Åhléns
Sweden
EU
Åhléns is a Swedish department store chain. Johan Petter Åhlén and Erik Holm founded it in 1899 in Insjön in Dalarna as the mail-order company Åhlén & Holm. In 1932 the company...
European Department Stores
El Corte Inglés
Spain
EU
El Corte Inglés is the largest department store group in Spain. It began as a tailor's shop of that name founded in 1890. Ramón Areces bought it in 1935 and set up...
Galeries Lafayette
France
EU
Galeries Lafayette is a Paris department store group that celebrated its 130th year in 2024. Its flagship stands on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris, where it uses three buildings under the name "Lafayette...
Harrods
United Kingdom
Non-European Parent Company
Harrods is the famous luxury department store in Knightsbridge, London, and a symbol of British retail. It sells luxury fashion, accessories, beauty, home goods and gifts in one large store and through...
John Lewis
United Kingdom
John Lewis is a British department store chain and part of the John Lewis Partnership, the largest employee-owned business in the United Kingdom. The Partnership also owns the supermarket chain Waitrose. The...
La Rinascente
Italy
EU
Non-European Parent Company
La Rinascente is an Italian department store chain with a flagship in Milan. It sells fashion, beauty, design, home and gourmet food in Italy.
Manor
Switzerland
Manor is the largest department store group in Switzerland. Its history goes back to 1902, when the wholesalers Ernest and Henri Maus and the retailer Léon Nordmann opened the department store "Léon...
Marks & Spencer
United Kingdom
Marks & Spencer (M&S) is a British retailer with a department store format. Its stores sell clothing, home products and beauty alongside a large food hall offer, and the group also has...
Printemps
France
EU
Non-European Parent Company
Printemps is a Paris department store group with its main store on Boulevard Haussmann. It is one of the best known French department store names alongside Galeries Lafayette, and it has also...
Selfridges
United Kingdom
Non-European Parent Company
Selfridges is a British department store group with its flagship on Oxford Street in London. It sells fashion, beauty, accessories and food.
Stockmann
Finland
EU
Stockmann is a Finnish department store chain with roots in the Stockmann company that was founded in Helsinki in 1862. Today the department store division belongs to Lindex Group Plc, a retail...
Did we miss one? Feel free to submit a suggestion!
Submit SuggestionDepartment stores are an old European retail format, and the continent still has well-known national names. This page lists eleven: El Corte Inglés (Spain), Galeries Lafayette and Printemps (France), John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Harrods and Selfridges (United Kingdom), La Rinascente (Italy), Åhléns (Sweden), Manor (Switzerland) and Stockmann (Finland).
Which store is where
| Store | Country | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| El Corte Inglés | Spain | Spanish group, Grupo Mutua holds 8 percent |
| Galeries Lafayette | France | Moulin and Houzé families |
| Printemps | France | Qatari investors (flagged) |
| John Lewis | United Kingdom | Employees (Partnership) |
| Marks & Spencer | United Kingdom | Listed company |
| Harrods | United Kingdom | Qatar Investment Authority (flagged) |
| Selfridges | United Kingdom | Central Group (Thailand) 60 percent, PIF (Saudi Arabia) 40 percent (flagged) |
| La Rinascente | Italy | Central Group, Thailand (flagged) |
| Åhléns | Sweden | Ayad Al-Saffar, main owner |
| Manor | Switzerland | Founding families, 56 department stores |
| Stockmann | Finland | Lindex Group (listed), seven department stores |
What the flag means here
Four of the eleven stores are European businesses with owners from outside Europe: Printemps and Harrods belong to Qatari investors, Selfridges and La Rinascente to Thai Central Group, in the case of Selfridges together with the Saudi fund PIF. The stores, staff and buyers stay European, but the profit goes to the owners. The other seven are held by families, employees or European shareholders.
Choosing a store
- Everyday department store: John Lewis, El Corte Inglés, Manor, Åhléns and Stockmann sell fashion, home and more under one roof.
- Luxury flagship: Galeries Lafayette, Harrods, Selfridges, Printemps and La Rinascente are known for designer fashion and beauty.
- Mixed with food: Marks & Spencer combines clothing and home with a large food offer.
What Europe does not offer as one brand
The American chains Macy's, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's have no European stores. For clothing alone see women's clothing and men's clothing.