What: El Corte Inglés has increased its offering of sustainable products by 8.5%, reaching a total of 132,694 sustainable references.

Why it is important: The increase demonstrates the company's commitment to sustainability and provides consumers with more environmentally-friendly options.

The company has implemented internal protocols for sustainable procurement and production, as well as updated its sustainable product guide for suppliers. They have also added new sustainability certifications to their product portfolio.

In the fashion and accessories category, Southern Cotton and Green Coast have emerged as notable sustainable brands, aiming to represent at least 80% of the total brands by 2024. Additionally, El Corte Inglés has launched sustainable toys and has pursued sustainability in its fresh seafood products through MSC/ASC certification.

El Corte Inglés increases its sustainable product offer by 8.5%

What: The Mall Group has partnered with Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited to develop new credit card products.

Why it is important: The partnership between The Mall Group and Bangkok Bank brings enhanced benefits to customers, providing a better experience and added value.

The new Bangkok Bank M Visa credit card will be available from December 1, 2023 onwards. Customers who currently hold the SCB M Visa credit card can continue using it until January 31, 2024, after which it will be automatically cancelled.

M Points accumulated on the SCB M Visa credit card will remain in the member's M Card account and can be used for discounts and benefits. The M Points will also be combined with the new Bangkok Bank M Visa credit card once it is applied for and approved. The card can be applied for at any branch of The Mall department stores and shopping centres, as well as through the Bangkok Bank mobile banking service.

The Mall Group collaborates with Bangkok Bank to introduce new credit card products

What: The Mall Group is actively supporting tourism by adapting to visitors' needs and modifying its store opening hours.

Why it is important: The Mall Group is currently creating a shopping entertainment hub in the heart of Bangkok which aims to be recognized as a global retail destination.

Supaluck Umpujh, the Co-chairwoman of Thailand's Mall Group, has put forth a strategy to boost Thailand's economy by attracting more foreign tourists.

While she commends the government's current tourism initiatives, she proposes special incentives for investments in artificial tourist attractions. Rezoning tourist attractions could increase their appeal and encourage tourist spending. Supaluck suggests that tourist hotspots like Chiang Mai and Phuket should extend their service hours, emulating popular locations like Bali. For tourists to spend more, a variety of day and night attractions with educational and experiential value is essential.

She envisions Thailand as an international tourism and entertainment hub. To attract more tourists, Supaluck proposes free visas for more countries and organizing signature festivals. She also mentions reducing import taxes on luxury items, similar to neighboring countries, to support Thailand's tax-free businesses.

Her company is partnering with companies from countries including Japan and South Korea to attract more tourists to Thailand.

The Mall Group plans to extend opening hours to promote Thailand tourism

What: El Corte Inglés has launched a new concept of luxury watch boutiques in Madrid in collaboration with TimeVallée.

Why it is important: The store aims to be a destination for both watch enthusiasts and newcomers to the luxury watches world, with expert sales ambassadors guiding customers on a discovery journey.

The boutique, located in El Corte Inglés Castellana, showcases renowned watch brands such as Baume & Mercier, Cartier, Chopard, IWC, Jaeger Le-Coultre, Panerai, and Piaget. The permanent space spans over 200 square meters and offers an immersive and personalized shopping experience. The boutique features a unique design with watchband-inspired marquees, elegant displays, and open exhibition areas. Each brand's DNA is expressed on the surrounding walls, creating a personalized shopping experience.

The collaboration between TimeVallée and El Corte Inglés started in 2019 with a space in El Corte Inglés Diagonal in Barcelona. TimeVallée's CEO, Michael Guenoun, is excited to showcase the new TimeVallée concept in Madrid and provide trustworthy and attentive service to guests.

El Corte Inglés launches the new concept of luxury watch boutique by TimeVallée in Madrid

What: El Corte Inglés has launched a campaign called "Welcome to the New Era" to connect with the younger generation.

Why it is important: The campaign aims to unite fashion, beauty, technology, and food, positioning El Corte Inglés as the go-to destination for Generation Z.

The new campaign features singers Ana Mena and Judeline, as well as actors Óscar Casas, Nicole Wallace, and Álvaro Mel. It showcases both El Corte Inglés' own brands for the youth segment and external brands like Converse, Lacoste, Levi's, and Dr. Martens. "Welcome to the New Era" was presented in Madrid and highlights the department store group's understanding of the new codes and languages that Generation Z lives by.

El Corte Inglés appeals to Gen Z in its latest campaign 

What: Boyner Dynamic Fest to be hosted on September 23-24.

Why: Boyner Dynamic Fest reflects Boyner's commitment to experience retailing, promoting an active lifestyle beyond just shopping.

