El Corte Inglés Preciados — Attraction in Madrid

Am a MAC girl and I happened to be at El corte Ingles Preciados so I thought I'll get my monthly supply there. I was assisted by a lady. She was about to show me how to do my eyes with the color pot that I bought but another customer came and so she told me "try it yourself" because she'll attend to the customer I mentioned. I understand that I am not the only one to be attended and it was ok. There was another mac salesperson btw who was sitting down and making his/her makeup in anothr chair and I asked if he/she could help me and he/she told me he/she doesn't understand (pretending he/she doesn't understand English but I know he/she does because he/she atended to me in English before). I decided to just buy the eye color pot and go to the MAC store steps away from El Corte Ingles. I ended up buying almost 100euros because the MAC assistant was so great. She alo attended to other customers but would tell me she'll come back to me. It does not end here. The MAC store assitant showed me an eye palette I liked better than the one I bought from MAC corte ingles preciados so I went back to the latter to return and exchange the eye color pot. The lady who assited me before was in a make-up session so I did not bother her. I waited for the other salesperson. They both could see me and also I said hi, I would lik to change an item please. But when the other salesperson finished attending to a customer, he/she went to the other makeup brand attendant and talked for like 3 mins. I could not wait anymore because I had to go somewhere so I told the lady assistant if she could attend to me. She told me "I am sorry I am in a make-up session". I wanted to tell her she was leaving me for another customer earlier and she could shortly attend to me but I did not want to make a scene. Finally the other salesperson came back from his/her chitchat so I was able to change the eye colot pot. In the counter a friend of his/her came and they were chatting again. I was going to pay the remaining balance and I had to remind him/her to encode the price balance so I could pay. Lesson learned. Never. Ever.Buy MAC from El Corte Ingles again. MAC is not cheap and an excellent customer service should...

I bought a pair of Hoka’s at 50% so I’m pretty happy with my purchase. However I’m leaving this review because of the terrible interaction I had with Joaquin at customer service help desk next to Vans and Hoka shoe section. When I wanted to try on the shoes, he outright told me that it’s for men and rolled his eyes. I half believed him but still told him I’d like to still try my size. When I told him my size, he repeated rhetorically you want to try size 40 and he rolled his eyes again and shrugged and went to get the size I wanted. Meanwhile I fact checked his claim of the shoe being only for men, and he was wrong. I even asked his colleague who scanned the item and checked in the system and confirmed that it’s unisex. So not only is he giving out misinformation but to top it all his delivery is rude. I tried out my size and when I went to pay for it, I told him it’s a unisex shoe and he showed no acknowledgement or accountability for his incorrect claim. I don’t expect someone who got to their middle age and didn’t learn to treat people with respect, to show accountability for their rudeness but at least show accountability for peddling out misinformation especially when it’s your job at the Helpdesk to give correct information (or at least don’t make claims if you’re not sure!). I want to call this out because people like this unfortunately can’t be reasoned with and only understand the language of...

Welcome to the flagship temple of Spanish department stores — El Corte Inglés on Calle Preciados. Smack in the middle of Madrid’s retail heart, between Puerta del Sol and Callao, it’s not just a store — it’s a vertical city of shopping.

Seven floors? Eight? You lose count. Fashion, tech, cosmetics, gourmet food, luxury bags, travel gear, toys — if it exists, they probably sell it here. Need a charger, a suitcase, a last-minute blazer, or a bottle of Rioja to take home? They’ve got you. And if you’re lost? There’s an elevator, an escalator, a sign, and probably a staff member ready to help — politely, and efficiently.

The crowd? Locals. Tourists. People who forgot something. People killing time. Families. Business travelers. All of Madrid, basically. It’s busy, especially on weekends, but the chaos feels organized.

The upper floors often hide the best finds: the Club del Gourmet (fancy wines, turrón, jamón ibérico), and restaurants with panoramic views. You can shop and snack your way through the day without ever stepping outside.

Is it charming? No. Is it convenient, clean, reliable, and surprisingly complete? Absolutely.

If they don’t know, they don’t care. Service abysmal apart from...