In 2020, the first automobile mega-center in the country located on the Interbalnearia route was opened: Car One. A year later – on December 10, 2021 – they redoubled the commitment and inaugurated Car One Center, a commercial space in the fastest growing area demographic of the country, according to the promoters of the project.
“It’s a very high-growth area, and that’s why we decided to go,” he told Coffee & Business the commercial director of Car One, Emiliano Aldabalde.
At the same time, it is an area where, until now, services were lacking to meet the expectations of residents. According to Aldabalde, the sudden development of the shopping center is proof of this. “Someone had to throw the first stone,” said the commercial director. “Our opening is accelerating a growth process that was already taking place,” he explained.
Since the opening of Car One Center, more companies look fondly at the area and some of them are already installed in the shopping center. An example of this is the multinational fast food company McDonald’s. There are also new revenues planned for the short term, such as the specialized outdoor furniture store, Naterial.
In addition, with the aim of providing more and more services for the local inhabitants, an office of the Canelones Intendancy will be opened.
According to Aldabalde, this year 4,500 square meters will be built in Car One Center, of which 3,000 will be occupied by companies that will open their doors during 2022 – a sportswear store to complete the Decathlon offer and a hairdresser, among others. With them, the center will reach 35 different proposals that employ 600 direct workers.
The remaining 1,500 square meters are expected to start operating during 2023. In addition, it is planned to be rebuilt next year to extend the service proposal, on that occasion between 4,000 and 6,000 square meters.
“We have a master plan for continuous growth within five years,” said Aldabalde. The proposal is to build another 30,000 square meters, and the priority for the Car One Center authorities is the anchor stores, which generate traffic and complete the offer already installed.
a recent opening
Last Wednesday, the fast food chain, McDonald’s, opened the doors of its first sustainable branch in the country, located at Car One Center.
McDonald’s
Asked about the decision to settle in Car One Center, the general director of McDonald’s for Uruguay, Ricardo Méndez, told Coffee & Business: “It is an area that we did not have covered. We understand that there is a potential for unsatisfied demand and we want to get closer to customers in the area.”
In addition, he said that prior to each opening they do a study of the place to measure its potential and that Car One Center is positioned as a traffic generator.
To carry out this commercial space of 1,700 square meters, McDonald’s invested US$ 1,800,000.
The next move at the mall
Naterial is an outdoor furniture company that arrives in the country – with a total investment of US$ 5 million – from the group that invested in Decathlon, Grupo Adeo.
Investors bet on the brand because the concept of outdoor living has become relevant in recent years. In this framework, they chose Car One Center to install the first branch because in the area that surrounds it, this lifestyle is a trend.
Naterial is going to have a 1,500 square meter store to develop the brand in Car One Center.
According to Aldabalde -which is also part of Grupo Adeo-, Naterial has a wide range of products with good prices. “We have three different categories by type of furniture: high-end, intermediate and economic,” said the commercial director of Car One, and assured that quality is resigned in none of the selections.
“We saw that in the country there is no specialist brand in the field in terms of outdoor furniture,” said Aldabalde, adding: “We believe that Naterial is going to be a great differential.”
After having a first experience in Car One Center, the investors think of expanding the brand with two more stores in Uruguay.
