What: The Mall Group recently celebrated the achievements of the Thai national team athletes who excelled in the 4th Asian Para Games, held in Hangzhou, China from October 22 to 28, 2023.

Why it is important: The Mall Group continues to actively engage with the community through other commercial and promotional events, further solidifying its presence and commitment to social responsibility.

The event was a regional sports competition for individuals with disabilities, and The Mall Group's contingent secured an impressive total of 31 medals. This haul included 7 gold, 12 silver, and 12 bronze medals, highlighting the exceptional performance of the athletes and employees. Furthermore, the company provided substantial financial support totalling 1,000,000 baht for the athlete employees.

The celebration showcased the Group's commitment to recognizing and encouraging sporting excellence among individuals with disabilities. The event received significant support and engagement through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Line.

The Mall Group held a ceremony to honour the athletes of the Thai national team

What: Volker Kachele will take over as the Creative Director at Manor starting February 1, 2024.

Why it is important: The newly created position will report directly to the CEO, and Kachele will focus on enriching Manor's 360 approach and working with Manor's Visual Merchandising, Purchasing, and Marketing teams.

Volker Kachele becomes Creative Director at Manor 

What: El Corte Inglés has acquired a 3,100 square meter building in Puerta del Sol, Madrid, previously owned by the American fund Kennedy Wilson.

Why it is important: The company aims to expand its commercial offering in the area and is considering connecting the newly purchased building to one of its existing properties.

Following the purchase, El Corte Inglés plans to renovate the building and open it to the public, though the specific commercial use has not yet been determined. This acquisition reflects a shift in the group's real estate strategy, which has included repositioning and divestment activities to adapt to changing economic conditions./nbsp]

In line with this strategy, the company has announced plans to sell real estate assets totaling 3,000 million euros. El Corte Inglés values its real estate portfolio at around 16 billion euros, with the majority attributed to department stores, and additional assets including offices, logistics, supermarkets, and land.

El Corte Inglés purchases a building in Puerta del Sol

What: El Corte Inglés has renewed its emissions plan until December 1, 2024, aiming to raise EUR 1.2 billion through promissory note issuance.

Why it is important: The emissions plan highlights the company's commitment to financing sustainability objectives and addressing its debt amid rising prices.

The company has resorted to this financing method despite facing prices and aims to use the funds to meet sustainability objectives related to ESG projects. In addition to this, El Corte Inglés signed a refinancing agreement with over twenty banking entities in March 2022 and obtained support from the European Investment Bank to promote energy efficiency and innovation plans in January of this year.

Financially, the company experienced significant growth, achieving a turnover of EUR 15,327 million in the year ended February 28, 2023, marking a 22.5% increase from the previous year. This growth also boosted the gross operating result (EBITDA) to EUR 951 million and the net result to EUR 870 million , the highest in the group's history.

El Corte Inglés renews its emissions plan for 1.2 billion euros

What: Breuninge is set to launch "Beyond by Breuninger," an exclusive loyalty program for customers across Germany.

Why it is important: This program aims to expand the existing service offering of the Breuninger Card and create an emotionally appealing and diverse world of benefits. "Beyond by Breuninger" builds on Breuninger's longstanding focus on individual customer wishes.

The loyalty program features a multi-level system where customers can collect points to access exclusive capsule collections, special events, promotions, and collaborations with lifestyle partners. The program emphasizes digital access to unique benefits and was designed in collaboration with the artist Cecilia Carlstedt to create an engaging visual experience for Breuninger customers.

Breuninger launches "Beyond by Breuninger"

What: Galeries Lafayette review their organisation for their Chinese operations, co-managed with Hopson Grop.

Why it is important: Such operations are strategically crucial in establishing Galeries Lafayette as a global name for fashion conscious customers.

French department store Galeries Lafayette appointed Nicolas Morineaux, an expert in luxury and finance with extensive experience in Asia, as the managing director of its China operations in December 2023. Morineaux, an ESSEC business school graduate, previously worked for 21 years at LVMH, including roles in Japan and as vice-president finance for LVMH's Asia-Pacific fashion division, and later as sales director Asia at Van Cleef & Arpels.

His appointment aims to boost Galeries Lafayette's growth in China, focusing on an omni-channel and multi-universe strategy. The company, which first entered China in 2013, plans to expand to 10 branches in the country by 2025, including a store in Macau, following a joint venture with the Hopson Group.

