THE DUCK SHOP
So what do you do when you find yourself looking to open a new business within a niche market to secure a future in Spain for yourself and family? Well open a duck shop of course! That’s what Nancy Van Cotthem did and Pato.landia in Guardamar was born doing exactly what it says on the door – housing every possible duck item you could imagine.
From key chains and cuddly toys to classic rubber ducks and collectable pieces, The Duck Shop is a duck lovers delight. It opened in November 2009 on the 10th anniversary of Nancy’s move to Spain from Belgium and since then has been the cause of some bemusement in the town as people stop and stare at the store that only sells duck-themed items and it is that uniqueness that Nancy loves and was looking for in setting up her own business. But where did the duck idea come from? Has she always been a fan and lover of her feathered friends? “No actually, I’m a horse person, but I wanted to find something that was not here already, was different from the usual souvenir stores and that was a bit of fun.” And she’s certainly found that.
She trawled the internet and found hundreds of people proudly displaying their duck collections and so went on to source a number of suppliers and is now attracting a lot of attention with people from all over ordering special collectable pieces. “We get a lot of people from Madrid here for vacations and so I get repeat business with people looking to add to their set or coming back with a list of what friends and family want.” She continues, “I can order special items for people and reserve them in store or ship them all over the world.”
The Bud range is extremely popular with collectors and there is a cute range that also has their hatch date on, but it is ‘Duck Vader’ a take on Darth Vader, that lights up, which is currently top of the trend and the wedding ducks are also popular. But there is a duck for everyone; artists will love Pablo Piquacks and Salvaduck Dali; professionals can find a duck to match their job; ex-pats can be reminded of home with a duck in their national colours and dress whilst football fans can have one in their team’s strip. Nancy is also able to personalise ducks with your name or own unique message and with prices from just 50cents to 25€ there is a duck for all budgets!
The Duck Shop is as much a hit with keen enthusiasts as it is with young children and curious bystanders but this delightful store is definitely worth a wonder round to gaze at the eclectic range or to find that original gift. The shop is located on the main road through Guardamar just down from the church and town hall. For more information call 680 581 426 or visit their website www.pato-landia.com