Stemming from their experience-focused retail transformation, they introduced Boyner Dynamic stores, which prioritize sports and experiential shopping. This concept inspired the formation of the Boyner Dynamic Team, a running group that now boasts over 100 members actively participating in marathons. The festival not only showcases Boyner's strong position in the sports and outdoor retail category but also their passion for integrating shopping with a dynamic way of life. With the Boyner Dynamic Fest, they aim to inspire everyone to embrace movement and lead an active life, extending their motivation beyond the confines of their stores.

Boyner Dynamic Fest to take place on September 23-24

What: El Corte Inglés is the multi-brand preferred by Spaniards, according to the report "Retail Performance Ranking 2023".

Why it is important: The study prepared by EY-Parthenon gives an insight to the preferences of Spanish consumers.

According to the findings, the department store chain is the popular choice in the pet, health and beauty, and fashion categories. Zara, El Ganso, and Women'secret round out the list of user favorites in the latter; Decathlon leads the category in sports.

El Corte Inglés is positioned as Spaniards' favourite fashion retailer

What: El Corte Inglés plans to expand in the grocery sector by opening new large-format supermarkets.

Why it is important: The expansion will provide a differentiated shopping experience and expand El Corte Inglés' network of stores.

The company aims to establish a network of differentiated stores with a wide range of high-quality products and excellent customer service. As part of this strategy, El Corte Inglés has sold 47 non-strategic Supercor supermarkets to Carrefour while retaining ownership of the properties. The agreement ensures the preservation of existing jobs.

El Corte Inglés currently operates various grocery formats, including El Corte Inglés Supermarkets, Hipercor, Supercor, Sánchez Romero, and Club del Gourmet shops. The company also has over 550 supermarkets located in Repsol petrol stations under the Supercor Stop&Go brand. As part of the expansion plan, El Corte Inglés will open street-level El Corte Inglés Supermarkets in addition to its commercial stores. These stores will range from 2,000 to 2,500 square meters and offer a diverse selection of products and services consistent with the existing offerings.

El Corte Inglés will open new large-format supermarkets

What: El Palacio de Hierro launches a new women's brand, DHierro that encompasses slow fashion and timeless minimalist tailored garments.

Why it is important: The launch it introduces a new exclusive women's brand offering minimalist touches, sartorial art, and high-quality silhouettes, further enhancing the company's fashion portfolio.

The new brand is made mostly by hand in Europe with materials such as cashmere, merino wool, extra virgin wool, silk, linen and leathers. DHierro is available starting in September in the El Palacio de Hierro stores of Polanco, Santa Fé, Coyoacan, Perisur, Interlomas, Querétaro, and Guadalajara.

El Palacio de Hierro launches a new private label brand, DHierro

What: El Corte Ingles' growth in 2022 is progressing thanks to increasing retail sales and internationalization

Why it is important: Private labels can be a source of growth and market shares when considered as brands.

El Corte Inglés is continuing its international expansion of its own brands, which are already present in more than 30 countries through partnerships with local strategic partners. The company's annual report highlights its efforts to strengthen its international presence by introducing new product categories in the home sector, in addition to its existing offerings in fashion and food. In the food sector, it has formed an alliance with a Filipino company to sell El Corte Inglés and El Corte Inglés Selection products in its supermarkets and has expanded its collaboration in Ecuador. In the fashion sector, Sfera is the most internationally recognized brand, present in 18 countries with a total of 490 points of sale.

In 2022, El Corte Inglés Group reported global revenues of over EUR 15.327 billion, a 22.5% increase over the previous year. This strong growth has driven EBITDA to €951 million, with a strong recovery in profitability. The group's net recurring profit reached EUR 207 million, the highest in recent years, despite a EUR 150 million increase in energy costs. The group's net total profit also reached €870 million, the highest figure ever achieved.

The group's solid financial position is reflected in its reduced net financial debt of EUR .295 billion, the lowest level in the past 15 years. This financial strength, coupled with a strong recovery in profitability, will enable the group to undertake new projects in the future.

The main driver of growth has been the retail business, with sales of EUR 12.213 billion, a 7.8% increase over the previous year, with a strong focus on the fashion sector. Online sales continue to grow, with over 3.2 million active online customers and approximately 14 million orders in 2022.

The group has also seen significant growth in its non-retail businesses, including travel, financial services, and insurance. The travel business, in particular, has reported revenues of EUR 1.677 billion, compared to EUR 72 million the previous year, with an EBITDA of over EUR 50 million.

Overall, El Corte Inglés is in a strong position for the fiscal year 2023, with a positive start to the year driven by a successful spring-summer campaign. The group's solid balance sheet, ample liquidity, and optimized capital structure provide greater flexibility to operate in a changing macroeconomic environment.

El Corte Inglés closes 2022 at +22% and accelerates internationally

What: Magasin du Nord has implemented a new OMS

Why it is important: Omnichannel capabilities and POS efficiency are commanded by such a backbone.

