What: As part of El Corte Inglés' divestment process, the group has sold its property in Portal de l'Àngel to Redevco Iberian Ventures.

Why it is important: El Corte Inglés is focusing on the most profitable complexes as part of its strategic plan to divest part of its portfolio, including the Titania tower in Madrid as well as several non-commercial assets.

The joint real estate venture by Redevco Iberian Ventures aims to transform the Portal de l'Àngel complex into a mixed-use building by investing around 200 million euros to create commercial floors and offices.

El Corte Inglés sells Portal de l'Àngel centre 

What: El Corte Inglés sealed two long-term solar energy purchase contracts that will reduce the cost of its electricity bill by up to 30%.

Why it is important: Despite already using 100% renewable energy, their purchase of solar will both reduce the cost of electricity as well as prevent the emission of an estimated 215,000 tons of CO2 for El Corte Inglés.

This will also cover 40% of the group's annual electricity consumption. El Corte Inglés aims to generate zero waste in all its subsidiaries by 2025.

El Corte Inglés seals deal to reduce electricity bill

What: Magasin du Nord has repurchased 4 of its most strategic stores.

Why it is important: Controlling the real estate is the best way to be prepared for future potential crisis, as Magasin du Nord is not rent-dependent anymore.

Magasin du Nord has repurchased four stores to ATP and PensionDanmark pension funds, including the Kongens Nytorv flagship store in Copenhagen, but also the Lyngy, Aarhus and Odense stores, which are the most performing ones.

They have been rented by the retailer for the last 10 years and are now fully controlled by Magasin du Nord, which sees this transaction as a way to regain control of their own future.

Magasin du Nord buys back its stores 

What: Galeries Lafayette hosts a René Magritte-themed pop-up for Tory Burch on display in-store and across three windows.

Why it is important: Galeries Lafayette showcases the T Monogram collection, including exclusive pieces for the department store. Along with the installation of the collection's blue sky-covered podiums, the Tory Burch T Monogram is also featured on the billboard above Galeries Lafayette and on its website and social media.

Galeries Lafayette welcomes Tory Burch pop-up

What: Inuikii, a Swiss shoe brand, will be hosted for the first time in Germany for a pop-up in Breuninger's Düsseldorf flagship.

Why it is important: Breuninger will be the launch pad for Inuikii to unveil its new ready-to-wear collection during the pop-up event which will include a DJ and art installation.

From now until 7 November, Breuninger's basement will house a variety of new and classic Inuikii styles.

Breuninger opens first Inuikii pop-up

What: Galeries Lafayette has become the official partner of the Galeries Émergentes sector at the first edition of Paris+ par Art Basel to support and boost the visibility of 16 galleries.

Why it is important: Galeries Lafayette shows their 120-year commitment to enabling creatives by promoting contemporary design at the French capital's important upcoming cultural event for the first edition of Art Basel's Paris+.

As well, the department store group's corporate foundation, Lafayette Anticipations, will present a new exhibition visible at both the Foundation and Palais de Tokyo. Lafayette Anticipations will also select an artist to support the realisation of a new piece of work that will then be presented at the Foundation during Paris+ by Art Basel next year. The artist will be chosen by qualified professionals from the art world.

In addition to its event-related activities, Galeries Lafayette will involve stores including hosting a large piece by Yngve Holen in the atrium of the Champs-Elysées location.

The event will take place from 20 to 23 October 2022 at the Grand Palais Ephémère.

Galeries Lafayette to support 16 galleries at Paris+ by Art Basel

What: The department store ended the period with an EBITDA of 3,919 million Mexican pesos (196.2 million euros), 1.9% times more than in the same period last year. Online sales grew 37% compared to the same period last year. The company has ended the first nine months of the year with an increase in sales of 28%, to 29,587 million Mexican pesos (1,481.3 million euros).

Why it is important: Compared to the first nine months of 2019, company revenues have increased by 26%. El Palacio de Hierro has explained that the increase in sales is due to its omnichannel strategy  and "greater dynamism on the part of the consumer". Department stores turnover growth was 14.7% in comparable stores and 17% in total stores.

El Palacio de Hierro increases its sales by 28% in the first nine months of 2022

What: SM Foundation Inc. and the Fast Retailing Foundation formally launched their 'Grow Trees Community' project in Nasugbu, Batangas in September as the first of three provinces that the two foundations intend to reforest.

Why it is important: The initiative will plant and grow trees across the Philippines while creating livelihood opportunities for those in the communities with which the project interacts.

The project will address social and economic needs while also caring for the environment in a way that can enhance prospects for eco-tourism alongside community job creation.

SM and Fast Retailing Foundation's reforestation initiative

What: The Mall group has advanced its sustainability initiative to support SET and continue its projects centred around protecting wildlife and planting trees.

Why it is important: The Mall organized an activity to plant trees for a forest that totalled 6,100 trees in the Ban Na Wai Community Forest.

The project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54,900 kg of carbon dioxide. Other plans based on the Mall's sustainability projects will focus on restoring watershed ecosystems to create fertile land to increase food production and generate income for communities.

