Spanish "Old World" Coronado Village

In Coronado’s Downtown District and a block from the beach is a little known Spanish style alleyway that hosts hidden treasures of small shops and architectural wonders. Located within the Village of Coronado and El Cordova Hotel are dining establishments like Miguel’s Cocina and carpet shops like the Galleria that match anything you might find in Old World Spain. 

El Cordova Hotel is a traditional hacienda style local attraction. It was built for the wealthy industrialist Elisha Babcock in 1902 and was converted so a Spanish Village hotel in 1939. Since that time it has been updated many times and a number of shops are interconnected. While you wait for your dining number to be called you may walk around and see the fountains and historic architecture.

 

Miguel’s Cocina is located in the hotel’s courtyard. It offers a beautifully covered patio or indoor dining experience. The prices are reasonable ranging from $12-$20 per plate. Their offerings are Mexican by genre and have successfully allowed the establishment to expand into other communities. Try the carne asada or the vegetable enchiladas. Happy Hour times are available. 

You will notice the courtyard full of people, busy niche shops, and hotel residents. As you walk around the courtyard you may be surprised by the fountains, tile work, and the architectural design. It provides a charm unmatched by many other locations on the island. It is worth the walk, dining, and shopping experience. Take a few hours on your weekend and enjoy your time.

Consumers Opt for Online Shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Cyber Monday rose 18% this year totaling $1.74 billion according to comScore. This reflects the largest volume in history so far. In addition, IBM reported that online sales during Black Friday were up 20% this year. This increase is not due to in-store shopping. Consider that ShopperTrak reported in-store sales on Black Friday declined 13.2% while foot traffic decreased 11.2%. Total sales for Thursday and Friday increased a modest 2.8% for both days.

What does all this mean? It means that more people are opting to purchase items online. They are becoming accustomed to searching out the products and services they desire and scouring the Internet for the best deals. Their high-powered shopping capacity may not get the very best deals but saves them considerable time and effort.

Even those who decided to hit the stores used the Internet to find the best Black Friday deals. They can find deeper discounts on the shelves than online but must make considerable personal investment to be there. When they do go shopping, they skip right over the items they are not interested in and make a mad dash for specific big ticket items like cell phones, tvs, gaming machines, and computers.

Retailers typically offer high discounts on products to drive people to their store locations. The online ads are a form of advertising. To make such deep discounts possible the stores hope that they will purchase other products while shopping or become more familiar with the location for future sales. Consumers seem to be skipping over the concept and watching where they are spending their money.

The trending toward online shopping has a number of advantages for consumers. Driving the car, spending gas, getting ready, finding parking spots, fighting off crowds and carrying arms full of expensive gifts is not very exciting. Shopping at stores can be downright stressful. Spending time online is something most consumers are now accustomed. Enjoy a latte and shop in style…the products will be delivered to your doorstep.

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