What: The company has launched a themed Star Wars space at its Sanchinarro location in Madrid where customers can enjoy activities and share their passion for the saga.

Why it is important: The event is a way to attract customers into the store with different activities and a special discount on Star Wars merchandise.

El Corte Inglés Sanchinarro will be hosting a Star Wars event from May 4th to May 7th to celebrate May the 4th, international Star Wars Day.

The space includes a recreation of a Star Wars ship, an artistic area for coloring, and a gaming area where fans can play video games. A parade will also take place with surprise characters and a special 20% discount will be applied to the entire line of Star Wars merchandise on May 4th.

El Corte Inglés creates a Star Wars space in Madrid to celebrate international Star Wars Day

What: The Mall Group is resuming the expansion of its Gourmet Market branches after being put on hold for three years due to the impact of the pandemic.

Why it is important: The group is ready to move forward with opening more locations as consumer spending recovers.

The sales of all Gourmet Market branches have recovered by 80 to 90% in the first four months of the year and have also shown double-digit growth in comparison to the same period last year.

The company invested THB 100 million to open a stand-alone branch at Design Village Bangna, which will cover more than 2,500 square meters and offer more than 30,000 premium products and fresh food.

The new location looks to target families and foreigners living in Bang Na district, which is one of the most lucrative areas, as well as tourists due to the store's proximity to the airport.

The Mall Group has plans to open one to two more locations this year as well as the renovations of two existing branches.  Additionally, the company has 10 locations set aside for future openings.

Gourmet Market expansion back on track

What: Breuninger has given its online shops a new design in all ten markets.

Why it is important: Breuninger is making online shopping more attractive with larger product images and more modern design language.

The redesign, including the storytelling and content was carried out in-house by Breuninger.

The company is focusing on its omnichannel strategy and its brand by creating a unique shopping experience not only in store but also online.

Breuninger relaunches online shop 

What: The department store has partnered with Hideout, a company that specializes in exclusive sneakers, to host a basketball challenge in front of its Lausanne supermarket.

Why it is important: The event is a creative way for the department store to attract customers and build community.

Manor and Hideout will be giving away a pair of exclusive sneakers to every participant who makes a basket from a distance of 18 meters.

A DJ will host the afternoon and drinks will be provided by Manor Food and Manora Restaurant.

The event is organized in partnership with the Swiss Basketball Federation, Swiss Baksetball, who has provided the approved basket.

Manor partners with Hideout to host a challenge in Lausanne

What: Loewe's capsule summer collection can be found at Galeries Lafayette until June 1.

Why it is important: The Spanish brand has taken over the department store's windows and Mogador entrance as well as the atrium of the men's store and a corner of the shoe department.

Galeries Lafayette hosts Loewe Paula's Ibiza pop-up

What: The Société des Grand Magasins (SGM) has obtained a loan from a French banking network to ensure most of the acquisition of the Parisian department store and its branch in Parly 2.

Why it is important: The finalization of the takeover is becoming clearer as the group also received approval from the Competition Authority.

SGM obtained a loan on May 26, allowing it to provide most of the financing for the acquisition.

The group also obtained approval from the Competition Authority for this operation and received the favourable opinion of the representatives of the BHV staff.

SGM group obtains its financing and the authorization to acquire BHV

What: The Mall Group is rebranding The Mall to the The Mall Life Store and making its Bangkapi and Bang Khae stores a flagship landmark.

Why it is important: The Bangkapi and Bangkhae stores will support the strategic plans to develop the areas into commercial and residential areas of Bangkok.

The transformation of the stores are part of a development plan in Bangkok to raise the quality of life of urban people and meet the needs of every generation.

The new look and rebranding of the stores will be completed in December.

The Mall Group transforms The Mall Life Store Bangkapi and Bang Khae

What: The Mall Group won the award Top Influential Brands, as the top brand with the highest influence on consumers in 2022 in the department store category and the Outstanding Leadership Award for Brand Management.

Why it is important: The awards reinforce the success of The Mall Group's business operations, making them a leading shopping centre and department store group in the Asian retail industry

The award ceremony is considered the biggest of the year, with six countries across Asia participating for the 10th year. The awards are held in collaboration with Influential Brands CO., Ltd., and Neo Target Company Limited.

The awards involve an intensive evaluation and selection criteria by the management at Influential Brands, making it an honor and pride to be selected. Research is also conducted from more than 1,000 consumers' voices across all industries ranging from ages 24-39. The results are made available between June and July, encouraging brands to improve and develop in various dimensions.

The Mall Group wins 2 major awards from the 2022 Asia Influential Brands Awards 

What: The renovations of Breuninger's flagship store in Düsseldorf have been completed with 14 new shop-in-shops.

Why it is important: The investments in the luxury and beauty areas show the department store's commitment to the future of stationary retail.

The upgrade and redesign has been in the works since 2019 under managing director Andreas Rebbelmund.

The luxury floor has grown by 30%, with beauty and leather goods totaling 3,500 square meters. Givenchy, Valentino, RImowa, MCM, Dolce & Gabbana, and Chloé are displayed on 1,800 square meters.