The Mall Go Green project advances

What: Galeries Lafayette has launched a retail media platform designed for its partner brands: Tailored Insights.

Why it is important: The proprietary platform will use data to analyse and customize the customer experience for use by the company's partner brands.

Galeries Lafayette is one of the first French department stores to develop an initiative of this kind at such a scale, representing another way in which the company is pushing the development of its omnichannel presence. Partner brands are now able to understand their Galeries Lafayette customers and offer them a more personalized experience along the customer journey.

The platform is collaborative and provides strategic and operational insights to better anticipate trends to design effectively, select the best product range, develop measurable marketing plans and more.

AI algorithms have been integrated into the platform to optimize Fashion and Homeware categories, reducing data processing and its carbon footprint.

Galeries Lafayette launches retail media platform

What: This fall, Galeries Lafayette Haussmann will host Jaiio, a second-hand resale platform, as it expands its resale operations.

Why it is important: After the 'Kids O'clock 'children's second-hand clothing and accessories sales platform finishes its pop-up shop in Galeries Lafayette, Jaiio who will open its own on the third floor of the department store.

Used clothing and accessories from well-known premium brands will be available in the space for five weeks, along with entertainment over the duration of the ephemeral space.

Content creator Emyra (@Lacrazyrevolution) will offer her dressing room for sale, while Virginie Fauconnier, one of the stylists of the TV show "Incroyables Transformations", will play the personal shopper.

Jaiio second-hand pop-up in Galeries Lafayette

What: El Palacio has created a new centre in Mexico City spread across five levels featuring a variety of services.

Why it is important: Located in the Mítikah shopping complex in the Coyoacán demarcation, the newest El Palacio de Hierro department store boasts shopping, restaurants, bars, cafes, a barbershop, nail salon, shoe servicing centre, tattoo studio and a children's hair salon all under a huge glass dome.

Customers are quickly converted to frequent shoppers due to the practical nature of the services provided. The architecture design was completed by Mónica Elguea and constructed by the TPG Architecture office. The building and its décor nod to the famous residents of Coyoacán in a subtle way locals are expected to appreciate.

The centre is comprised of 40,000 sq. meters across five levels with 266 spaces for brands. The Coyoacán location employs 952 people so far.

El Palacio de Hierro invests 140 million in Coyoacán

What: The biggest Swiss department store company is celebrating its 120th anniversary this October by offering clients special collections and products, prizes and promotions, a metaverse experience and an NFT series.

Why it is important: Manor's 120th-anniversary celebration, taking place from the 7th of October to the 23rd, taps into its heritage as a contributor to Swiss culture and experience through offering prizes, promotions, limited edition products and NFTs created in collaboration with Swiss designers.

For its dive into the Metaverse, Manor has partnered with Swiss designer, Yael Anders, to launch an NFT series available online and in-store. Yael Anders is known for his physical sculptures which have been adapted to a digital format in collaboration with VARY AG to create a collection of art videos. The limited run of NFTs is also intended to show Manor's commitment to innovation and the support of Swiss creators.

With 59 department stores, 27 supermarkets and 24 restaurants, Manor brings Switzerland unique experiences and exclusive brands in everything from services and F&B to luxury apparel and electronics. Its partnerships with brands like Fnac, Decathlon, Sephora and LEGO have enriched the customer experience over the years.

Manor has also recently celebrated the 40Th anniversary of the Manor Cultural Prize which will showcase seven Swiss artists in different museums across the country.

Manor celebrates 120 years of business

What: The first half of 2022 saw strong retail performance demonstrating shopping behaviour and resilience of Filipino consumers despite economic headwinds.

Why it is important: SM malls' foot traffic increased by more than 100% over pre-pandemic levels demonstrating the strength and culture of mall shopping.

SM retail's net income grew by 91% in addition to an overall retail revenue rise of 18%. The Filipino consumer remains interested in value-shopping, which was magnified by the pandemic, yet shopping malls have gained further standing as go-to community spaces.

Delivery and technological service demands are also increasing post-pandemic, and SM works continually to adapt and meet customer needs.

SM performance demonstrates resilience of Filipino shoppers

What: The Dorotheen Quartier is celebrating its fifth anniversary as a centre of retail, gastronomy, urban life and tourism for Stuttgart.

Why it is important: The Breuninger flagship, located in the Dorotheen Quartier, will celebrate the anniversary of the district through special promotions, atmospheric decoration, live musical entertainment, culinary attractions, guest speakers and more.

In addition to the main events, guests can take part in an augmented reality treasure hunt and win exclusive prizes. fYRA Collective will open a pop-up kicking off the celebration from September 30th to October 1st.

Breuninger flagship celebrates DOQU Festival

What: The Mall Group received a plaque for the Royal Forest Department's helper in the field of community forest promotion and development for the year 2022.

Why it is important: The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment recognizes the company's efforts to reduce its emissions to carbon neutral.

The group plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20%- 25% by 2030 based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), development guidelines.

The Mall Group receives sustainability plaque

What: The new offerings will be available on manor.ch as well as in 5 shop-in-shops in Manor department stores.

