A farewell to the toy store of the century

One toy store in Albox opened its doors before the Second World War and thrived for over 100 years.

Justo Martinez opened his toy store in 1920, just after the First World War had ended and King Alfonso XIII reigned over Spain.

Despite the obvious political and economic turmoil, Martinez went ahead with his passion for spreading joy, selling his first toys; wooden horses and precarious dolls.

What Justo could have never predicted was his store running for more than 100 years, living through history, including the Second Republic, the Civil War, The Second World War, the moon landing and the technological revolution.

Through these historic events, Justo’s passion, and his store, never faltered.

For 104 years the toy store now known as Hiper Ocio established itself amongst these historic events, unfortunately leading to its final day on September 1.

The reason for closure seems obvious to the owners, attributing the declining success of the physical store to the online domain.

“The day I realised was when I sold a toy on Amazon to a long-time customer who lives 500 metres from the shop. It was a shock for me”, stated Antonio Martinez.

Antonio added their attentiveness to the growing situation, stating “We have also been dedicated to digital sales for many years and we see how they grow every month and how physical sales fall”

Although his grandfather’s century-old establishment will close its shutters, the online will continue the legacy and passion of the Martinez family.

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