Tecsys Inc., a top-tier supply chain management and omnichannel commerce software provider, has collaborated with Denmark's historic department store chain, Magasin du Nord, to modernize its multi-channel shopping experience. Utilizing Tecsys' Omno OMS software, Magasin du Nord integrates traditional retail and digital platforms, enhancing back-end fulfillment operations. The partnership empowers the 150-year-old brand to offer seamless channel transitions for its customers and efficient order processing.

The platform's features include adaptable sales channel integration, intelligent order routing based on inventory and product categories, strategic and cost-effective routing to minimize shipments, and real-time inventory management.

Magasin du Nord implements a new OMS

What: Breuninger names Thomas Hohn to the newly created role of Retail Director.

Why it is important: The new position signifies a change in the organisational structure within the company.

Thomas Hohn will begin the role on September 1st and report to Benjamin Fuest, Chief Sales Officer (CSO) at Breuninger.

Breuninger creates the position of retail director

What: Galeries Lafayette has opened a Moschino pop-up store at their Champs-Elysees location in Paris.

Why it is important: The Moschino pop-up store will strengthen the brand's presence in the city.

The pop-up store coincides with Moschino's 40th-anniversary celebrations and an upcoming show in Milan. The store,  featuring a distinctive design with giant gold letters, will operate during the fashion week until October 1. It will showcase a selection from the Moschino Logo collection for Fall/Winter 2023-24. This follows Moschino's previous ventures in Paris, including a pop-up at Printemps department store and the opening of a retail corner for its new denim line. The brand also has a flagship store on rue Saint-Honoré.

Galeries Lafayette Champs-Elysées opens a Moschino pop-up store 

What: El Palacio de Hierro commemorated the 60th anniversary of its Palacio Card with a celebration full of luxury and elegance and a special edition of the card.

Why it is important: El Palacio de Hierro was the first luxury department store to implement credit cards in Mexico and aims to honour its long-standing relationship with its card holders.

Exclusive benefits were planned for Palacio cardholders, including the opportunity to acquire the limited edition card, designed by Mexican sculptor Sebastian, and participate in giveaways. Also, new benefits introduced include an exclusive concierge service, a baggage insurance, free wine on the customer's birthday month, annual refunds up to 3%, free shipping on their website, and discounts.

The company is also introducing the Palacio app in which customers can make purchases at El Palacio de Hierro, access their financial information, consult balances, movements, account statements, and make payments on their Palacio Card.

El Palacio de Hierro celebrates the 60th anniversary of its Palacio Card

What: Breuninger invited the members of Ballet am Rhein to dance in the Dusseldorf store windows for its anniversary celebrations.

Why it is important: The spectacle showed Breuninger's support of the arts by partnering with the ballet to provide a low-threshold access event for visitors to enjoy.

The ballet dancers performed in the shop windows for two days, showcasing specially choreographed routines created for this occasion. The store's flagship location was transformed into a large dance floor with a special dance floor covering, providing an innovative and immersive experience of music and dance to the audience.

Breuninger brings Ballet am Rhein into its shop window

What: El Corte Inglés Group has achieved AENOR Zero Waste certification for all its commercial establishments and logistics hubs, totalling 140 centres.

Why it is important: El Corte Inglés is committed to the circular economy, prioritizing reuse and recycling to minimize the environmental impact of its activities.

This certification ensures that the group has reused 94.34% of the waste generated by its activities, amounting to 56,086 tonnes in 2022. The next goal for the company is to obtain Zero Waste certification for all its outlets and supermarkets by 2026.

El Corte Inglés launched this initiative in 2018 and was the first Spanish distribution company to obtain AENOR Zero Waste certification for its shopping centres the following year. The success of this model lies in reusing over 90% of the waste generated. The company has implemented sustainable practices, such as reorganizing logistics routes, optimizing vehicle loading, and recycling electronic devices, to achieve Zero Waste certification.

El Corte Inglés achieves Zero Waste certification at its 140 centres 

What: The transaction represents EUR 60mn. The scope of the transaction includes supermarkets and convenience stores located in the regions of Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and Valencia.

Why it is important: Carrefour plans to convert these SuperCor stores into Carrefour Market, Carrefour Express and Supeco brands.

El Corte Inglés sells 47 SuperCor stores to Carrefour

What: Breuninger is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its department store with Kö-Bogen on September 1st and 2nd in Düsseldorf.

Why it is important: The occasion will be accompanied by eight fashion shows displaying the current autumn/winter collections, late-night shopping, live musical acts, and a live art show by Steffen Mumm who will paint the company's mascot, the Breuni bear.

The fashion show will have 32 models from the fashion and lifestyle company presenting looks for autumn/winter 2023 on a 228-metre-long open-air catwalk. This year, the catwalk behind the bridge was lengthened by 35 metres, creating a total catwalk length on the water of 112 metres.