Why it is important: The partnership will allow Manor to expand its brand offerings (including Nike, Vans, UGG, Dr. Martens, Hugo Boss, Timberland, Geox, Clarks) and benefit from Aeschbach's established reputation in Switzerland.

Manor customers will benefit from a considerable expansion of the online assortment on manor.ch (via the marketplace) with a vast choice of shoes for women, men and children and by 5 Aeschbach shop-in-shops in Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Lugano and Vevey.

The Aeschbach company currently has 15 own points of sale and offers more than 3,000 new products a year in the categories of shoes, fashion accessories and clothing for women, men and children.

From the second quarter of 2023, 5 new shop-in-shops will open in Manor stores.

Manor partners with footwear retailer Aeschbach

What: The agreement allows the Spanish company to take advantage of the global e-commerce network to boost its expansion in Russia and Central European countries;

Why it is important: El Corte Inglés and AliExpress have taken a new step in their alliance by reaching an agreement that will allow the Group's international expansion in Russia, Poland and Central Europe and will boost online sales in these markets.

In this way, El Corte Inglés strengthens its alliance with AliExpress by incorporating six new fashion brands that are sold through the Alibaba Group marketplace. Unit, one of the six brands, has become very popular among younger customers, positioning itself among the favorite brands of AliExpress users in Spain.

Alibaba will use the logistics infrastructure of El Corte Inglés.

Eduardo Sotillos , Director of Purchasing at El Corte Inglés, explains that "we have always worked to offer customers the best quality in products and services. The collaboration with AliExpress is a lever to boost online sales, and especially the expansion in the international market. For its part, AliExpress will be able to take advantage of our logistics infrastructure in Spain."

El Corte Inglés strengthens its alliance with AliExpress

What: As community restrictions are lifting and schools and offices are back face-to-face SM has seen a surge in crowds coming to stores and malls.

Why it is important: Trends have shifted in terms of consumers leaning more towards 'athleisure,' more people are biking to work in response to the trend of health and wellness trend, as well as sustainability.

SM has addressed the shift in sustainability by providing the SM Green Finds Initiative, a collection of sustainable products.

There is a resurgence of fashion, leading to more energized spending; SM has ended the second quarter with 95% of pre-pandemic sales.

Press Release: SM sees a resurgence of fashion spending

Media: SM sees a resurgence of fashion spending

What: Lafayette Gourmet onboards 7 new restaurant concepts from young and trendy chefs.

Why it is important: The new restaurant space is 1000 sqm and is located on Lafayette Gourmet's first floor, previously dedicated to home goods. This initiative shows how department stores are increasingly developing services and experiences.

Galeries Lafayette Haussmann expands its restaurant offerings 

What: The new [Re]vendez ([Re]sell) will allow customers to take used clothes back to Toulouse, Nice Cap 3000, Lyon Part-Dieu, Annecy and Nantes stores. They will receive a store gift voucher in exchange.

Why it is important: After the opening of the [Re]store department in Haussmann store a year ago, Galeries Lafayette continues developing CSR initiatives, this time outside of Paris.

Galeries Lafayette's resale service in provincial stores

What: El Corte Inglés' Malaga location welcomes the Swedish brand Foreo specializing in skincare technology.

Why it is important: Malaga is a priority city for El Corte Inglés due to its economic business, cultural and touristic dynamism strengthening retail and promoting growth for the company.

El Corte Inglés enriches the customer experience through the dedicated space for Foreo, a 13-square-meter corner which prioritizes testing treatments and products. The brand sells a variety of beauty products and gadgets from face cleansers and massagers to toothbrushes and light therapy devices.

Foreo skincare corner at El Corte Inglés

What: Breuninger is offering customers to participate in a variety of events to kick off the autumn/winter season with an open-air runway show.

Why it is important: Together with the Kö-Bogen, the fashion retailer is inviting Düsseldorf customers to late-night shopping, promotional campaigns and DJ sounds on Friday and Saturday, September 2nd and 3rd.

Seven fashion shows with big brands will present on a 60-metre-long catwalk in front of the Düsseldorf flagship store.

Breuninger's fashion spectacle for the AW season

What: The luxury retailer SKP is stepping out of Beijing to open its first location in Southern China in another first-tier city.

Why it is important: SKP is known for running the world's most profitable mall, SKP Beijing, making its plans a likely motivator for luxury brands to move into the dormant commercial area.

The Guangzhou market has been dominated by Taikoo Hui in recent years, which brought in luxury players like Celine and Balenciaga just this year. SKP's newest venture is likely to bring even more luxury brands to the Southern Chinese region.

At the closing ceremony of the eighth Guangzhou Annual Investment Conference China and the first Global Unicorn CEO Forum, SKP's parent company Beijing Hualian Group signed the contract with the Guangzhou government to seal the deal for its plans. The government is hoping to revive the untapped retail zone. Luxury shopping malls, MixC and Taikoo Li, also unveiled plans to open malls in Guangzhou at the conference.

An opening date is yet to be revealed for SKP Guangzhou. However, SKP is set to open a southwest retail hub in Chengdu later this year as well as a location in Wuhan next year.

Chinese luxury retail giant SKP to open in Guangzhou