What: Dior has opened a 200 square meter shop-in-shop inside El Palacio de Hierro's Monterrey location.

Why it is important: The store is the house's first location in the northern region of the country and pays homage to the ties between the brand and the country.

The boutique is located behind a façade featuring Dior's signature cannage with natural tones contrasted by wood and raffia furniture. The minimalist décor is reflective of excellence and uniqueness of Mexican craftsmanship, featuring walls that are made of traditional local material.

The space only features womenswear, but offers an exclusive selection of ready-to-wear clothing, footwear, accessories, jewelry, and handbags.

Dior opens at El Palacio de Hierro Monterrey

What: According to the annual ranking of Spanish 100 Brands, El Corte Inglés is the third most valuable brand in Spain and leads the distribution sector.

Why it is important: The department store company has a brand value of EUR 6,063 million, which represents a growth indicator of 16.05% compared to 2021.

El Corte Inglés follows Banco Santander who ranked first and Zara who ranked second.

Ten other fashion brands were included in the ranking, with fashion being the second most valuable sector of 2022, accounting for EUR 17,850 million of the country's total value.

El Corte Inglés among the most valuable companies in Spain 

What: A new manager is taking over Hermione People & Brands, the company who oversees 26 Galeries Lafayette department stores.

Why it is important: The turnaround specialist, Michel Maire, joins HPB as it was placed under a safeguard procedure in February.

Michel Maire has been appointed CEO, replacing Eric Damrion who retired after working for the company for five years.

The Galeries Lafayette stores operated under HPB are located across multiple French regions and employ 1,109 people.

The Galeries Lafayette shops managed by HPB are now managed by Michel Maire

What: The Mexican department store group has ended the first quarter with a sales growth of 18%, doubling its profit and reporting a turnover of 585 million dollars, representing a compound growth of 33% compared to 2022.

Why it is important: The positive first quarter results indicate that EL Palacio de Hierro has overcome the blow of the pandemic as the department store group's net profit jumped 106%, doubling that of the previous year.

Net profit jumped 106% to almost 19 million dollars and operating flow increased 36% to 71 million dollars.

The group's digital sales also reported a growth of 35% compared to the first quarter of 2022.

El Palacio de Hierro increases sales by 18% and doubles its profit in the first quarter

What: Karine Viel becomes director of sustainable development and will report to Frédérique Chemaly, director of human resources and CSR for the group.

Why it is important: Galeries Lafayette will pursue its sustainable efforts with its Go for Good label which is set to account for more than a quarter of the total Galeries Lafayette offer in 2024.

Karine Viel, a graduate of HEC, made her marketing debut in the coffee and chocolate industry with the giant Kraft Foods in France for about ten years, before joining Comité 21, a structure that disseminates expertise on issues of social and environmental responsibility in large companies and administrations. This CSR expertise brought her to Monoprix from 2012. She developed the responsible offer and worked on diversity issues and environmental footprint.

On its side, Damien Pellé becomes SMCP group's CSR and corporate communication director.

Galeries Lafayette has a new director of sustainable development

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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: El Corte Inglés is opening a new warehouse for last-mile delivery in Madrid.

Why it is important: The department store group is strengthening its last mile logistics to reinforce its food e-commerce structure.

The 22,000 square meter logistics platform with 30 loading docks will feature a state-of-the-art automated sorter for digital food sales. The complex will also adhere to sustainability standards of the International Breeam certification during construction and operations.

El Corte Inglés continues to invest in and advance its logistics structure with this new operation as the department store group focuses on its strategy to diversify and optimize business.

El Corte Inglés opens new logistics warehouse in Madrid

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