Galeries Lafayette currently operates 57 stores in France and 10 internationally. It recently decided to close its sole store in Germany and plans to enter India in 2024 with stores in Mumbai and New Delhi through a partnership with the Aditya Birla Group.

Galeries Lafayette appoints an LVMH / Richemont veteran for their Chinese operations

What: Manor announces the winning artists of the Manor Cultural Prize 2024 from the cantons of Aargau and Valais, Ishita Chakraborty and Raphael Stucky.

Why it is important: The Manor Cultural Prize promotes exhibitions by young artists across various Swiss cantons each year.

Chakraborty, currently based in Aargau, will develop an exhibition for the Aargauer Kunsthaus, scheduled for spring 2025. Stucky, working in Basel, will have a personal exhibition at the Musée d'art du Valais in Sion in fall 2024. These awards follow the earlier announcement of four other winners from the cantons of Bern, Lucerne, Ticino, and Vaud.

Manor Cultural Prize 2024: two more winning artists announced

What: The Mall Group has cut the ribbon on its latest and most ambitious project, Emsphere.

Why it is important: Much more than a new landmark in Bangkok; this new project aims to influence the city structure itself.

The Mall Group has inaugurated a $403 million development, Emsphere, in downtown Bangkok. The Emsphere, envisioned by The Mall Group's chairwoman Supaluck Umpujh as a "sleepless metropolis," offers 24-hour dining and dedicates its fifth and sixth floors to entertainment with about 25 pubs and bars. It also features UOB Live, a large arena, Southeast Asia's first city-centre Ikea, and luxury car showrooms including Rolls-Royce and Porsche. This development is part of the EM district mega project, which also includes the Emporium and Emquartier shopping complexes, aiming to transform the district into a prominent urban area comparable to iconic districts in Dubai, Tokyo, and Shanghai.

The Mall Group's Emsphere opens its doors to the public

What: Boyner continued their tradition of celebrating Retail Employees' Day on December 12th in all of their stores in Turkey.

Why it is important: The day, crafted by Boyner Group,  has been celebrated annually in Turkey since 2012.

This year, the Boyner Group, encompassing 6 companies and over 8,000 employees, celebrated with the theme 'Stars Shine Separately, Shine Together,' including special in-store events and a charitable initiative to support children's education through the Turkish Education Volunteers Foundation. The day, themed "Stars of Merchandising," saw participation from both store and headquarters employees, highlighting the significance of retail staff in the industry.

Boyner celebrates Retail Employees' Day

What: Chalhoub Group has partnered with Inter Parfums, Inc. for the exclusive distribution rights of Roberto Cavalli perfumes in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

Why it is important: This partnership marks a significant step in luxury fragrance distribution and signals Inter Parfums' debut into major regional agreements. Through this collaboration, Chalhoub Group aims to enhance the presence of Roberto Cavalli perfumes across both physical and digital retail platforms.

With an annual size exceeding USD 800M, fragrances dominate the Middle East beauty market. The partnership is aligned with a localized, consumer-centric approach to build the brand's equity in the region. Roberto Cavalli fragrances will be available in Chalhoub Group's stores in the first quarter of 2024, with plans to extend to India and Latin American markets.

Chalhoub partners with Inter Parfums 

What: El Corte Inglés has taken significant steps towards promoting sustainable tourism by launching the second edition of its "Tourism for Sustainable Development Guide" and updating its "Tips for Responsible Tourism".

Why it is important: The collaboration with organisations such as FAADA, WWD, Unicef, and Global Compact highlights the company's dedication to sustainable tourism practices.

The updated tips aim to guide travellers towards more environmentally aware and respectful behaviour while visiting destinations. The second edition of the guide offers a comprehensive approach for stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices, with a focus on strengthening corporate sustainability and fostering greater universal accessibility in the tourism industry. The publications are available in digital format on the website and will soon be found in all travel agencies. Additionally, customers can find a section to book sustainable tourism products on the Viajes El Corte Inglés website.

El Corte Inglés takes another step towards sustainable tourism

What: Breuninger was awarded the German Retail Prize by the German Trade Association.

