Opening of the Barbosa’s grocery store marks the beginning of the economic and productive recovery
At the intersection of Dona Olinda and Carlos Pinto streets, in the new district of Bento Rodrigues in Mariana (MG), the community’s first shop was opened. Now, visitors and future residents can count on a small market and its shelves full of goods. Instead of the smooth facade, until then common to that building, the elegant sign reads: Barbosa’s Grocery Shop. The name is a tribute to José Barbosa, father of Weberson Arlindo dos Santos, 42 years old, known as Webinho.
An initiative by the Renova Foundation for the resumption of production in the new Bento, the opening of the grocery store will initially serve around two thousand workers working on the constructions in progress. This is an in-between moment that means a lot to the daily life of the new district. “The feeling was of being stuck. But, today, when I saw things being put in place, the tears started to come out, see? The feeling is one of satisfaction, really”, declares Webinho, between one and another visit by onlookers who came to see the place.
For the arrival of the first families of residents, the Webinho market will be in full swing, improved by several lessons learned from the current testing phase. The strategy of opening the grocery store before the arrival of the first neighbors was not by chance. “Who is the general public, today, of this market? Everyone who is working here. It is an excellent laboratory from the point of view of supply, inventory, turnover, sales monitoring”, explains the socioeconomic development specialist at the Renova Foundation, Carlos Henrique Rios de Macedo.
For now, the market offers a short list of products, with non-perishable food, personal hygiene, cleaning and utility items. The goods, around 200 varieties, are arranged on shelves in the area at the front of the hall and will be next to a bakery and perishable food sector in the future. A counter, at the back of the market, will make this separation between one sector and the other, which together will add up to 450 goods. “As the number of residents increases, I increase the number of products. For now it is a smaller market”, says the owner of the place.
Opening and closing hours are also not permanent. For now, Webinho opens its doors at 8am and closes at 6pm on weekdays and until 1pm on Saturdays. However, the plans indicate closing at 9 pm from Monday to Saturday and also opening on Sunday mornings.
Webinho celebrates returning to work as a family. “We will keep the family working together. Now I’m going to stay at home, and at work too, with my family”, says the merchant. Family work will not be new, on the contrary. In the old Bento, the business was managed by Webinho’s father, José Barbosa, who retired and passed the torch on to the new generation. As in the previous business, there will also be a bar, with snooker, foosball, snacks and cold beer, managed by Weberson’s brother. “The market there was similar to the one here. Dad set it up in the 1980s. What really changed was the architecture. Because there in Bento it was more rural and here the architecture was more modern”, recalls Webinho.
The opening of the new Bento market is part of the transition to the effective operation of the district. The “mercadinho”, as it is affectionately called, also serves as a meeting point for the community.
Steps towards economic recovery
The repair of the old shop and its remodeling are part of a set of actions linked to the Renova Foundation’s resettlement program. In addition to the construction itself, the plan provides for the provision of conditions for the community to restore its social, cultural and economic life.
In the case of the grocery store, there are two work fronts. The first, completed, is the work, which followed new standards required by Mariana’s master plan: bathrooms for employees and clients, including people with disabilities, access ramps for wheelchair users and other comfort and safety adaptations. The first phase also included the installation of equipment, such as shelves and counters, and the supply of products.
The other front, started now, is the occupation of physical space by economic activity. Webinho, as well as other local merchants, underwent specialized monitoring, which will continue for a period of one to three years after opening, depending on the needs of the business. “There is a whole strategic look at these businesses, so that they can exist in the virtual world as well, for example. It has consultancy in digital marketing, focused on competitiveness. In these coming months, the focus is on establishing management maturity, so that merchants can gain a horizon of sustainability”, explains Macedo.
The expert is referring not only to the grocery store, but also to other small businesses that will gradually resume, in parallel with the resumption of community life. The recovery of economic conditions began with the identification of existing types of businesses, which varied between formal and informal. The possibilities for creating new businesses for residents who suffered economic impacts after the dam collapse were also defined. Thus, this previous work mapped different entrepreneurship profiles and designed the strategies for structuring each one. “We have honey processing right up here, as if it were an industry. We have bars, restaurants, inns, snack bars, sewing studio, beauty salon, ice cream shop. It is an extensive range of products and services that are the face of the community”, adds Macedo.
The result of the work begins to gain materiality on the facades of some buildings in the new district. In addition to Barbosa’s, the signs for a sewing studio, a bar, a pastry shop and a clothing store were installed. The logos, custom-made for each owner, reflect memories and aspirations linked to each business. The color green, for example, was José Barbosa’s favorite, and it also goes on bags and uniforms with the family’s surname. “Now we continue what father left for us, for the new generation of the Barbosa family. At that point, my age already weighed on me. It’s time to enjoy with my children what I didn’t enjoy with them in childhood. It is very rewarding to be close by”, concludes Webinho.