A Fashion Lover's Guide To Madrid's El Corte Ingls

El Corte Inglés, whose name translates as “the English cut”, is Madrid’s only true department store, and an irresistable destination for fashion lovers. Discover fascinating history of the store and the luxury fashion brands you can find there.

History

The store started out in 1890 as a small tailoring shop. In 1935 César Rodríguez González and Ramón Areces bought the store and began its expansion. Little by little, the tailoring shop began selling more and more different goods, until eventually it had grown into a 22,000-square-foot (2,000-square-meter) department store spanning five floors.

As the brand grew bigger, it began to open in other locations throughout Spain. El Corte Inglés became Spain’s only department store in 1995 when they bought out their rival, Galerías Preciados. In 2001, the shop opened additional locations in Portugal. Today, the brand has over 82 stores, serves more than 630 million shoppers each year and is the biggest department store chain in Europe.

The Madrid Flagship Store

The El Corte Inglés flagship store is located on Calle de Raimundo Fernández Villaverde, near the Nuevos Ministerios metro stop. The complex is enormous and offers everything under the sun, including books, electronics, home goods, hardware, groceries, makeup and sporting goods. It also houses the best collection of fashion brands under one roof to be found anywhere in Spain; a true treasure trove for those seeking the latest fashions from the newest and most stylish labels.

El Corte Inglés Flagship Store, Calle de Raimundo Fernández Villaverde, 79, 28003 Madrid +34 914 18 88 00

Designers

Designer boutiques within this flagship branch include Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Collezioni, Gucci, Loewe, Dockers, Ralph Lauren, Bulgari, Dior, Dior Homme, Georges Rech, Versace, Hugo Boss, Boss Woman, Ermenegildo Zegna, Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce&Gabbana, Burberry, Façonnable, Pal Zileri, Paul & Shark, Lacoste, Pavillon Christofle, CH by Carolina Herrera, Escada Sport, James Purdey and Sons, Lloyd’s, Purificación Garcia, Calvin Klein, Caroll Paris, Amitie and Episode. There are also private label store brands such as Emidio Tucci, Dustin and more.

Other Brands

The brand also owns several external brands, such as El Corte Inglés Viajes, Hipercor, Supercor and Sfera. With locations all over the city of Madrid, you can’t go very far without spotting El Corte Inglés. Time to go shopping!