Why it is important: The award recognises the company's innovative integration of online and physical retail strategies, customer-centric focus, and successful adaptation to the evolving retail landscape, setting a benchmark for excellence in the industry.

Breuninger received this accolade during the Germany Trade Congress held in Berlin from November 15-16, 2023. The award, presented in the medium-sized business category, acknowledged Breuninger's effective integration of online activities, strong customer focus, strategic growth through physical expansion, innovative formats, and an emphasis on customer experience. The CEO of Breuninger, Holger Blecker, accepted the award from Mark Rauschen, President of the Textile Trade Association (BTE), in front of approximately 800 retail industry guests.

Breuninger wins German Trade Prize

What: The Galeries Lafayette Group announces the finalisation of the sale of BHV Mrais and BHV Parly 2 to the SGM Group.

Why it is important: Galeries Lafayette has owned the two department stores for 30 years and strongly believes that the SGM Groupe will be the most committed and innovative player to continue growing the stores' potential with the commitment of its teams.

Galeries Lafayette group finalises the sale of BHV Marais to Groupe SGM

What: El Palacio de Hierro in Mexico began its holiday season with the lighting of its Christmas tree, which was designed by Dior.

Why it is important: The collaboration between El Palacio de Hierro and Dior showcases a unique luxury experience in Mexico that visitors can enjoy until December 31.

The tree is accompanied by a Dior-signed carousel featuring decorative elements inspired by the fragrances "Miss Dior" and J'adore l'Or. Inside El Palacio de Hierro, there is also a pop-up store dedicated to Dior beauty and makeup products.

El Palacio de Hierro teams up with Dior for its Christmas decor 

What: El Palacio de Hierro is partnering with Spanish fashion brand Silbonto to expand into Mexico in 2024.

Why it is important: Silbon's decision to enter the Mexican market first is based on the high demand for their clothing.

They plan to open three points of sale in Mexico City, specifically in the Polanco, Durango, and Mitikah areas. This move is part of Silbon's strategic plan to have a total of seven commercial spaces in Mexico by the beginning of 2025. The company aims to exceed EUR 100 million in sales by 2025 and is currently expanding nationally and internationally.

El Palacio de Hierro welcomes Silbon brand in 3 of its stores

What: Nicolas Houzé, the CEO of Galeries Lafayette has been appointed the new president of the Fashion and Luxury Sector Committee (CSF), succeeding Guillaume de Synes.

Why it is important: The CSF aims to serve as a platform for synthesis and information exchange within the industry. Houzé plans to be the voice of all stakeholders, from small and medium-sized enterprises to luxury groups, manufacturers, and distributors.

The CSF represents eight sectors and encompasses a total turnover of EUR 154 billion. Houzé will focus on implementing concrete and pragmatic measures, with an emphasis on sustainable development, digital transformation, and water resource management.

Houzé's main challenges include unifying the sector, obtaining funding for initiative, and gaining support from the Ministry of Culture and Bercy, the French Ministry of the Economy.

Galeries Lafayette's Nicolas Houzé appointed the president of CSF 

What: Manor has reopened their Manora restaurant in Geneva with a larger and more innovative space.

Why it is important: The concept aims to combine sustainability and accessibility for all customers with an emphasis on using fresh, local, and organic ingredients.

The restaurant now features seven different food universes, including options for salads, pizza, pasta, coffee, rotisserie, cheese, and international cuisine. It can accommodate up to 800 people, with 500 seats inside and 300 seats on an 80-meter-long terrace overlooking the Geneva Jet d'Eau and Mont Blanc. The restaurant also offers cooking classes and tastings to educate customers about the products and ingredients used.

The Manor chain includes 59 department stores, 27 Manor Food supermarkets, and 23 Manora restaurants, all following an omnichannel strategy.

Manor reopens its Geneva Manora restaurant with a new concept

What: El Corte Inglés experienced a 4.5% growth in retail sales until October.

Why it is important: The increase in retail sales for the fashion sector at El Corte Inglés until October is significant as it contributes to the overall growth of the company and plays a crucial role in driving its operating income during key sales periods like Black Friday and Christmas.

This increase can be attributed to the fashion and food sectors, along with corresponding price increases due to inflation. Without considering the impact of CPI, the sales growth would be 1%. The increase in fashion prices reached 2.2% until October. The textile sector saw a 2% growth in sales compared to the previous year.