Breuninger celebrates ten years at the Kö-Bogen mall

What: Breuninger opens its fifth bar concept and restaurant, Eduard's Bar, in its Munich flagship store on Sendlinger Strasse.

Why it is important: Eduard's Munich, named after founder, Eduard Breuninger, combines lifestyle and enjoyment complementing the flagship store and boosting the customer experience.

Eduard's is open on Mondays to Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. with an all-day menu that features breakfast, coffee specialties, signature drinks, and cocktails with alcoholic and non-alcoholic variations, as well as sweet and savoury bar snacks.

Breuninger opens Eduard's Bar 

What: The Mall Group attends the Techsauce Global Summit 2023 and reveals three new platforms.

Why it is important: The revealed platforms broaden the customer experience and connects the different stores under the group.

The Mall Group exhibited 3 platforms: M Card, M Online, and MNIVERSE, that work under the concept of M Experiences in which customers connect using M Points (accumulated points from online and in-store purchases using M Card), M Coin (accumulated points from participation in MNIVERSE platform activities), and E-Coupon rewards.

M Online is an app that allows customers to shop at all department stores from the group such as the Mall, The Mall Life Store, Emporium, EmQuartier, and the Paragon Department Store. There is an instant discount of THB 200 upon downloading the app; the services offered include free delivery on orders over THB 1,500 and special express delivery within 3 hours.

The MNIVERSE is a virtual world that uses 3D technology to allow users to create an avatar and enjoy various activities in which they can earn M Coin and receive E-coupons that can be used to buy products on M Online.

The Mall Group jointly presents three platforms from M Card at Techsauce Global Summit 2023 

What: EMSPHERE, the latest The Mall Group property, will open a major entertainment venue to attract more traffic

Why it is important: The goal is to provide the maximum of reasons to customers to come, and to do so, strategic partnerships are now required when it comes to having competences outside of the current sphere of competences.

UOB, The EM District (property of The Mall Group), and AEG have announced a naming rights partnership to establish "UOB LIVE," an entertainment venue with a capacity of 6,000.

The venue, located at The EMSPHERE shopping mall, will offer a combination of entertainment spaces, dining options, and shopping outlets. ASM Global, a leading entertainment experience producer and venue management company, will manage UOB LIVE, ensuring world-class performances and events.

This partnership brings together the expertise of AEG, The EM District, and UOB, with the aim of redefining the entertainment landscape in Southeast Asia. The venue is set to become a premier entertainment destination, contributing to the local economy and attracting investors.

The Mall Group opens in partnership a new entertainment

What: El Corte Inglés strengthens its international position according to its annual report.

Why it is important: The company's strong presence in multiple countries in thankful to its multiple strategic partnerships.

In its food department, the company has partnered with a Philippine company to market products from the El Corte Inglés and El Corte Inglés Selection brands in its supermarkets as well as expanded its collaboration in Ecuador.

In the fashion segment, the brands, Couchel, Southern Cotton, and Enfasis, are present in department stores in Ireland.

El Corte Inglés' fashion and accessories brand Sfera is present in 18 countries with a total of 490 points of sale. These include Mexico, Greece, Switzerland, Thailand, Ireland, Chile, Peru, El Salvador; Guatemala, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, UAE, and Qatar.

The group has also reinforced their presence in Latin America by signing an agreement to open spaces for home, food, and the Easy Wear fashion brand in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

El Corte Inglés boosts its internationalisation

What: El Palacio de Hierro reports strong results from the first half of 2023.

Why it is important: The company maintains its stable position in the competitive Mexican market.

El Palacio de Hierro reported USD 1,330 million in billings which represents an 18.5% growth. The department store segment increased its revenue by 4. 8% and the online channel grew by 36% in the first half of the year. Net profit increased as well by 33% to a sum of USD 62 million.

Fitch ratings ratified the company with the AAA rating which reflects the company's strong market position and brand recognition in Mexico.

El Palacio de Hierro grows by 18.5% and improves its profit by 33% in the first semester

What: Breuninger advances its strategic marketing by expanding its retail media network into the premium and luxury sector.

Why it is important: This initiative makes Breuninger an appealing partner for companies that are looking to increase their market position in the premium and luxury sector using digital platforms.

Breuninger created the "Retail Media & Brand Cooperations" division last year to promote brand relationships and acts as an internal media agency. The company chose to partner with Microsoft Retail Media to give brand partners access to a new line of marketing products.

The company currently has a large reach of customers with over 200 million website visits and target groups in German-speaking countries of premium and luxury customers.

The goal is to connect brand partners to their target groups along the entire customer journey through visibility, branding measures, and campaigns along with personalised experiences.

From September, Breuninger will also be launching Sponsored Product Ads (SPA) and in 2024, new on-site formats that can be personalised.

Breuninger invests in the development of a retail media network in the premium and luxury sector