Pardubice department store Prior has been in existence for 40 years

Pardubice - The Pardubice department store Prior is celebrating 40 years since its opening this Friday. At the time of its inception, it was the only shopping center in Eastern Bohemia. Residents of the neighboring Hradec Králové had to wait until 1981 for their own Prior shopping center. Jan Řeháček, the managing director of the Pardubice Friends Club, told ČTK today.
    "I drew from period press; according to it, the revenue for the first day was 1.5 million crowns. The ceremonial opening was attended by the then political representation of the city,” said Řeháček.
    Prior on Masaryk Square caught attention with its red-orange color, which was said to refer to the city’s red coat of arms. The octagonal windows were meant to symbolize honeycombs and remind the people of Pardubice of the tradition of honey pastries. Prior likely employed up to 600 employees. According to period sources, customers could choose from 20,000 to 25,000 types of goods on a sales area of 5,850 square meters.
    "From time to time, luxury imported goods could be found there. I remember standing in line for a stroller from Germany in 1975. Or I bought a knitted set from Switzerland there. It was really high-quality material; if I hadn’t gotten bored of it and gained weight, it still hangs in my closet today,” said a retiree who was shopping at the store today.
    "Back then, my cousin worked in the haberdashery department there. If I hadn’t had a connection, I wouldn’t have known anything. One had to hurry there immediately; otherwise, all the better goods were gone right away," added the senior.
    Prior was built by a Slovak company of the same name. The decision to build the department store in Pardubice, according to the design by architect Růžena Žertová from Brno, was made in 1967. The center was constructed between 1971 and 1974, and the ceremonial opening took place on Friday, August 23. The construction of Prior cost 60 million crowns, and the department store was planned to have an annual turnover of 280 million crowns.
    The floor on the ground floor was and still is made of Cuban marble. The center is still supplied through the basement entrance, where there are ramps for unloading goods. "Prior had the first escalators in Pardubice. The main entrance with a retractable glass portal was also unique. To be able to remain open in all weather conditions, powerful ventilation fans had to create an air curtain here,” said Řeháček.
    The main entrance to Prior no longer exists because it was connected to the Afi Palace shopping center in 2008. In 1992, Prior was purchased by the American company K-Mart, and in 1998 it became the property of the British company Tesco, which still owns it today. The mass construction of new shopping centers began in Pardubice on vacant plots in the second half of the 1990s. The first one opened in 1998. Residents began to shop at the Globus and Kaufland supermarkets or at the Baumax home improvement store. According to last year's estimate by ČTK, supermarkets, stores selling DIY goods, clothing, and electronics occupy more than 12 hectares, which is about 20 Pernštýn squares combined.