After 23 years out of business, the Mesbla department store is back on sale. But this time, only on the internet. Electronics, appliances, furniture, homeware, decorations and toys have been advertised since yesterday on the website mesbla.com. The investment for the resumption of business was R$ 500 thousand.
Mesbla was one of the biggest references in the expansion of department stores in the country, and ended its activities in 1999. The new bet on business resumption does not involve plans to open physical stores, according to the company.
In charge of the business are lawyer Ricardo Viana and partner Marcel Jeronimo, who bought the right and license to use the store’s name, brand and visual identity on the internet — and promise competitive prices.
According to Mesbla, the platform will generate 2,500 direct and indirect jobs. In Rio de Janeiro, subway cars have already been covered with brand stickers to promote the new marketplace.
Online sales growth
The brand’s return in the virtual environment was encouraged, according to the company, by the moment of expansion of e-commerce in the country, which grew 26.9% in 2021, compared to the previous year. The data are from Neotrust, a company that monitors 85% of e-commerce in Brazil.
According to the survey, the sector’s revenue last year was R$ 160 million – heated mainly by the covid-19 pandemic.
