FOR SHOPPING LOVERS EL CORTE INGLÉS DEPARTMENT STORES SPAIN & PORTUGAL From its beginnings as a small tailor shop in the very heart of Madrid in 1940, the founder of El Corte Inglés, Mr. Ramón Areces, went on to build a company that has become a part of modern Spanish & Portuguese history with more than 83 department stores. El Corte Inglés has established itself as a world-class luxury shopping destination steeped in history and romance, shaped by its customers and, above all, its dedication to service and fashion. Its flagship stores, El Corte Inglés Castellana Madrid and Diagonal Barcelona, showcase the largest concentration of international and national brands in the South of Europe and its outstanding international services and amenities allow customers from around the globe to feel at home in Spain and Portugal. SHOPPING OFFERING *Streets of Luxury In one single space, El Corte Ingles offers visitors the opportunity to walk among the great fashion houses of Europe and the world, access the world s finest jewelry and watch brands, smell the aroma and sense the textures of the foremost perfumes and cosmetics brands. GLOBAL LUXURY BRANDS Castellana El Corte Inglés has created a distinctive space which is home to Spain s largest single collection of leading deluxe fashion brands as Hermès, Loewe, Bottega Veneta, Bulgari, Dior, Gucci, Cartier, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Max Mara, Miu Miu, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tod's, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Céline and Burberry, among many others. Designed in the style of a true street of luxury, these stores feature their own ambience and decor. Within this context each of the firms showcases their most sought-after pieces and models in the field of luxury. WATCHES El Corte Ingles features one of the largest concentrations of designer watch brands in any one location in Europe with an exclusive space presenting the latest ideas and models of Rolex, IWC, Jaeger Le Coultre, Panerai and Omega, Blancpain, among others.
JEWELRY Castellana presents stunning jewelry collections by both top luxury jewelry brands such as Cartier, Piaget, H. Stern, Messika, Boucheron, Chaumet, Chopard, Carrera y Carrera, Damián, Yanes, Fred and Elena Carrera and renowned Spanish jewelers including Aldao and Suarez. Department store corners such as Pomellato and Dodó are also featured, providing for a wide range of choice. SPANISH FASHION DESGINERS France or Italy might be what first comes to mind when one thinks of fashion, but Spain s fast-growing fashion scene has emerged into the international spotlight as its talent is increasingly recognized both at home and abroad. With elegant styles and vibrant colors, Spanish designers are catching the eye of customers around the world. Purificación García, Roverto Verino, Custo Barcelona, Paco Rabbane, BDBA, Adolfo Domínguez, Ángel Schelesser or Hoss Intropia are some of the Spanish brands you will not want to miss at El Corte Inglés. SPANISH LEATHER GOODS Spain is well known for its high quality hand-made leather products: shoes, wallets, bags, keyrings or other accessories, providing the best quality with ideal prices and original designs. Loewe is the top luxury Spanish brand and showcases excellence in leather goods handicrafts. LOEWE began as a cooperative of leather artisans in the center of Madrid in 1846 and went on to become one of the most renowned luxury brands worldwide. Other notable Spanish leather brands include Acosta, Bimba y Lola and Gloria Ortiz Look for the Made in Spain label and bring home some special gifts to your loved ones. GOURMET FOOD AND WINE Mediterranean food is one of the healthiest in the world, famous for its delicious Spanish ham, olive oil and Spanish wine and cava. Joselito and 5Js offer the finest Spanish ham in elegant packaging, easily transportable for great gifts to bring back home. Other great Spanish gifts include Spain s high-quality olive oil, Spanish red wine, Riojas or Ribera del Dueros wines and festive Cuvée cava (sparkling wine). The Gourmet Experience in Castellana which combines tasting with the sale of gourmet products allows you to enjoy different types of specialties from around the world such as Iberian cured products, seafood, smoked foods, grilled meat and fish, cheeses, nibbles and snacks, hamburgers, high quality Asian cuisine and freshly squeezed fruit juices.
