When Sandra Bellan opened her clothing store in Corso Risorgimento, the street was full of commercial activities. “Nothing was missing,” she says, “while today I and a few others remained.” The “Sandra B” store celebrated 50 years of history. To celebrate the milestone, the Municipality and the urban commercial district presented the owner with a plaque. She receives it with emotion: «I have made mistakes and made many sacrifices to get here, but the trust of the customers repays all the efforts. They don’t want it to close, sooner or later I will have to.”
Bellan opened the boutique in April 1974 at the age of 28. She decided to start her own business after working as a shop assistant. «This place became available – continues Bellan – which housed an electrician. It was the era when jeans were in fashion, and I started selling them. Then I changed lines specializing in women’s fashion. Even today I like to select the collections paying attention above all to the quality of the fabrics, but it is increasingly difficult to keep up with the enormous online offer. I focus on service.” There are families who have never stopped buying from her, passing the baton from mother to daughter.
Seeing the balloons with the number 50 hanging in front of the windows, many loyal customers stop by even just to say hello. «This shop is a symbol of our city fabric – reflects Marina Chiarelli, vice mayor with responsibility for Commerce, while she presents the prize and proposes to the owner that she register in the register of historic businesses -. Sandra is a great example of passion and spirit of service. Her story is also significant because she realized herself in a suburb.”
The store has resisted Covid and the haemorrhage of shopping activity which especially affects the areas around the historic center. Is there a solution to stop this depopulation? «Unfortunately I don’t think so – replies Bellan -. Previously, people chose to shop in local shops and there was no competition from the web or chains that sold at rock-bottom prices. Certain consumption phenomena cannot be counteracted, so it becomes increasingly difficult to withstand the competition. One option could be to open your own online distribution channel, but by choice at this age I decided not to do it.”
