SEPU
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | January 9, 1934 in Barcelona, Spain |
| Founder | Henry Reisembach, Edouard Worms |
| Defunct | 2002 |
| Fate | Ceased operations due to unresolved tax liabilities |
| Headquarters | Barcelona , Spain |
Area served | Spain |
| Products | Department store goods |
| Owner | Rodd Partridge (from 2000) |
Sociedad Española de Precios Únicos, S.A. (SEPU) holds the distinction of being the inaugural department store in Spain. Established in Barcelona on 9 January 1934 by Swiss-Jewish businessmen Henry Reisembach and Edouard Worms, SEPU later extended its presence with additional locations in Madrid and Zaragoza. The company promoted itself with the motto "Quien calcula compra en SEPU" ("Who calculates buys at SEPU").
Throughout the era of the Second Spanish Republic, SEPU was subjected to criticism from the Falangist publication Arriba and endured physical attacks carried out by Falangist adherents.
In the year 2000, the Australian retailer Rodd Partridge took ownership of the financially troubled enterprise. Despite this, SEPU ceased operations in 2002 due to substantial unresolved tax liabilities inherited from previous administrations. The final clearance sale drew significant crowds, necessitating police intervention to manage the influx.
References
- González, Isidro (2004). Los judíos y la Segunda República. 1931-1939. Madrid: Alianza Editorial. .