Paris1972-Versailles2003

This is one of my nicest stories in my blog. It happened of course in my dear Madrid many many years ago, Of course, this would be in my black and white series,no pictures, Let me tell you a bit about the memorable former stores of Madrid !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I

It was a shoe store. It had a bellicose name: Los Guerrilleros or guerrillas. I was a teen, and way back then my true homeland was my childhood. I don’t know why, I never asked my mother why so many people came into that store. I understood what was behind that slogan. “Don’t buy here, we sell‘ very expensive. ” It was about honesty. It was rebellion. It was about a sense of humor. It was about originality. The shoe sales company ‘Los Guerrilleros’ definitely close all its stores on January 10, 2015, sadly. The company, founded in 1962, was very popular for its motto ‘Don’t buy here, we sell very expensive. Throughout these 53 years, the company had opened a total of 14 owned stores in the Comunidad de Madrid region. In Madrid, the best-known store was the one located in Puerta del Sol,11.

It was the first Spanish franchise for footwear and accessories with a multi-brand concept. The product range, which is mainly based on footwear and leather accessories, also includes bags, belts, watches and sunglasses. Under the motto ‘Don’t buy here, we sell very expensively’, the well-known establishment ranked as one of the 5,000 most outstanding companies in Spain.  On a professional level, the Los Guerrilleros had also been rewarded at various points in their long career. It was the first shoe retailer to achieve the “ISO 9002 Certified Quality System”. It also holds various business merit awards such as the “International Master Company”, the “Golden Laurel” or the latest prestigious “Avanza Quality Awards” for business management. Some of the other branches were in Calle Arribal Agua of Guadalajara, Also, in Madrid City on the streets of Montera, Laguna, Colibríes, Montegelso and Paseo Francisco García Lorca. Others in the Comunidad de Madrid region were at avenida de Leganés con Calle Fuenlabrada in Alcorcón , calle Teniente General Moslera of Leganés, at Calle Teniente Ruiz of Alcalá de Henares, Calle Madrid of Getafe, Calle Real of San Sebastián de los Reyes , Calle Segovia of Parla, and Calle Goya of Móstoles. The Los Guerrilleros headquarters was base near my neighborhood at Calle Valentin Beato, 24 on metro line 5 ,Ciudad Lineal. Today ,the building at Puerta del Sol, 11 there are the Sephora perfum store as well as the heladeria Palazzo ice cream parlor.

But why all these writing you may ask? Well , this was one of the stores in my teen years in Madrid that my Mom Gladys purchased shoes for me, I must have been 12! The first time was magical, we had people there that my mother had known for years from our native town even before arriving in Spain. One of then still there as when we all left for NJ USA, the daughter felled in love with a local Spaniard who worked at the store, and stayed behind, never leaving, love triumph as always. Every time in Madrid and passing by the Puerta del Sol, this is one of the buildings I look as memories of my Mom becomes stronger and sad she is not with me to visit. Just wanted to have this story in my blog.

Another memorable store worth mentioning here was SEPU, The SEPU stores, being the oldest in Spain, and the most mythical places in Madrid. A warehouse that opened its doors back in 1934 at number 32 of the central Gran Vía. For several years it dominated trade in the city, but the economic problems made a dent in these warehouses until, finally, in October 2002 it closed its doors .Sociedad española de precios únicos, s.a.(sepu) was Spain’s first Department Store. SEPU was founded in Barcelona 9 January 1934, by Swiss citizens of Jewish origins, Henry Reisembach and Edouard Worms; It later opened branches in Madrid and Zaragoza. Their slogan was “Quien Calcula compra en Sepu” (“Who Calculates Buys at Sepu”). My mom Gladys purchased here too she knew the slogan !

And another memorable store that my mom Gladys went with me to shopped and me always remembered was Simago, It was a chain of popular stores in Spain. In 1997 it was acquired by Continente and its establishments operated under the Champion brand. The Simago company was established on February 15, 1960, the word “Simago” is an acronym formed with the surnames of the founders, Simó, Mayorga and Gómez, A Spanish-Cuban group that had abandoned the island after the triumph of the Castro revolution as millions have!

Finally, the big one my mom Gladys went and I was able to go too, our favorite, Galerias Preciados was a group of department stores, founded in 1943 by Pepín Fernández and disappeared on November 24, 1995 after declaring themselves in suspension of payments and being acquired by its competitor El Corte Inglés. The group took its name from Calle Preciados, where the first business was located, an extension of the establishment Sederías Carretas, located on Calle de Carretas, founded by Pepín Fernández upon his return from Cuba in 1934. To found it he was inspired by the style of the Almacenes El Encanto of Havana (closed after the Cuban revolution!) . The inauguration took place in 1943, and later more centers were opened in other cities in Spain. The original Calle Preciados building has been housed a shopping center for the French chain FNAC and several offices since 1993, and we came to buy here in FNAC too !! Memories forever !!!

There you go folks, this is one of the memorable spots that makes me come back to Madrid year after year even if they are other nice places in my dear Spain, Do walk, shop on Puerta del Sol, and adjacent streets a shopper’s paradise! Again, hope you enjoy the post on the memorable former stores of Madrid !!! as I

And remember, happy travels, good health and many cheers to all !!!