Shopping In Madrid

Whenever I travel, there are 3 important things I have to do research on. Tourist spots, shopping and dining. These are musts and either of them can not be skipped. Some people prefer one over the other. I love them all equally. I believe all of them are necessary to have a complete experience.

So naturally when I went to Spain, I did my research as well. Tourist spots? Check! Best paella and tapas restaurants? Check! Shopping? Check! One of the many places I enjoyed shopping at was the ever so famous, El Cortes Inglés. Ask whoever has been to Spain and surely, he/she has been to the famous department store chain. It’s Spain’s iconic shopping mall–highly visible and always situated at the best locations. The most recent one has just been launched at the heart of Madrid’s business and financial district along Paseo de Castellana. It’s one of the largest and most unique stores in Europe, occupying a large part of a 22-storey landmark building enclosed by a backlit cylinder. Too bad it wasn’t around yet when I visited Madrid years ago. I would’ve loved to see not only the brands inside,which are said to be  laid out like real luxury streets, but also, the department store’s modern architecture.

El Corte Inglés in Castellana has the widest selection of international fashion brands in one center. A few of which are Cartier, Bottega Veneta, Bulgari, Dior, Gucci, Hermes, Jimmy Choo, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Max Mara, Miu Miu, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tod’s, Saint Laurent, Carolina Herrera and Burberry. These stores are installed in a distinct and unique zone, each offering their own ambience and decor.

Aside from these, El Corte Inglés also has a vast selction of  the most renowned brands of luxury watches and jewellery such as Bulgari, Cartier, Rolex, IWC, Panerai, Vertu, Blancpain, Tag Heuer, Omega, Pomellato, Dodó, Fred, Boucheron, Chaumet, Chopard, Piaget, Carrera y Carrera, Damian, Yanes, Elena Carrera, H. Stern and Messika. It also has an exclusive space presenting the latest ideas and models of luxury watch brands like Jaquet Droz, Glashutte Original, Baume & Mercier, Maurice Lacroix, Corum, Perrelet, Frederique Constant, Piaget, L.U.C. de Chopard, Girard Perregaux, Pedro Izquierdo and Pitá. I can go on and on with all these brands but I’m afraid we might run out of space because El Corte Inglés in Castellana has the largest collection of watches in Southern Europe (as well as luxury fashion brands)! This is the place to shop for avid watch fans. It even has a number of private areas where pieces can be viewed at one’s leisure before deciding on any of them in order to preserve the privacy of customers shopping for watches and jewellery. What a thoughtful idea!

What’s shopping without delicious food to satisfy your palate? The Gourmet Experience in Castellana combines tasting with the sale of gourmet products for you to enjoy different types of specialities 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, Valrhona and Fauchon chocolates and a wine cellar that features exceptional champagnes and wines.

 

Nothing completes the perfect shopping experience than the best customer service. El Cortes Inglés in Castellana is one of the most welcoming places to shop at for foreign visitors. The staff are multilingual and well-trained in assisting customers according to their needs–everything from directing the location of a specific brand to an all-day interpreting service while shopping at the center. There’s also a tourist area where you can process VAT refunds of up to 16% of your total purchases (my favorite thing about shopping in Europe), shipping of your pruchases to your hotel or home country and more! El Cortes Inglés in Castellana truly goes beyond what is expected.

Check out El Corte Inglés Castellana’s website here. Download its mobile apps on iTunes and Google Play.

34 Responses to “Shopping In Madrid”
  1. Kaye Alid

    Hi digging in your old posts! Haha wooooooww my step Dad would love this shop!!! Hahaha because he loves watches. Hope you’ll still see this. #LR ang peg

    Reply
  2. Reena

    Oh my gaaaad! Akala ko ikaw yung girl sa last picture. hahahaha… ahhhh I want to go to that place! Aside from the wonderful retail finds and the food (never forget the food!), I’m also a big sucker for architecture. Whenever I visit another place, regardless kung dito sa Pinas o abroad, I always look for the beauty and history that’s always present with buildings. Kahit modern sya, may story pa rin. :)

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      Tama! There’s always a story behind these structures :)

      Reply
  3. Haru

    I´m from Madrid, El Corte Inglés was placed in many cities of Spain, Madrid has so much centers than any other one.
    You can find different types of El Corte Inglés stores, specialized in fashion, books, technology, music, supermarket… others are more global and have all of these sections in one store.
    Castellana´s store is more luxurious than anyone as you say, is “special”, bigger and you can spend more than one day visit it completely, the best it´s that is for everyone, I mean you can buy the most luxurious things, a laptop, a magazine, clothes of many brands (more affordable) or doggy plush for a kid, you only have to change of floor.

    Reply
  5. Sarang

    I envy you! Wish I could travel there as well!
    BTW, you said …to satisfy your palette? Do you mean palate? :)

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      Darn it!!! My brain died on me again!!! Didn’t notice that! Thanks Sarang!

      Reply
  7. GQTan

    I fully agree with your point of view tourism, in fact, different people have different points of view, the focus in the tourism process is somewhat different. I am in the process of watching tourism landscape is also very focused on the local customs, history and culture.

    Reply
  8. Sandra

    i totally do the same thing before embarking on a trip – research, research, research… And talking about spain – i actually saw more of spain than my own country, so could probably say safely, that i know it pretty well…and yes el corte ingles is in each and every city, but there’s nothing special about this store…it’s just another department store, that’s it. I think visiting boutiques is sooooooo much more exciting…i’d skip el corte ingles in a minute, for more authentic and personal experience in boutiques.

    Sandra from http://www.chicplaisir.com

    Reply
  9. maebs

    That is all in one shopping destination. :) btw, ano pa pong country sa asia ang gusto mong puntahan? :)

    Reply
  10. Rai

    hi ms camille.. can’t view your pictures from blog post “One Skirt, Two Looks (Look #1)” to your recent blog post.. wonder why? :(

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      Oh that’s weird. Have you tried clearing your cache and browser history?

      Reply
  11. Ren

    Kaya pala siguro may calling ako na pumunta sa Europe dahil nandun lang naman ang napakaraming brand and unique watches. I need to save a lot, really! haha This place is very inviting and full of temptation huh Enjoy! ;)

    Reply
  16. Don Calloway

    I was in Spain last year, Salamanca in particular, where I visited Plaza de Major. I was in Spain, Portugal and France on a religious pilgrimage, but did do some shopping, dining and site-seeing. What a lovely country Spain is, I must agree. My trip did not include Madrid, although I would have loved visiting there. The shops you visited sound a bit expensive for the average tourist, I must admit. I enjoyed reading your blog.

    Reply
    • Camille Co

      Wow! What an itinerary :) I’m sure you’ll find something in Madrid too! Madrid is lovely, you would’ve enjoyed it! :)

      Reply
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