160 Years of History: The Víctor Núñez Family Store Survives Against All Odds.

Local shops make our city vibrant and special; they are part of our history. Take, for example, the Víctor Núñez store. For 160 years, it has been part of the history of the city of San Cristóbal de la Laguna. It all started in 1865 when a small family hat shop opened in the heart of the city. Since then, the store has grown, and now it also sells shoes and various accessories for men and women. The store is currently run by the fifth generation of the family – Elena de Vera Núñez and Hugo Núñez Duarte.

This is a great achievement because, unfortunately, many small shops are now closing because there is no one to continue them. "We have lived here all our lives, since childhood. People ask me, and I answer that I grew up among these boxes. It's in my blood," says Elena. She and Hugo recall playing in this house, which belongs to their family, when they were little. And she adds: "It's very nice to be part of the city, I'm proud to be here, in the center. I think we are part of the city."

They say that their great-grandfather opened the first store in 1865 on La Pila Square (now La Concepción Square). They sold only hats there – both imported from other countries and made by hand. In 1910, their family bought the building where the store is now located, at 74 Herradores Street. Then their great-grandfather brought the family from Seville to live and work here and teach other workers how to make hats.

One of the stories they remember is how their great-grandfather and grandfather brought the famous Panama hats from Ecuador in huge boxes that took up the entire street. "Our parents told us that they asked the neighbors for permission to occupy the sidewalks to unload the goods. It was a lot of work, many people helped, and the neighbors too," says Elena.

Then "our grandfather started selling men's shoes, and our parents sold women's shoes. And we continue their work, adding something new," she says.

It is the ability to change that helps them stay afloat for 160 years. And also "persistence, perseverance and love for what we do," Elena emphasizes.

Over the past 160 years, many famous people have visited the store. "My mother always remembers when Billo's Caracas Boy, a very famous musician, came. She said that a huge car, like a limousine, stopped, and guys with big gold watches got out and bought hats," Elena recalls.

And famous Canarian artists gathered in the back room of the store. "Our grandfather, Víctor Núñez Izquierdo, was an artist and one of the founders of Nuestro Arte, an avant-garde group from the Canary Islands," she says. "Famous artists such as Pedro González, Maud Westerdahl, Eduardo Westerdahl gathered here..." Elena and her husband, who works in film, even made a documentary about her grandfather Víctor and his work, called "A Guide to Invisibility."

Hugo and Elena, as the fifth generation, want new customers to come to the store, so that "new generations come here and trust our store, so that it develops," says Hugo.

They focus on quality and attentive attitude to customers, which has always been a feature of their store. "We don't sell for the sake of selling. We won't put just anything on your feet, it has to fit you," says Elena. Therefore, they always advise customers on what is best to choose. "We give advice because it depends on the characteristics of each person's foot. A client may want one shoe, but it doesn't suit them. We recommend another one, and they thank us later because they are comfortable in it, and they come back to us again," Hugo explains.

"If a customer doesn't find what they need with us, we advise them to contact other stores nearby, just as they advise us. And customers appreciate it," Elena adds.

In addition, "we try to adapt to new customers, but we don't forget about our traditions, which are very important to us," says Elena. Therefore, "we want to continue to develop the hat business, because we believe that this is what sets us apart."

They bring hats from Seville, and also sell Canarian hats. They have a large selection, and they have even restored models that are no longer on sale, such as Agüimes de tetilla. "This is a hat that peasants wore in Gran Canaria. That's why it's called Agüimes. And it also has a protrusion, so it's called Agüimes de tetilla. It disappeared from sale, so we talked to the factory and restored it," says Elena.

This year, they launched a website, redesigned the store, and are developing the business on social media. But they are not planning to sell online yet. "We are for communicating with people directly. In addition, online sales require a lot of effort," says Elena.

Elena says that many stores have closed in their area in the first half of this year. "We talk to other entrepreneurs and ask them about their children, but they don't want to continue their business," Hugo adds.

"It's very difficult. I understand that my children, for example, will not do this, because it is very difficult, there is no help, you have to pay a lot of taxes, the rent is very high, and you constantly have to fight with large companies. It seems that everything is against us," says Elena and calls on the authorities to help small businesses survive. "I understand that there is a law of supply and demand, and you cannot prohibit large chains from opening in the city center. But there should be more assistance for entrepreneurs, for traditional stores, or at least some benefits for education."

Because if this is not done, the city center will lose its small shops, and without them "history is lost, the city is lost." "My uncle, Hugo's father, always said that a city with closed shops is a dead city," she concludes.