Gisela

Gisela was opened in 1952 by Francisca Matheu Llabrés, grandmother of Inmaculada Mut, the current owner. Francisca Vallés Matheu, her mother, also ran the shop all her life until her retirement in 2019. We can say that it is the oldest shop in Binissalem dedicated to the sale of women’s and men’s clothing and accessories. You can also find haberdashery items.

In the first stage of its history, the shop was in Carrer de la Rectoria, where the founder lived. Those were difficult years, as people were used to sewing at home. With time, they got used to going shopping and everything started to improve. During these first years, they sold baby clothes, prams, cots, etc.

It is worth mentioning that during the post-war period, like many other shops, it was possible to pay in instalments. The so-called “roda” was very popular: it was a note that was equivalent to the amount to be spent and was paid in weekly instalments, which made it easier for the customer to buy and ensured payment to the shop.

In March 1981, a new phase began when Francisca Vallés opened the Gisela shop in Bonaire Street, where it is still located today. The site where it is located was the old haystacks of the farmhouse known as Can Seda Negra, where the farmers left their livestock while they went to the market, and of which the arches that form part of the shop’s façade were preserved after the renovation work. They rightly thought that it was the ideal place to set up the shop, in the centre of the village.

Immaculada, who represents the third generation to run the shop, says she feels very rewarded for the work she does and for “the people who still buy in small shops”. On a family level, she feels very proud of her grandmother and her mother for their hard work and fighting spirit.