What: John Lewis is launching its biggest beauty advent calendar yet, worth £1,160 and available first to MyJL Beauty members.
Why it is important: The launch shows how department stores are using beauty calendars to drive loyalty, early festive demand and premium brand discovery.
John Lewis is launching its biggest beauty advent calendar to date, with a stated value of £1,160 and a retail price of £250. Available to preview from 3 August, it will be offered first through app pre-orders for MyJL Beauty members, before wider member availability and general sale in September.  The calendar contains 41 products across 25 drawers, with more than half in full size. Brands include Fenty Beauty, Elemis, Trinny London, Aveda, Dermalogica, Jo Loves, Medik8, Sisley, La Mer and Charlotte Tilbury. For the first time, the calendar also includes beauty tech, with a FOREO UFO mini worth £129. One in 41 customers will receive a mystery voucher, with prizes including a Shark tool and a Clarins spa treatment.
John Lewis is also launching its first 12-day fragrance advent calendar, priced at £99 and worth £305, featuring brands such as Memo Paris, KILIAN PARIS, Frederic Malle and Essential Parfums.
IADS Notes: John Lewis’s 2026 beauty advent calendar builds on a clear strategy of using beauty as a loyalty, discovery and premium-value engine. In September 2025, Fashion Network reported that John Lewis’s previous beauty advent calendar used high-value curation, early loyalty access, surprise prizes, reusable packaging and premium brands to drive seasonal excitement, with searches for beauty advent calendars up 50%. The 2026 edition extends that model through MyJL Beauty app pre-orders, a higher stated value and the first inclusion of beauty tech. This fits John Lewis’s wider beauty push: in April 2026, a Press Release described the launch of MyJL Beauty rewards, exclusive Skin Cupid shop-in-shops, curated boxes, expert advice and omnichannel engagement, while Drapers reported in May 2026 that loyalty, events and advisory services were being used to deepen customer relationships. The strategy also builds on the August 2025 transformation of John Lewis’s Liverpool beauty hall, covered by The Retail Bulletin, where experiential spaces, premium brands, Fenty Beauty, service-led retail and digital integration repositioned beauty as a growth category. More broadly, Glossy’s November 2025 analysis of US department stores showed how luxury brands, immersive services and advanced technology are reshaping beauty retail.

John Lewis announces its biggest beauty advent calendar, worth £1,160

What: Manor is using its Locarno store and festival partnership to combine cinema, gastronomy, VIP access and cultural brand-building.
Why it is important: The activation shows how department stores can use cultural sponsorship, hospitality and loyalty benefits to deepen customer engagement beyond shopping.
Manor is celebrating the 79th Locarno Film Festival through its long-standing partnership with the event, combining cultural sponsorship with exclusive customer experiences. From 5 to 15 August 2026, the retailer will support the festival through two main initiatives: the Pardo d’Onore Manor and a premium hospitality package for Manor World Mastercard holders. The Pardo d’Onore Manor recognises major figures in international cinema. In 2026, the award will be presented to American director Darren Aronofsky on 14 August at Piazza Grande. During the festival, Aronofsky will also present two of his films, “The Fountain” and “Mother!”. Manor is also using its Locarno department store, located near Piazza Grande, as part of the festival experience. Mastercard holders can book a package for two people at CHF 290, including an aperitif, dinner on the Pardo terrace overlooking Piazza Grande, red-carpet access, reserved VIP seats and the evening film screening. The initiative links cinema, hospitality, loyalty and lifestyle positioning.
IADS Notes: Manor’s Locarno Film Festival activation fits a broader strategy of using culture, hospitality and flagship experiences to position the retailer beyond conventional shopping. In February 2026, a Press Release on the Manor Cultural Prize showed how the retailer uses long-term cultural patronage, exhibitions and institutional partnerships to strengthen brand identity and community ties. Manor’s June 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign similarly demonstrated how major cultural and sporting moments can become multi-channel retail activations through merchandise, creative collaborations and themed experiences. The hospitality dimension is reinforced by Manor’s April 2026 partnership with Michelin chef Danny Khezzar in Geneva, where food became a driver of footfall, engagement and destination appeal. In January 2026, 24heures reported that Manor and the City of Lausanne were turning the department store façade into a public-facing cultural platform through artist-led installations. More broadly, Manor’s March 2026 CHF 200 million investment plan showed that flagship modernisation, experiential retail, digital innovation and differentiated shopping environments are central to its growth strategy.

Manor is celebrating the Locarno Film Festival with hospitality experiences for Manor Mastercard holders 

What: El Corte Inglés raised capex to €577 million as it accelerated digital transformation, AI, logistics and retail network renewal.
Why it is important: The investment shows how El Corte Inglés is using stronger finances to modernise stores, logistics and technology while preparing for its next strategic phase.
El Corte Inglés increased investment by 9.4% in its 2025 financial year, reaching €577 million compared with €527.85 million the previous year. The spending supports the group’s strategic priorities, including digital transformation, omnichannel consolidation, logistics optimisation, store operations and retail network modernisation. The largest share of capex went to materials and construction, which rose 11.85% to €321 million. This mainly covered department store renovations, adaptation of retail spaces and expansion of other commercial formats. Technology investment also remained high at €237 million, slightly above the previous year’s €233 million. The technology budget focused on omnichannel development, logistics, store operations and Viajes El Corte Inglés. Projects included new digital platforms, analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, corporate platform modernisation, predictive models for personalisation and forecasting, real-time logistics traceability and new management and data analytics tools. The group also invested €19 million in other initiatives linked to technology, fashion, home services, security and travel, while divesting only non-strategic assets.
IADS Notes: El Corte Inglés’s 9.4% capex increase confirms that the group is moving from balance-sheet repair toward a more investment-led transformation. In July 2025, Modaes and Fashion Network reported the launch of a €3 billion investment plan through 2030, focused on store modernisation, business expansion, logistics and technological capabilities. The next phase was reinforced in July 2026, when Modaes reported that Cristina Álvarez would present an updated strategic plan in September, with stores, digital growth, AI, logistics and operational transformation positioned as priorities. The group’s ability to fund this agenda was supported by its June 2026 results, when a company press release reported double-digit profit growth, record-low debt, digital transformation, store modernisation and logistics innovation. Modaes also reported in January 2026 that Álvarez had strengthened digital, customer experience, operations and supply chain leadership while reorganising purchasing to improve category expertise and agility. By April 2026, Modaes framed the group’s direction as a shift toward growth through acquisitions, increased investment, digital transformation, logistics and organisational renewal.

El Corte Inglés increased its investment by 9.4% in FY2025, to €577 million