Balenciaga has tripled to 80 square meters with a new concrete ambiance and Saint Laurent and Celine have doubled their space. The department store has also started carrying Loewe which is positioned with bags at the main entrance.

The beauty area has also grown by 20% with 1,200 square meters featuring new spaces for brands like Tom Ford, Byredo, Diptyque, among others, as well as Le Labo being exclusively sold at the Düsseldorf location.

Breuninger opens new ground floor in Düsseldorf

What: El Corte Ingles' home department has launched a new catalog with four new collections centered around the theme "Our favorite place, your home."

Why it is important: The new catalog is committed to quality, variety, sustainability, as well as manufacturing in Spain and Portugal.

The four new collections featured in the Decora catalog include differing decoration styles. Flowers Conquer Your House is romantic and fresh, including floral and geometric prints with pops of color. Contrast Game is more modern, inspired by the 80s with intense and primary colors combined with black and white. The Inner Garden collection is tropical-inspired with bright colors and prints in green tones while the Life in Calm collection features warm, neutral tones with simple lines and vintage pieces.

Products range from a variety of furniture and decorative objects to air fresheners and textiles as well as tableware, kitchenware, and lighting.

El Corte Inglés Home presents its 'Decora' catalog with four new collections for this season

What: The SM Group was named the Manila Bulletin UPLIFT 2023 Awardee for Big Business for their contributions to improving the lives of Filipinos.

Why it is important: SM Groups continues to uplift and support its communities and customers through its recent initiatives.

The group was recognized for its initiatives regarding a countrywide climate action plan, signing up as a supporter of the United Nations Global Women Empowerment Principles, and its partnership with UNIQLO Foundation to plant at least 200,000 trees and create livelihood opportunities.

SM Group receives Manila Bulletin's UPLIFT 2023 Awards for Big Business

What: The department store group has achieved an operating profit of 1.03 billion euros in the 2022 financial year.

Why it is important: The operating result increased 20% compared to the 800 million euros reached the previous year and exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

The results were driven by the return of tourism as well as the group's fashion business which saw the highest margin.

El Corte Inglés has obtained a net profit without extraordinary items higher than the EUR 310 million it obtained in the 2019 financial year. The figure is almost three times the EUR 120 million in capital gains earned the previous year.

The department store group closed last year with a total net profit close to 1 billion euros, when accounting for the income obtained from the agreement with Mutua Madrileña who bought 50% of the group's insurance and wealth business for EUR 550 million and acquired 8% of the holding company's treasury stock for 555 million euros.

In 2021, El Corte Inglés ended the year with revenues of 12.507 million euros and again in profit. By the first quarter of 2022, it had already returned to pre-covid sales volumes.

The company renewed its leadership in 2022 by dividing management functions and is currently in the process of restructuring its workforce.

El Corte Inglés registers an EBITDA of more than 1 billion euros in 2022

What: Galeries Lafayette has reopened its Paris Haussmann Welcome & Shopping Center dedicated to Asian tourists and customers.

Why it is important: Galeries Lafeyette aims to offer a unique and unforgettable shopping experience to Asian tourists and customers.

They are also hiring for team members to support the store, including 4 managers and 7 customer service advisors.

Galeries Lafayette reopens Welcome & Shopping Center for Asian tourists

What: Breuninger hosted its Fashion x Food culinary event for around 1,000 guests at its Stuttgart flagship.

Why it is important: The department store is offering its customers unique experiences and unforgettable moments that demonstrate its commitment to providing unique service and excellent product quality.

At the event, guests experienced a unique combination of enjoyment, table culture, and lifestyle in addition to culinary highlights by top chefs, including nine-star chefs.

Various interpretations of gourmet dishes were served at over 24 stations from top chefs and local culinary artists.

Breuninger allows customers to experience a combination of exclusive events, excellent service, and attractive product quality through its lifestyle and fashion offering as well as its restaurants, cafés, and bars.

Breuninger hosts a gourmet evening in a class of its own

What: The final amount that El Corte Inglés paid for the acquisition of half of its stores has risen to EUR 500 million, including compensation and interest.

Why it is important: With this transaction, the department store group acquired 4.2 million shares, which meant 5.53% of the group's capital, half of the 10.33% that AI Thani came to own.

El Corte Inglés repurchased half of its shares in the group from Qatari investor Al Thani in 2022. The operation was originally valued at EUR 385 million, but the final amount has increased to EUR 500 million to include compensation and interest.

EUR 115 million has been added to the price, mostly as compensation to Primefin, the Luxembourg company through which Al Thani owned shares, after granting a loan of EUR 1 billion to El Corte Inglés in 2015.

El Corte Inglés paid EUR 500 million for the acquisition of half of Al Thani's shares

What: Burberry debuted its new global store format in Mexico with the renovation of its store at El Palacio de Hierro Polanco.

Why it is important: The opening of the store marked the debut of the new concept in Latin America, making El Palacio de Hierro the first in the region to have the updated format.

