Mappin
Mappin was a historic Brazilian department-store chain headquartered in São Paulo.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Mappin was a prominent Brazilian department-store chain based in São Paulo and formally known as Casa Anglo-Brasileira S/A. The business traced its origins to 1774 in Sheffield, England, before being brought to Brazil by the brothers Walter and Hebert Mappin. In Brazil, it became one of the pioneers of organized retail and operated for approximately 86 years in São Paulo, developing a distinctive mass-market department-store model that combined apparel, household goods, appliances, personal-care products, automotive items and other merchandise under one roof. The company was particularly influential in modernizing Brazilian retail presentation and payment practices. During the 1930s, it introduced marked prices in shop windows, helping customers compare products without negotiating individually with sales staff. Mappin also helped popularize installment purchasing, a practice that became central to Brazilian consumer retail. During the 1940s and 1950s, its stores were associated with São Paulo's social and commercial life and became meeting points for members of the city's elite. The chain anticipated aspects of the later shopping-mall concept by bringing broad product categories and services together in a single destination. Its best-known location was the store at Praça Ramos de Azevedo in central São Paulo. Mappin expanded through a succession of new branches, including Rua São Bento in 1969, Avenida São João in 1977, Itaim Bibi in 1984, and Shopping Mappin ABC in 1987, the company's first location outside the capital of São Paulo state. In 1991 it opened or established a presence at Shopping Center Norte, Shopping West Plaza and Shopping Morumbi, followed by Shopping Jardim Sul in 1993 and Esplanada Shopping in Sorocaba in 1995. The chain also experimented with remote retail through TV Mappin, a television-based product-sales operation that accepted orders by telephone. Mappin built strong consumer recognition through frequent promotional campaigns and a memorable Portuguese-language advertising jingle centered on the phrase “Mappin, venha correndo, Mappin, chegou a hora, Mappin, é a liquidação.” Its campaigns covered everyday savings, household appliances, personal hygiene, automotive products and major sporting events such as the 1986 and 1990 FIFA World Cups. The brand also maintained a long-running association with Turma da Mônica, a Brazilian children's entertainment property, during the 1980s and 1990s. The chain's later history was marked by financial distress and ownership changes. Under the administration of Ricardo Mansur, Mappin incorporated Mesbla in 1996, but both retail operations subsequently entered severe financial difficulty. Mappin closed in 1999 after bankruptcy proceedings were decreed alongside those of Mesbla. Grupo Pão de Açúcar temporarily took over the historic Praça Ramos de Azevedo location and operated it under an Extra Mappin banner, but the store was later abandoned and finally closed in 2003 because of inadequate profitability and site-maintenance costs. In 2010, the Mappin trademark was sold at a judicial auction to Lojas Marabraz for less than its stated valuation. Marabraz's management discussed reactivating the name, but no confirmed relaunch is established in the cited reference material.
History
Mappin's history combined English commercial origins with the development of modern Brazilian department-store retail. The business traced its beginnings to 1774 in Sheffield, England, and was subsequently brought to Brazil by Walter and Hebert Mappin. Its Brazilian operation became based in São Paulo, where it developed into one of the city's most recognizable retailers and operated for roughly 86 years. The company helped introduce practices that later became standard in Brazilian retail. In the 1930s, it placed price labels in its windows, making advertised prices visible to passers-by and reducing reliance on individualized bargaining. It was also a major force in the spread of installment purchasing, enabling consumers to acquire higher-value goods through scheduled payments. Mappin's stores offered a broad assortment rather than specializing in a single category, bringing together fashion, household products, appliances, hygiene goods, automotive products and other merchandise. During the 1940s and 1950s, Mappin occupied an important place in São Paulo's social life. Its stores were associated with the city's elite and functioned as gathering points as well as shopping destinations. The company anticipated the later shopping-mall format by assembling many retail categories in one location. The Praça Ramos de Azevedo store in central São Paulo became the principal physical symbol of the brand and a landmark in the city's commercial history. Mappin expanded its branch network from the late 1960s onward. It opened a Rua São Bento branch in 1969 and an Avenida São João branch in 1977, the latter described as the first São Paulo store with its own parking lot. An Itaim Bibi branch followed in 1984. In 1987, Shopping Mappin ABC became the first branch outside the city of São Paulo, extending the chain into the wider state market. Further locations associated with the 1991 expansion included Shopping Center Norte, Shopping West Plaza and Shopping Morumbi. Shopping Jardim Sul was added in 1993, and Esplanada Shopping in Sorocaba followed in 1995. The retailer also pursued new sales channels. TV Mappin was created in the early 1990s as a television-based operation through which customers could order goods by telephone. This initiative broadened the brand beyond its physical stores and anticipated later forms of remote and multichannel retail. Advertising was central to Mappin's identity. Its campaigns emphasized low prices, clearance events and practical household consumption, while World Cup promotions connected the retailer to national sporting attention. A highly recognizable jingle repeated the invitation to come to Mappin for its sales, helping embed the brand in popular culture. The company also used the Turma da Mônica property in campaigns and promotions from the 1980s through the 1990s. The chain's expansion did not prevent a later financial collapse. Under Ricardo Mansur's administration, Mappin incorporated Mesbla in 1996. The combined business encountered serious financial problems, and Mappin closed in 1999 when bankruptcy proceedings were decreed alongside those of Mesbla. Grupo Pão de Açúcar then took over the Praça Ramos de Azevedo property through its Extra hypermarket operation, using the Extra Mappin name. That arrangement did not last: the location was eventually abandoned and closed in 2003 after the operator cited insufficient profitability and the costs of maintaining the site. Interest in reviving the trademark continued after the operating chain disappeared. In 2009, press reporting attributed to Ricardo Mansur an intention to seek a reopening and pursue funding from international investors. In November 2010, a judicial auction transferred the Mappin trademark to Lojas Marabraz for less than the reported R$12 million valuation. Marabraz's general director stated an intention to reactivate the brand by 2016 at the latest, but the cited material does not establish that a relaunch occurred. Mappin therefore remains a defunct department-store chain whose historical importance lies in its role in São Paulo's retail modernization, promotional culture and development of broad-assortment shopping.
