HISTORIA
In July 1995 , located on Ceballos Street, a block and a half away from Sarandí Avenue, the city's main free-shopping avenue, Yury Shop began its activities, although it did not yet have the characteristics of a Free Shop.
It started with a very small investment, at the time being a gift shop that offered its customers bazaar products, toys, perfumes, school supplies, in short, seasonal products.
The owner and director of the company highlighted in an interview that:
FREE SHOP IN RIVERA
#StartUp
. . . Yury's Free Shop started in 1995, a few months before the Copa América, which didn't yield any results for Rivera, who was expecting a large influx of people. There was a theme, of my independence, like setting up a business, as an entrepreneur. At that time I wasn't thinking as an entrepreneur, but rather as a step to grow in some way. I had been working at a currency exchange for 15 years , our daughters were already quite mature, let's say they were old enough to take care of themselves, and I wanted to help my wife too.
So, with the World Cup and all the enthusiasm in the city, we saw an opportunity to work, to grow and to do something. Well, it was then, along with the World Cup, that we started a small company with 2,500 dollars.
We found a place on Ceballos Street and started with some items we had bought when we were aimlessly heading to Montevideo. We got there and bought whatever we could think of, without any knowledge... (OWNER OF YURY'S FREE SHOP)
Despite the difficulty in starting the business, the owner points out that some friends, traders, offered him help:
“ Well, they gave us merchandise on consignment, one of the companies was called Manuel, it was working very well at the time, and it gave us bicycles, motorbikes, refrigerators, so we were very happy that the place suited us” (OWNER OF YURY'S FREE SHOP ).
Furthermore, the owner highlights the complicity that existed between him and his wife to make the business successful: “We started working, my wife practically, and I, without leaving my job, to see if it would work. She was learning and I was studying the subject, how the situation was and where to start.” (OWNER OF YURY'S FREE SHOP).
Furthermore, it is worth highlighting that the decision to work in this sector, offering those specific products was, according to the owner:
. . . A process in which we talked to people.
I worked on the street with money changers and I knew many dealers who came to exchange money with me and who traveled to Paraguay. These dealers were the ones who told me “bring this, bring that for me”. And so we started bringing it to these dealers…
(OWNER OF YURY'S FREE SHOP)
#Ano2000
With that, the owner comments about her husband: “He identified the need of an important group, which he knew” (OWNER OF YURY'S FREE SHOP). Gradually, Yury Shop gained more customers, with its biggest attraction being its low prices.
In 2000 , the company moved to Avenida Sarandí nº 488, its former location.
Regarding this initiative, the owner commented:
. . . In the year 2000, a crisis came and, with the crisis, we found an opportunity to come to Sarandí Avenue, because rent was very expensive in 1995, we couldn't afford it. The money we invested in the business cost one month's rent, so when the crisis came to Brazil in 2000 , Brazilians didn't come, rent prices went down, we got a good location on Sarandí Avenue and started working on Sarandí Avenue. Then the situation changed. . . (OWNER OF YURY'S FREE SHOP)
#Year2000
Yury Shop took another step forward in 2003 when it decided to become Yury's Free Shop . It was in 2005 that it was officially authorized to operate as a free shop. Regarding this, the owner mentioned that:
. . . There was also a setback. In 1999 we were doing very well. In 2000, 2001, there was a crisis, in 2002, there was a crisis, in 2003, there was a crisis. What happened? When we reached 2003, we were at rock bottom, and I said, “There has to be a transformation, there has to be a change. We can’t go on like this.” It seemed to me that the situation was going to improve, so we decided to buy the duty-free shop because the duty-free businesses were also cheap. That’s what we did. We bought the patent and started all the procedures. When we bought the duty-free shop patent, we immediately tried to get a location next to ours because if things were going to improve, we also needed space. We rented the location next to ours and applied for a license. We waited 2 years, almost 3 years for them to give us the license. In 2005, we started as a duty-free shop. From then on, we grew and are still here today. . . (OWNER OF YURY'S FREE SHOP)
#2013
After overcoming several adversities and crises, a new phase emerged for the city of Rivera and Yury's Free Shop began to progress rapidly. In this sense, the owner explained: “crises have always helped us grow, which were very difficult times and were difficult for us too. But in fact, we grew during crises” (OWNER OF YURY'S FREE SHOP).
The company currently has a team of 34 employees, who aim to satisfy their customers. In addition, it has a new location with a space of over 900 square meters, located at Rua Agraciada 514.
According to the company's owners, the property where the second Yury's Free Shop store is located today consisted only of a large, old warehouse and a plot of land at the back.
The construction and renovation work began to transform it into a three-story store, the only one of its kind on the border. The new store's facilities were custom-made by two professional and exclusive carpenters who traveled from Montevideo, Uruguay, to complete the work, which took three months. To achieve this, sponsorship was provided by some partner suppliers.
The location was completed in 2013, with the inauguration of Yury's Free Shop at Rua Agraciada 514 on October 24, 2013.
In order to make suppliers, customers, traders, other partners and society in general part of this extremely important moment in the company's history, an Opening Cocktail was held. In addition to those already mentioned, the press from both the city of Rivera and the city of Santana do Livramento, representatives of the Asociación Comercial e Industrial de Rivera - ACIR and the Associação Comercial e Industrial de Sant'Ana do Livramento ACIL, among other guests, such as representatives of the partner company of information systems in Montevideo, also attended the inauguration.
With the opening of the new branch, new sectors have emerged, including: clothing, fitness, camping, large appliances, toys, and more lines of perfumes are also offered. Another difference in the new Yury's Free Shop store is that it
It offers a large space, an air-conditioned environment, as well as exclusive bathrooms and parking for customers.
