Free designer mask for El Portal de la Marina shoppers

By Samantha Kett SHOPPERS at Ondara's El Portal de la Marina commercial centre can get a free reusable mask if they show receipts totalling €50 or more from a single visit.

The hip, designer masks are the work of urban art studio Larouch, and can be collected from the customer information desk.

They come in several colours, including burgundy and navy-blue, and carry slogans such as 'Happy together' and '¡Caraguapa!', which translates more or less as 'prettyface'.

'Happy together' is the name of El Portal's latest campaign to support local businesses, which has so far involved the centre working with over 100 traders based in the Ondara area and also promoting the town's artists and art and design studios.

A pop-up gallery, titled 'Escapararte' – a fusion between escaparate, which means 'shop window', and arte, or art – has been set up in the mall and showcases the works of local talent including Toni Ortolà, Hugo

Giner, Carmen Calvo, and Larouch.

One of Larouch's directors, Quique Iñíguez, says El Portal's decision to work with local suppliers is 'a great strategy' and 'spot-on'.

“So, when they proposed we design masks for shoppers, we didn't hesitate,” Iñíguez says.

“And if this helps remind people that we all need to be wearing masks, so much the better.”

Till receipts eligible for free Larouch masks must have been obtained during the same visit to the shopping centre, but the €50 does not need to have been spent all in the same store.