The new concept features checkerboard mosaics, glossy white finishes, as well as glass and mirrors that reflect the natural light from outside, creating a bright atmosphere that imitates a gallery.

The opening included the arrival of the summer 2023 collection, which features women's ready-to-wear garments as well bags, footwear, and other accessories designed by Ricardo Tisci.

Daniel Lee's first installment, set to take place in the autumn-winter season will arrive in Mexico at the second half of the year according to Burberry's country manager in Mexico.

Burberry premieres its new global store concept in Mexico at El Palacio de Hierro

What: SM received Platinum Awards for excellence in corporate sustainability from The Asset, a Hong-Kong based multimedia company.

Why it is important: This is the company's 14th consecutive year receiving the award which recognizes its commitment to environmental, social and governance excellence.

SM receives highest honors from Hong Kong magazine

What: Galeries Lafayette announced it will be offering its own class at ESG Luxe to recruit, support and train the talens of tomorrow.

Why it is important: The class is a two year course made with the intention to ensure the success of its future managers.

The course is a certified training in work-study that will last for 2 years at the start of young professionals' careers. It is set to launch at the beginning of the school year.

Galeries Lafayette partners with ESG Luxe to offer its own training

What: High end and costume jewelry brands have been moved to the third floor of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann.

Why it is important: With the repositioning of the jewelry department, customers are encouraged to complete their looks as women's fashion labels are also displayed on this level of the department store.

Previously located on the ground floor, Galeries Lafayette's jewelry space has been relocated to the third floor of its Haussmann location in a space called "Le Bijou."

The space features around thirty brands from accessible to luxury with Agatha, Aristorazy, and Pandora being among the brands with their own corners.

Two multi-brand spaces are featured, "La Bijouterie" which is dedicated to precious items and features brands such as Charlotte Chesnais, Vanrycke, and Atelier Paulin, and the second space which is dedicated to fantasy, selling items by Satellite, Bohemian Rhapsodie, and two new brands, Pdpaola and Virginie Berman.

The elaborate décor of the dome plays nicely with the minimalistic display cabinets that are adorned with wood, ivory, or water green colors with golden hardware.

Galeries Lafayette elevates its jewelry space

What: Merlin Properties has closed the purchase of the commercial space of El Corte Inglés in Marineda City.

Why it is important: El Corte Inglés will close the center which spans a total commercial area of 45,000 square meters and Merlin will become the sole owner of the shopping center.

El Corte Inglés sells its center in Marineda City 

What: Galeries Lafayette is scaling up its ambitions for the Chinese market, forming a joint venture with Hopson Group, a major listed property firm in south-eastern China.

Why it is important: The alliance will accelerate the roll-out of the Galeries Lafayette brand in China, with plans to open 10 new stores by 2025 and strengthen the group's digital presence as part of an omnichannel approach.

As China gradually reopens, Galeries Lafayette is initiating a new phase in its Chinese growth through this strategic partnership. The partnership will come into effect over the next few weeks, with both parties holding equal shares and voting rights in the joint venture.

Collaboratively, the two partners will explore a new model for the development of China's high-end retail industry, creating a major retailer that is capable of responding to generational trends and has the strong potential for growth in domestic consumption between now and 2030.

Galeries Lafayette will leverage Hopson Group's property portfolio, expertise in high-end urban complexities and shopping centres, and its knowledge of the Chinese market while the Hopson Group can benefit from Galeries Lafayette's strong identity and fashion and luxury expertise.

The group is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its Beijing store, with plans to open three more locations in Shenzhen, Chongqing, and Macau this year.

Galeries Lafayette forms a joint venture with Hopson Group to initiate a new deployment phase in China

What: The Mall Group hosted and awarded students the TMG scholarship.

Why it is important: The Mall Group's Vice Chairman, Khun Grisana Umpujh, and Executive at The Mall Lifestore Ngamwongwan awarded over 200 scholarships to children who achieved outstanding academic results.

The ceremony was held at The Mall Korat.

The Mall Group hosts and awards students with scholarships

What: Wethenew has opened two new concessions at the department store's flagship branch.

Why it is important: Galeries Lafayette is partnering with a key player in the sneaker resale market, which is expected to top the USD 20 billion mark in 2025 and is currently worth USD 6 billion globally.

Driven by exclusivity and rarity, the brand makes the connection between resellers and consumers, authenticates products, and makes 200 pairs of sneakers available each week.

This partnership gives Galeries Lafayette the opportunity to showcase the most sought after sneaker models, which it doesn't typically have access to in its dealings with major streetwear brands.

Wethenew sets up shop at Galeries Lafaytte Haussmann

What: The French eco-responsible footwear brand has officially landed in Mexico with a strategic alliance with El Palacio de Hierro.

Why it is important: The footwear brand is exclusively physically available in the Mexican market at the department store's Polanco location.

El Palacio de Hierro displays Veja's men's collections on the second floor of its store, with the first level displaying the brand's women's and children's lines.

Veja is also available for the rest of the country on El Palacio de Hierro's e-commerce platform, with more than 40 products available.

Veja lands in El Palacio de Hierro