El Corte Ingles ( the English Cut) is the only big department store in Spain present in most big cities. Barcelona has got two, one strategically located in the busiest part of the city – Placa Catalunya (7 floors) and the other situated in the main Business and Finance street – Diagonal (5 floors).
Compared to UK department stores I would say that El Corte Ingles could be at the same level as John Lewis, although some people might say that it would be closer to Selfridges.
Most of these department stores have the same layout:
Lower ground floor – Supermarket with a wide selection of top class meats, cheeses, wines, cava, etc Groud floor – Accessories, Cosmetics, Perfumes, Souvenirs…
Then upwards, each floor is dedicated to a category only – menswear, womeswear, children, house & garden, sports, electronics etc. Only selected shops have Bridal Department, Holiday Bookings, change of currency, both in Barcelona have got these extra services.
Pros
- You could buy everything you need for your house, garden and lifestyle from El Corte Ingles.
- The stores provide excellent quality goods and good customer service. They have a wide range of own labels and also designer goods such as levi’s, Diesel, etc
Cons
- The prices might be seen as a bit too expensive for an average working person in Spain but quite competitive for UK visitors as the pound is still very strong.
Overall, I would recommend this type of shop to those who want a one-stop-shop, however, Barcelona is well known for its shopping potential so it is advisable to walk around the main streets and try the smaller size or less known shops.
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Advantages: It's not Liverpool. It has shops and restaurants and what not. Disadvantages: It's not Manchester. It only has some shops and restaurants and what not.
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