15.03.12 16:04:18
[Page 'Costa Blanca News_7 North' - Dialog40cn710 | Costa Nachrichten | Costa Blanca News | Costa Blanca News | News] of emilym (Black arch)
NEWS
COSTA NEWS, March 16-22, 2012
Page 7
...and Primark opened its new Alicante store Around 1,000 queued up to be the first to shop yesterday By James Parkes AROUND 1,000 people formed a huge queue at Alicante's revitalised Gran Vía shopping centre at midday yesterday (Thursday) for the grand opening of Primark's 234th store. Alicante Mayoress Sonia Castedo cut the ribbon along with Primark Ibería general director José Luis Martínez de Larramendi and the Bellea del Foc Hogueras fiesta queen. Primark representatives regarded the new two-floor 3,500square-metre store at 'the best so far'. The store employs 166 people, 80% of whom were previously unemployed. Managers told CBNews that Primark had received over 21,000 CVs requesting a position at the Alicante store. The store, which is now fully open, has all the well-known Primark brands for women, men, children and home. There are 26 tills distributed in the usual Primark store fashion plus a customer service desk handling returns and exchanges. The entire store is very accessible and has lifts inside for wheelchair users.
The first customers
"The large expat population that already knows the brand was a key factor, but also the potential of local custom as Alicante city has a population of well over 350,000 people." Indeed Primark is no longer just a well-known brand among UK and Irish residents. Primark current has 24 stores in Spain, the largest number outside the UK (156) and Ireland (38).
MORE STORES ON THE COSTA This is Primark's third store in the Costa area, along with the ones open in L'Aljub (Elche) and La Condomina (Murcía) Costa Blanca News, the only English-language media present at the official opening, asked Sr Martínez de Larramendi about Primark's projects to open new stores on the Costa Blanca. "We are hoping to open a new store in La Zenia shopping centre (Orihuela Costa) in Autumn", said Sr Mar´tinez, however he added there were no imminent plans for other stores north of Alicante. Asked why Alicante was chosen, Sr Martínez told CBNews: Primark bosses with the Bellea del Foc
Staff in love with Primark
The second-floor entrance where the cinemas used to be in Gran Vía shopping centre
Eagerly waiting for the store to open yesterday
UK support for Spanish property law victims News Staff Reporter UK-based association POPPIE - recently set up to ‘publicise the plight of UK citizens who have fallen foul of Spain's problematic property laws’ - has already been joined by more than 50 households. They are offering to represent anyone with problems related to off-plan purchases, bank guarantees, land grab by developers, coast law problems and revoked or misrepresentations of the
Team complete challenge for EMAUS
status of planning permission. “We have members who bought holiday homes in Spain, but also people who have moved to Spain with the objective of making Spain their permanent residence,” state organisers Chris and Angela Beattie. “We aim to lobby UK MPs and MEPs to get the UK government and EU institutions to put pressure on the Spanish government to resolve the scandal of the Spanish property market.”
They explain that the association has been formed to ‘campaign for UK residents who have bought property or tried to buy property in Spain in good faith, and who, through the actions of various levels of government, property developers and banks, find themselves unable to enjoy the rights to their properties’. POPPIE stands for Protection of Property Purchased in Europe Limited. Contact them on poppie.uk@gmail.com.
By Nikki Luxford ENTHUSIAST runners and sports people took to the mountains on Saturday in the I Maratho and a Half in Benissa which saw some 370 participants race from Benissa through Senija, Lliber, Jalon, Calpe, Callosa d'en Sarriá which included gradients up to 3,100 metres, before returning to Benissa. Included in the 370 was Specsavers Benidorm mangager, Jorge Martinez and his team Jose Carreño Roman, Jose Antonio Rojano Nova, Juan Miguel Ivars Becerra, Luis Barcia Caro, Emilio Carnero Jordan and Ruben Daniel Romero, who competed to raise money for the Friends of the Children of EMAUS. Jorge managed to complete the 65 kilometres in 11 hours, 17 minutes and 35 seconds, a time he is very pleased with. He said, "I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next one."
The winner of the race was Sebastián Sánchez Sáez who finished in seven hours, 12 minutes and one second. Second place was Juan José Larrotcha Martínez-Carr with seven hours, 25 minutes and nine seconds and third was Rafael Abbott who completed the 65 kilometres in seven hours 33 minutes and five seconds. One of Jorge's team completed the race in seven hours and 41 minutes and finished fifth overall. The target of 2,000 euros is hoped to be raised between the race on Saturday and another race in May, which is 65 kilometres in Castellon, and Jorge and the team at Specsavers Benidorm are asking their customers to donate in store, or alternatively to pledge money to the charity direct, specifying this challenge. Follow the teams successes and the fundraising on their Facebook page Specsavers Montaña Benidorm.