The go-to Valletta shop for household goods, N. Caruana & Sons, considered a part of the capital’s history and the last of its kind, is closing down after 80 years, stirring up nostalgia and sadness among its owners and customers alike.

Known also as Caruana Household, the family-run business on Merchants Street is closing shop as another rented building in Valletta is returned to its landlord.

The news has touched many as few are those who do not own some kitchen appliance – from a set of pots to a Pyrex dish and a host of other gadgets – from Caruana.

If you did not find it there, you would not find it anywhere, several customers pointed out, even mentioning prized items in their possession that were still in use and going strong decades later.

For regulars, a visit to the shop was about making a connection as well as a purchase.

Peter Paul Caruana, one of the third-generation owners, announced the “sad end to our family shop”.

Although he knew the service provided was appreciated, he was still overwhelmed and surprised by the public’s reaction.

“We are breaking up a company we had been building for 80 years,” he said with a heavy heart, preparing to try and adapt and start looking for another job from Monday after 40 years on the shopfloor.

“I am not even entitled to unemployment benefits,” said Peter Paul, who has six years left to get a pension.

“We lived in Valletta and just slept elsewhere,” he said about their years in the business.

Customers came to Caruana all the way from Gozo and others were still asking for “spare parts” of furniture built 50 years ago, he noted, as he served one of the last shoppers.

The Caruanas have been in court over the rented property since 2019 and one of their biggest headaches was selling the stock as they predicted the outcome of the case.

‘I never went to work unhappy’

Taking a trip down memory lane, Josef Caruana, the youngest of four siblings who purchased the business from their father, Nikol, said it began with a sweet shop, Johnny's Bar in Mosta.

But when he realised it was not profitable, he opened the Merchants Street outlet, starting off as a carpenter.

That was 85 years ago, just before the war, and Josef, who is now 82 years old, has continued working until the end, together with his nephews. 

“I have been coming to the shop for the past 69 years and I do not recall ever going to work unhappy,” he said in a People of Malta Facebook post. 

The highlight of the furniture factory was “open house” during the feast of St Paul’s and every member of the family would be involved, including Peter Paul, keeping watch at the age of four.

Then, in the early 1970s, a fire that raged on for three days destroyed everything, the son recounted of the “tragedy” at the shop.

“We lost all we had, including the machinery. But we did not give up,” Josef continued.

Together with his brothers, Gużeppi, Giulinu and Karmenu, they decided they wanted to rise from the ashes and start all over.

They continued to work in the furniture business for a while, but then switched to household goods and slowly started recuperating – becoming a household name in more ways than one.

The octogenarian recalled how Valletta was people’s shopping destination in the past, but now they looked for places outside the city for this.

Even St Gorg Preca used to come here, he noted, although he was not your regular customer.

Josef’s father would invite him to hold his meetings in a large room at the top of the building, and he remembers him preaching to the men every first Monday of the month and to the women every first Tuesday.

“I still have memories and anecdotes from those times,” said Josef, recalling his father buying a tin of toffees from the shop opposite for Dun Gorg Preca to bless before distributing to those present. 

An end of an era

Despite the nostalgia, Josef was not unhappy Caruana & Sons was closing down, saying “I did all I could” and acknowledging that the business has given him “huge rewards”.

At the end of the day, they always tried to make sure their clients were happy, “striving to give a good service”, and the feedback was testimony to that.

“I have worked with many agents, and whenever a client came to purchase something that was not in stock, I used to see how to find it,” he said.

They too have expressed gratitude to the Caruana family, reacting to the news of the “loss” with sadness, although pleased the family could now rest and relax.

Commending the service, many women recalled how they would pop in for no reason and always walk out with some quality item, while couples would go to shop from Caruana before getting married and many a dowry was bought from there.

Such was the nostalgia and the simple memories aroused that some were planning their last visit in its final week of operation.

“An end to an era… Merchants Street will not be the same without N. Caruana & Sons,” said customers as “another part of the city of our childhood leaves us” and they wondered where they would turn to for their household needs.

The question for many was also whether the shop would be replaced by yet another boutique hotel, bar, or restaurant, prompting concern about the changing social fabric of the capital, which was becoming “unrecognisable”.