An emporium is a large store, especially for household products.
The etymology of emporium takes us to the Latin emporĭum , in turn derived from the Greek empórion . This word from the Hellenic language refers to a market that is established in a foreign territory .
International trade site
The first meaning of emporium mentioned in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), in this framework, refers to the place that brings together people from different countries to trade .
Currently the notion of emporium is used in various ways. An emporium can be a large store where it is possible to buy multiple types of products, especially those that are for the home.
prosperous company
The idea of an emporium also refers to a flourishing company or business group : that is, prosperous. A place that stands out for the growth of its commerce or the expansion of its art or science can also be named as an emporium.
For example: “The American tycoon created a fast food emporium when he was barely 20 years old,” “The Italian city was a cultural emporium during the Middle Ages,” “No one expected a technological emporium of such magnitude to collapse so quickly.”
Another meaning
At a general level it can be said that something that advances, enlarges or evolves with great speed or without pause is an emporium, even if that development is negative . Suppose a president sets aside the Constitution and the Judiciary intervenes to make deals and allow him and his friends to enrich themselves illicitly. Faced with this reality, journalists describe the nation as an emporium of corruption .
Just as a company that flourishes quickly and constantly to become a powerhouse within the field of commerce can be called an emporium , in this case we refer to this exponential growth to use it figuratively. We must highlight, in any case, the fact that in this meaning the nature of the thing that is developed does not matter; As we see in the previous example, we talk about corruption , something negative.
While there are not many terms that can be used synonymously in this sense, there are some that function in a similar way in everyday speech. For example, we can mention nests , a word that is also effective to denounce a case of growing corruption, although in its purest meaning there is the idea of "origin" or "birth", but produces an equivalent result if we say that a country is "a nest of corruption."
With less emphasis on reproduction or origin is the word focus . In this case, if we are strict, the meaning refers more to the point on which it is concentrated than to its development . However, saying that the country is "a hotbed of corruption" expresses an idea very similar to that of emporium .
An Emporio Armani watch, with its iconic eagle
Emporio Armani
In this case it is used as a proper name, since it is part of the avant-garde line of Giorgio Armani , a renowned Italian designer and businessman. This line focuses mainly on clothing and accessories (such as watches, jewelry and sunglasses) for young people and the name refers to a broad fashion, where everyone can find what they like most and there are no barriers or impositions.
The Emporio Armani logo shows the image of an eagle. The fame of this avant-garde line is international, and has been growing since its beginnings in 1981, largely thanks to its spirit, which invites us to leave inhibitions behind . Each season, new proposals are presented that maintain their fundamental features, such as aesthetic elegance, but adapt to the needs and trends of consumers .