Júlia Bonet Fité

Júlia Bonet Fité (28 July 1922 - 3 September 2011) was an Andorran businesswoman, president and founder of Perfumeria Júlia.

This article uses Catalan naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Bonet and the second or maternal family name is Fité.

Early life

Bonet was the daughter of Francesc Bonet, a native of Peramola (Alt Urgell), refugee in Andorra because of the Rif War, and one of the daughters of Cal Farreró d'Escaldes. Up to 12 years of age, she attended the French school in Escaldes, together with her sisters.[1] When leaving the school all three would leave to France to work, while Bonet would stay in Andorra because of their parents' wishes. He started working as a hairdresser, in a barber shop on the lower floors of his house, which had a small space dedicated to ladies' hairdressers. Since Andorra did not have the necessary materials, Bonet moved to Toulouse to buy materials to use in their establishment, and also to sell them.[1][2]

The social changes that occurred in Andorra during the second half of the 20th century and the consumerist fever that became the root cause of the political situation in neighboring countries make Júlia Bonet increase the sale of products in a very significant way, leading to physical separation of the hairdresser, from the part that dedicated to sell perfumes.

In 1948 Bonet married Pere Zamora, a worker of FHASA, who later joined the family business. With him, she had three daughters, Anna Maria, Melania and Immaculada who would also end up joining the business.[3]

The business expansion

The good operation of the company made the first business facilities improve, and little by little they were opening other stores in other parts of the country. Specifically, in 1958, Bonet would open what would be the second store in Meritxell Avenue Meritxell Avenue of Andorra la Vella. In 1961, she opened a third place in Escaldes, under the name Anmei, based on the name of their three daughters. In 1970, she opened the Ibis d'Escaldes perfumery, motivated by the need not to leave a part of the neglected clientele due to the works that were carried out in the mansion of Júlia Bonet.

The first center opened outside the central and commercial center of the country in Pas de la Casa, in 1983, which encouraged sales to visitors from Andorra on the French border.

Towards 1985, Bonet decided to close the hairdresser's shop that continued to run, and to build one of the centers for marriage, the Júlia Center, presided over by a monumental clock called "Horloge à voir le temps couler", by Bernard Gitton. At that time, she also decided to create his own range of products, which would later be updated in 2004.

In 1999, it began to expand outside the Andorran borders, specifically in Spain, where it opened several perfumes around the country.[1]

Death

On the morning of 3 September 2011, Bonet suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest in her apartment located in Vilafortuny (Cambrils). She was transferred to the Hospital de Reus, and nothing could be done to save her life. The burial took place in the Church of Sant Pere Màrtir in Escaldes-Engordany on September 5. In mourning, all Perfumeria Júlia stores were kept closed for two days.[4]

Footnotes
  1. Rodríguez, Francesc (2016). L'essència d'una dona feta empresa (in Catalan, French, Spanish, and English). Perfumeries Júlia. p. 253. ISBN 978-99920-3-038-7.
  2. "Prop d'un miler de persones en l'últim adéu a Júlia Bonet" (in Catalan). DiariAndorra. 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
  3. "Mor la fundadora del grup Perfumeries Júlia" (in Catalan). DiariAndorra. 2011-09-03. Retrieved 2019-03-23.
  4. "Les Júlia tanquen 2 dies per la defunció de la fundadora" (in Catalan). Retrieved 2019-03-24.
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