- 2010
Trademark acquired by Lojas Marabraz
[1]A judicial auction transferred the Mappin trademark to Lojas Marabraz.
- 1999
Operating chain closes
[1]Mappin closed and entered bankruptcy proceedings alongside Mesbla.
- 1996
Mesbla incorporated into Mappin
[1]Mappin incorporated the Mesbla stores during Ricardo Mansur's administration.
- 1995
Esplanada Shopping branch opens
[1]Mappin added a store at Esplanada Shopping in Sorocaba, in the interior of São Paulo state.
- 1991
Major branch expansion and TV Mappin
[1]The chain expanded into several shopping centers and created TV Mappin, a telephone-order television sales operation.
- 1987
First branch outside São Paulo city
[1]Shopping Mappin ABC became the first Mappin location outside the capital of São Paulo state.
- 1977
Avenida São João branch opens
[1]The Avenida São João branch opened with its own parking lot, described as a first among São Paulo stores.
- 1969
Rua São Bento branch opens
[1]Mappin expanded its São Paulo network with a branch on Rua São Bento.
- 1930
Visible price labeling
[1]Mappin introduced price labels in its shop windows, an innovation in Brazilian retail presentation.
- 1774
Business origins in Sheffield
[1]The enterprise traced its origins to Sheffield, England.
Products and positioning
A broad-assortment, high-visibility department-store retailer associated with São Paulo retail culture, accessible installment purchasing, prominent promotional pricing and one-stop shopping.
Department-store retail
General department-store assortment
Mappin's core offer was a broad assortment designed to make the store a one-stop destination. The range included clothing, household merchandise, appliances, personal-care and hygiene products, automotive parts and other consumer goods. This breadth was central to the chain's identity and helped it anticipate the later shopping-mall model.
Television and telephone retail · 1991
TV Mappin
TV Mappin extended the department-store proposition into a remote-sales channel. Customers could view product offers through television and place orders by telephone. The service represented an early multichannel retail experiment before the chain's closure.
Marketing campaigns
- 1992TV Mappin
Brazil
A television-led sales initiative promoted products that customers could order by telephone.
Outcome. The initiative broadened Mappin's sales channels beyond physical branches.
- 1990Compre de novo para a Copa do Mundo
Brazil
A second World Cup campaign used the tournament as a retail and promotional occasion.
- 1986Compre tudo para a Copa do Mundo
Brazil
A World Cup-themed campaign encouraged consumers to purchase the goods they needed for the tournament period.
- 1980Turma da Mônica promotions
Brazil
Mappin used the Turma da Mônica children's entertainment property in campaigns and promotions over an extended period.
Outcome. The association connected the retailer with family and children's marketing through the 1980s and 1990s.
- 1977Economia é só no Mappin
Brazil
A value-oriented campaign positioning Mappin as a destination for savings.
Outcome. It supported the chain's low-price and promotional retail image.
- 1975Liquida, liquida!
Brazil
A promotional campaign focused on clearance pricing across categories including home appliances, hygiene products and automotive parts.
Outcome. The campaign reinforced Mappin's association with broad, promotional department-store sales.
Brand decisions
2010
Judicial sale of the Mappin trademarkM&ABackground
After the operating chain had disappeared, the trademark was offered through a judicial auction.
Action taken
Lojas Marabraz acquired the Mappin brand.
Aftermath
Marabraz management discussed reactivating the name, but the cited material does not confirm a subsequent relaunch.
Reported trademark valuation. Less than R$12 million (2010)
1999
Extra Mappin takeover of the flagship siteStrategyBackground
Following Mappin's closure, the Praça Ramos de Azevedo property remained a prominent retail location.
Action taken
Grupo Pão de Açúcar took over the location through Extra and operated it under the Extra Mappin banner.
Aftermath
The operation was later abandoned and the store closed in 2003 because of inadequate profitability and maintenance costs.
1996
Incorporation of MesblaM&ABackground
Mappin was operating under Ricardo Mansur during a period of expansion and financial pressure.
Action taken
The company incorporated the Mesbla stores into Mappin.
Aftermath
The combined retail operations later entered bankruptcy proceedings, and Mappin closed in 1999.
Recent events
- 2010
Mappin trademark sold to Lojas Marabraz at judicial auction[1]
M&A · Other
The Mappin brand was sold through a judicial auction to Lojas Marabraz for less than the reported valuation of R$12 million. Marabraz management discussed bringing the brand back into operation.
- 2003
Praça Ramos de Azevedo store finally closes[1]
Other
The former flagship site was closed after the operator cited low profitability, the cost of maintaining the location and failure to meet the group's required store-quality standards.
- 1999
Mappin closes after bankruptcy proceedings[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
Mappin closed during a period of financial distress under Ricardo Mansur. Bankruptcy proceedings were decreed alongside those of Mesbla, which had been incorporated into Mappin in 1996.
- 1999
Grupo Pão de Açúcar operates the former flagship under the Extra Mappin banner[1]
M&A · Other
Grupo Pão de Açúcar, through its Extra hypermarket business, took over the Praça Ramos de Azevedo location after Mappin's closure. The operation was later discontinued.
Sources1 sources
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