In Spain a rapid economic growth began in the mid-1980s. This period was accompanied by the construction of a large number of shopping centres, with the result that it has established a an alternative to the small traditional retailers and new type of consumption. In this article, we will first approach shopping centres as spaces of reference in direct urban consumption and their impact on the closure of small retailers; we will see the evolution at a Spanish level and finally we will focus on the case study of A Coruña as a model for understanding changes in urban dynamics caused by the implementation of shopping centres. 

Keywords: A Coruña, commerce, shopping centres.