In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, El Corte Inglés' turnover increased by 22.5%, with the fashion business being the main driver. The change in temperatures and the arrival of autumn boosted fashion sales in late October.

The upcoming period, including Black Friday and Christmas campaigns, holds significance for the company, as it generates 40% of its operating income during this time.

El Corte Inglés increases its retail sales by 4.5% until October thanks to fashion

What: The Mall Group has undertaken a major rebranding and renovation of 2 malls in Bangkok to focus them as food and dining destinations.

Why it is important: Whatever is happening in experience and dining retail in Thailand should be watched carefully by other worldwide players.

The Mall Group has rebranded and renovated The Mall Bang Kapi and The Mall Bang Khae in Bangkok as "The Mall Life Store" shopping centres.

The concept is "A Happy Place To Live Life" with a focus on food and dining.  Both malls will serve as "Food Destinations", bringing together over 700 leading restaurants covering Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Western cuisines.

The Mall Bang Kapi has over 5,000 sqm dedicated to dining including famous local street food vendors, Michelin-rated chefs, and international brands. The Mall Bang Khae also has a 5,000 sqm dining hub with a mix of local favourites, Korean BBQ, Japanese cuisine, and international brands. Both malls feature pleasant outdoor garden dining areas as well as indoor dining floors.

The renovations aim to make the malls foodie paradises and lifestyle destinations for all customer demographics. The Mall Group hopes the rebranding and positioning as dining destinations will increase foot traffic by 20% at both locations.

The Mall Group rebrands 2 stores as food destinations

What: The Mall Group is creating 'commercial districts' in three corners of the city, featuring The Emsphere, The Mall Life Store Bang Kapi, and The Mall Life Store Bang Khae.

Why it is important: The creation of 'commercial districts' raises the level of Bangkok's retail landscape and aims to provide a happy life for every family.

The total project value is THB 50,000 million, with THB 2,000 million allocated for celebrating the commercial districts. The Emsphere, a shopping centre in the heart of Sukhumvit area, is set to unveil world-class experiences on December 1st. The Mall Life Store Bang Kapi and The Mall Life Store Bang Khae operate under the concept "A Happy Place to Live: A happy place for every family" and has grand celebration planned for December 8th. The Mall Group emphasizes enhancing the city's vibrancy and raising the level of Bangkok. Various activities and special promotions will be held at The Emsphere, The Mall Life Store Bang Kapi, and The Mall Life Store Bang Khae throughout December.

The Mall Group creates the phenomenon of 'commercial districts' in 3 corners of the city

What: The Breuninger flagship store in Munich celebrated the festive season with a grand Christmas party, themed "A Night of Joy."

Why it is important: Breuninger CEO Holger Blecker and Munich managing directors Alexander Entov and René Weise hosted around 600 guests, including celebrities from various fields at the newly designed store.

Breuninger hosts a Christmas party in the former Konen in Munich

What: El Palacio de Hierro reopened its Satélite store after investing more than MXN 3,000 million in renovations.

Why it is important: The reopening of El Palacio de Hierro in Satélite after a significant investment signifies the commitment to offering a unique luxury experience and supporting the local community

.The renovated store now spans 37,000 square meters and offers 70,000 SKUs from leading designers and luxury brands. The new store features various concepts, including beauty, gourmet, pet products, and more. The design of the store pays homage to the neighbourhood through its architecture and conceptualization.

The renovation project was led by TPG Architecture and took 33 months to complete.

El Palacio de Hierro reopens its doors in Satélite 

What: Magasin du Nord has a 70 sqm pop-up store in the Swedish city during November and December.

Why it is important: The department store intends to increase brand awareness on the territory to boost online sales and get more Goodie programme members.

Magasin du Nord opens a pop-up store in Malmö

What: El Palacio de Hierro reshuffles its human resources department following the departure of its HR director.

Why it is important: The company's human resource department is transitioning under a new leader that comes with years of experience in the retail industry.

Jamy Badillo, who served as the human resources director since July 2021, has departed from the company- finalised on November 17, 2023. Angélica María García Lozano has taken over as the new director of human resources since November 21. García has more than 24 years of professional experience, including 13 years in the retail sector at Walmart and 11 years at Grupo Marhnos.

El Palacio de Hierro reorganised its human resources department and appointed a new director