What: El Corte Inglés has opened Sneakers Room, a dedicated sneaker and urban fashion space on the fifth floor of its Preciados store in Madrid, with the collections also available at Plaza Catalunya in Barcelona and online.

Why it is important: The concept brings specialist sneaker retail into the department store, positioning El Corte Inglés as a multi-brand destination for a younger, culture-driven customer.

El Corte Inglés has unveiled Sneakers Room, a new concept dedicated to sneaker culture and urban fashion, located on the fifth floor of its Preciados store in Madrid. The collections are also available at the Plaza Catalunya store in Barcelona and through the group's online platform. The space is designed to offer a specialised shopping experience in a category that is gaining ground within urban fashion.

The assortment combines exclusive releases, classic models and new arrivals from leading national and international brands, including Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Asics, Puma, Salomon, Saucony, Hoka, On, Crocs, Vans, Jordan, Keen and Reebok. The selection spans chunky models, clogs and contemporary designs alongside retro and classic silhouettes for running, basketball and tennis, complemented by a selection of urban fashion items.

Founded in 1940 by Ramón Areces and César Rodríguez González and headquartered in Madrid, El Corte Inglés is one of Spain's leading retail groups. To accelerate its digital transformation and consolidate its omnichannel model, the company increased its investment by 9.4% in fiscal year 2025, to €577 million.

IADS Notes: Sneakers Room builds on El Corte Inglés' earlier sports-led repositioning in Madrid, where the group relaunched its Puerta del Sol store as a dedicated sports centre with Adidas, Nike and Under Armour shop-in-shops and a ground floor built around sneaker trends (Modaes, January 2026). Other department stores are also reorganising footwear and active categories around curated, destination-style spaces. Bloomingdale's has grown its men's shoe floor by balancing casual sneakers with formal and luxury styles across price points (Footwear News, February 2026). John Lewis is rolling out Sports & Wellness departments organised by activity rather than product category, with brands such as Nike and Brooks alongside gait analysis and run clubs (Press Release, August 2026). The focus on sneaker culture also responds to a generational gap: department store customer bases skew older, while Gen Z shopping habits are shaped by social media and digital channels (Retail Wire, October 2025).

El Corte Inglés increases its commitment to urban fashion with the Sneakers Room space in its Preciados store

What: John Lewis has opened its 2026 Christmas shop across its UK stores, reporting strong early demand across festive categories, with gift wrap searches up fivefold year on year.

Why it is important: With a widened first-half loss and a full-year outcome that depends on peak trading, John Lewis is using early demand data, loyalty-first access and nostalgic ranges to secure festive footfall before the Golden Quarter begins.

John Lewis opened its Christmas shop across UK stores on 23 September, with festive ranges spanning decorations, gifting, wrapping and tableware. Early demand is rising: searches for Christmas gift wrap are up fivefold year on year, charity Christmas card searches are up 75%, and searches for gift tags and stockings have both risen 50%. Christmas cracker sales and searches for Christmas tableware are each up 25%.

The new decoration range leans into the "kidulting" trend, in which adults embrace nostalgic, playful products associated with childhood. Retro-inspired designs include a 1970s disco mouse, a miniature arcade game and a cassette tape, alongside products featuring Miffy, Snoopy and The Gruffalo, and yeti decorations that double as bag charms.

Santa's tea party also returns to selected stores, including Bluewater, Edinburgh and Westfield London, with 28% more tickets than last year; 65% had already been sold to My John Lewis members ahead of general sale on 28 September. Tickets cost £8.80 per child and £27.50 per adult. Loyalty members can also book seasonal masterclasses, from candle making to wreath making, while selected stores will host experiences from Hotel Chocolat and Biscuiteers, and five stores will offer cashmere personalisation.

IADS Notes: The 2026 Christmas shop opens against a tougher backdrop than last year's launch. John Lewis's first-half loss before tax and exceptional items widened to £124m and sales at the John Lewis brand fell 2%, leaving the full-year outcome dependent on peak trading (Drapers, September 2026). Its 2025 Christmas shop relied on exclusive collaborations, personalised gifts and in-store workshops while the business posted a wider £38m operating loss (Drapers, September 2025). The use of loyalty-first ticketing to build festive momentum follows the expansion of John Lewis's loyalty programme with MyJL Beauty, when active members reached 3.8 million, up 4% year on year (Drapers, April 2026). The combination of events, new products and member perks also echoes Macy's "100 Days to Christmas" approach, which used experiences rather than early discounting to protect margins as the Golden Quarter lengthens (Inside Retail, November 2025). The retailer's move on kidulting rests on demand already visible elsewhere: in France, purchases by adults and adolescents rose 22% in 2025 and now account for 36% of toy sales (Le Monde, December 2025).

John Lewis unveils 2026 Christmas shop

What: John Lewis has opened its Christmas shop across its stores 93 days before the big day, citing surging early demand for festive products.

Why it is important: The early launch reflects a broader shift in festive retail, where demand is now triggered by consumer search behaviour rather than the traditional calendar, pushing seasonal launch windows steadily earlier.

John Lewis has opened Christmas shops inside its stores across the country, 93 days ahead of the big day, offering wrapping paper, decorations, lights and tableware. The retailer said early demand for festive products has been surging, with searches for gift wrap up fivefold and charity Christmas card searches up 75%.

Nostalgic tech and retro decorations are expected to be among the season's most popular trends, with shoppers seeking screen-free gifts such as cassette players, miniature arcade games and classic sketch toys. In-store experiences have also been expanded, with the children's storytelling event Santa's Tea Party returning with a 28% increase in ticket availability, alongside seasonal masterclasses such as wreath making and paint-and-sip sessions. Stores will also host experiences with retail partners Hotel Chocolat and Biscuiteers, plus talks for My John Lewis loyalty members on themes including how to set the perfect Christmas table.

New this year, selected stores will offer on-the-spot personalisation for customers purchasing any cashmere item. Head of Christmas Cydney Ball said the launch reflects months of planning and that Christmas at John Lewis is about the anticipation and nostalgia that make the season feel magical.

IADS Notes: This physical opening extends a sequence of early-festive moves John Lewis has made this year: it follows the online Christmas shop launched in late August, which cited a 33% spike in festive searches after the World Cup final and similarly leaned on Santa's Tea Party events and pre-lit trees. The seasonal experience is being built with a leaner workforce than in previous years, after the retailer confirmed in early September that it would hire 10,400 seasonal staff, down from last year's record 13,700. The emphasis on nostalgia, personalisation and loyalty-member perks also continues a pattern seen a year earlier, when the retailer trialled a VIP lounge for loyalty members during the Christmas trading period as a way of testing experiential concepts at peak footfall.

John Lewis opens Christmas shop to give shoppers a head start