here are lots of variety stores in Valencia. They are usually called: Bazar. Spanish people refer to them as “el Chino”, which means: the Chinese. This is because these stores are run by Chinese immigrants. When they got to Spain, they spotted a gap in the market and opened these bazaars (clever much?!). That was a big game-changer for the Spaniards. There is not a single person in Valencia who doesn’t know what I’m talking about, it’s bazarre (yeah, I totally did that on purpose).
There’s a whole discussion about whether or not we should call these stores el Chino, but that’s not what this article is about. I personally prefer to call them bazaars or variety stores, so that’s what I’ll do in this blog post.
What is a variety store?
A variety store is a small shop selling a wide range of cheap items. A bazaar store is a store in which many kinds of goods are sold. So, it makes total sense that they decided to call their stores bazaars.
There’s a pretty good chance you can find whatever you need. Okay, maybe not love, money, or food ;-)
The number of times my friends and I rushed to the store to quickly buy something, is innumerable. You don’t have to think about which place to go to, to get that one specific thing, the variety stores most probably have it. And yes, most of their articles are indeed very cheap.
Time-saving
I’m literally a five-minute walk away from four bazaars and I couldn’t be happier with that. Yes, I’m very aware of how lame that sounds but hey, I’m a big fan.
I’m an English teacher for toddlers, preschoolers, and grade-schoolers, so I need to buy new materials for my lessons very often. That can be a time-consuming thing. It’s very convenient to have these stores close to me so I can buy everything I need at once. Does that save time? You bet it does!
I can’t always find what I’m looking for, but guess what? Then I’ll just go to the next bazaar and boom: done.
Where to find variety stores in Valencia
You’ve probably been wondering where you can find these variety stores. Now, since there are so many, it’s really easy to find them. If you haven’t spotted one in your neighborhood yet, just look up: Bazar on Google Maps. You’ll find the ones close to you. If you’re up for a stroll around your area, just pay close attention to the word Bazar. I’m sure you’ll find one!
Opening hours
Each store has its own opening hours. Some are closed on Sundays and during siesta hours, some are not. The best thing to do is just to go to your local bazaar and check it or look it up on Google Maps.
Give it up for the bazaar HEROES! They help us save time, money, and effort!
Un abrazo,
Stephanie
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