, as
some of the major shops at the park
had not been completed in time for the
inaugural weekend.
Popcorn and ice cream were on offer,
clowns on stilts were making balloon animals
for the children and two members
of the very popular Portuguese boys band
D’Zrt made an appearance. However,
only six out of the 13 shops had been finished
in time for the opening – they were
Staples Office Centre, Rádio Popular,
DeBorla, Tricana, O Mundo dos Fatos and
Piccola Stravaganza.
Over the weekend, thousands flocked
to the Algarve’s newest retail addition.
While some people were happy to browse
and buy, many were disappointed at the
lack of retail facilities, as The Resident’s
Louise Pimm registered from a questionnaire
she carried out onsite. Some shoppers
claimed that they had been misinformed
and probably would have delayed
their visit until all retail outlets were open.
However, Portimão Retail Park offers
shoppers new, different and larger shops
from those available at Algarve Shopping
in Guia or Forum Algarve in Faro. Many
of the shoppers whom we spoke to last
weekend said they would go to Portimão
Retail Park to purchase furnishings for
their home from Moviflor, buy electrical
gadgets at Rádio Popular and purchase
all their stationery requirements from Staples,
but many were aggrieved that they
were unable to sample the food at
Carrefour and sportswear at Decathlon.
The majority of visitors said they
couldn’t wait to revisit the Retail Park
when all the shops were up-and-running,
but that could be some time. After speak-
Portimão Retail Park
welcomes thousands on
inaugural weekend
ing to a source from the Portimão Retail
Park, there are still no set dates for the
opening of the remaining stores.
Carrefour will not be ready before the
summer and the others will only be open
to the public within the next fortnight.
The Portimão Retail Park took a year
to construct, cost 25 million euros and created
over 1,500 jobs. The free parking and
easy access from the EN125 and A22
should attract many shoppers from the
western Algarve who want an alternative
to Guia and Faro.
Below is a complete list of the shops
and restaurants which will be available at
the Portimão Retail Park, which is open
daily from 10am to 10pm:
SHOPS:
Decathlon – sportswear
AKI – DIY store
Staples Office Centre – stationery
requirements for the office and home
DeBorla – cheap knick-knack store
(de borla means ‘for free’ in Portuguese)
Rádio Popular – electrical gadgets
Moviflor – furnishings for the home
Carrefour – supermarket
Tricana – carpets
Mundo dos Fatos – suits
Pantêxtil – linen and towels
MultiOpticas – opticians
Piccola Stravaganza – baby clothes
JEB Tabacaria – newspaper and
cigarette shop
SNACK BARS/ RESTAURANTS:
Pães e Bolos
Espaço Grill
Doce Finus
Tostas Club
Arroz e Massas
Snack Bar Guerreiro
A Boutique do Café