You can also find Godiva, Varlhona or Fauchon chocolates and a wine cellar that features exceptional champagnes from Louis Roederer Cristal, Krug and Bollinger, and wines from Château Lafite, Château Margaux, Petrus, Vega Sicilia and Pingus, among others. AIRLIFT TO SPAIN It is becoming easier and easier for Asian tourists to visit Spain, with direct flights and airlift increasing from Asia to Spain, with several new routes that began in 2016, including: Cathay Pacific routes between Hong Kong and Barcelona until the end of October 2017 New Iberia routes between Tokyo and Madrid that began on October 2016 Cathay Pacific routes between Hong Kong and Madrid since 2016 New Iberia routes between China and Spain since summer 2016 New China Eastern flights since summer 2016 Flights from Chinese city Hangzhou to Madrid that began in December 2015 NEW VIP SERVICES El Corte Ingles is launching a newly renovated tax rebate lounge, completed with an even larger and more personalized area exclusively dedicated to VIP clients and instore Tax Refund. El Corte Ingles will also be launching a new By Appointment Lounge, offering private appointments and shopping for the most VIP clients. 52 SERRANO MAN El Corte Inglés inaugurated a new store exclusively dedicated to men's fashion in the heart of Madrid. The building at Serrano 52 (on the corner of Ayala) has been completely renovated to offer an innovative concept that combines design, style, avant-garde and tradition. The new commercial spaces offers seven floors aimed at showcasing the latest trends in men's fashion, with different styles adapted to every occasion. Brands featured include Alberto Guardiani, Allen Edmonds, Berwick, Berluti, Castellano, Church s, Dsquared2, Giuseppe Zanotti, Magnanni, Moreschi, Salvatore Ferragamo, Scalpers, Sergio Rossi, Tom como Berluti, Bottega Veneta, Ford, Yanko, etc. All of these fashions are complemented with the innovative gastronomic offerings of the Gourmet Experience, which is located on the sixth and seventh floors, boasting a combined total of seven Michelin stars. TRAVELER TIPS *10% REWARD PROGRAM All international tourists are eligible to receive a 10% reward on most purchases at El Corte Inglés by simply showing their passport at the International Customer Service desk. *TAX-FREE Spain not only has its two major cities, Madrid and Barcelona, ranked among the top 3 best European shopping destinations, Spain also has one of the highest tax refund rates (it can reach up to 15.7%) and one of the lowest required minimum expenditures (90.16 Euros) to apply for tax rebates.
Luis J. Llorca from Global Blue commented, For every 10,000 you spend in Spain you will receive a 1,570 VAT tax refund. This compares to a tax-refund of approximately only 1,300 for every 10,000 you spend in France. Spain s high VAT-tax refund, low prices for luxury goods and attractive travel amenities make Spain an ideal place for international visitor to shop. El Corte Inglés provides a discreet and personalized atmosphere to process VAT refunds with Europe s leading tax-rebate provider, Global Blue. Chinese customers have a dedicated tax point at El Corte Inglés, allowing for fast and efficient tax refund processing. All tourists should make sure to have their tax refund stamped by the customs authorities at the airport. El Corte Ingles always has Mandarin speaking staff at the tax-free área to ensure a smooth process and answer any tourist questions. *SALES Spain has the longest period of sales in Europe. Two times a year for two months at a time, El Corte Inglés leads the sales period in Spain, as it kicks off its sales periods on the 7th of January and the 1st of July. Outstanding discounts, up to 60% at the beginning, and even higher at the end, await customers in all divisions including fashion, accessories, luxury brands, cosmetics and sports. The 10% tourism reward program for tourists can be used with sale items, so these sales periods offer even better deals for tourists! In addition to the popular seasonal sales periods, El Corte Ingles surprises its customers by launching new discount campaigns such as Secrets for Beauty in May (discounts up to 20% in cosmetics) or New Prices at the beginning of every season. *PERSONAL SHOPPER El Corte Inglés offers all international customers its exclusive Personal Shopper service. Knowledgeable fashion professionals will give customers advice during two sessions first during an image consulting interview and second for a shopping session. During the initial image consulting service, El Corte Ingles personal shoppers will analyse the colours that best suit the client and carry out an interview to define the client s lifestyle and fashion preferences. This will be followed by a morphological study to enhance the silhouette through carefully selected outfits, and lastly conducting a makeup test. During the second shopping session, the personal shopper will use the information gathered during the interview to choose a selection of clothes for the client to try on at the Personal Shopper s changing room. The Personal Shopper service is meant to be flexible. International clients who do not have time to make a second appointment will be able to conduct both sessions in one single appointment, prioritizing customer needs. To book the personal shopping service, the client only needs to provide 180, which will be reimbursed on an El Corte Inglés gift card to use on their purchases.
Castellana Store Madrid, Paseo de la Castellana, 71. Madrid, Spain Subway station: Nuevos Ministerios Email: internationaldesk@elcorteingles.es Website: castellanastore.elcorteingles.es Diagonal Store Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal, 617. Barcelona, Spain Subway station: María Cristina Email: informacion_diagonal@elcorteingles.es Website: international.elcorteingles.es For further information, please contact Silvia de Tejada silvia_detejada@elcorteingles.es