What: El Corte Inglés has achieved Zero Waste certification across all its department stores, food formats, outlets and logistics platforms in Spain and Portugal.

Why it is important: The milestone demonstrates how waste recovery, employee training and logistics optimisation can turn sustainability goals into everyday retail execution.

El Corte Inglés has completed its 2026 Zero Waste road map by securing AENOR Zero Waste certification across all department stores, logistics platforms, Supercor, Sanchez Romero and Outlet sites in Spain and Portugal. More than 300 establishments and platforms were certified in 2025, confirming that the company has embedded circular economy practices across its retail and logistics network. The system requires more than 90% of managed waste to be recovered. El Corte Inglés exceeded that threshold by recovering more than 100,000 tonnes of waste, equal to over 94% of the total managed, and avoiding more than 61,000 tonnes of CO₂e emissions. The programme covers more than 50 waste categories, including paper, cardboard, plastics, organic waste and electrical and electronic equipment. The company says the system also supports food-waste reduction through donations and emissions cuts through logistics route optimisation and improved vehicle loading. Its model relies on annual internal and external audits, staff training, regional environmental officers and Zero Waste managers at each centre to ensure ongoing improvement.

IADS Notes: El Corte Inglés’s Zero Waste milestone confirms that circularity has become a structured operating model across its stores, food formats, outlets and logistics platforms in Spain and Portugal. In June 2026, RHH Digital reported that the group had achieved AENOR Zero Waste certification across more than 300 sites, valorising over 100,000 tonnes of waste and avoiding more than 61,000 tonnes of CO₂e emissions, supported by audits, staff training, environmental delegates and Zero Waste managers. This builds on the broader Sustainability Plan covered by Modaes in August 2025, which linked circular economy initiatives, governance innovation and environmental impact reduction to the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Digital Leon’s March 2026 coverage of Earth Hour showed how El Corte Inglés uses climate campaigns and employee communication to reinforce ESG awareness, while the June 2026 company press release placed sustainability within a wider agenda of operational excellence, logistics innovation, store modernisation and disciplined investment. The relevance extends beyond Spain: Falabella’s July 2026 Sustainability Report similarly positioned measurable ESG action as a driver of omnichannel efficiency, customer trust and long-term competitiveness.

El Corte Inglés meets its Zero Waste road map

What: John Lewis is launching its biggest fashion collaboration to date with RIXO, bringing an exclusive 44-piece collection to all stores and online.

Why it is important: The partnership highlights how department stores are using heritage, exclusivity and curated fashion to differentiate in a competitive UK market.

John Lewis is launching its largest fashion collaboration to date with British brand RIXO, introducing a 44-piece collection across all John Lewis fashion stores and online from 22 October. The partnership is designed to strengthen John Lewis’s premium fashion credentials while widening RIXO’s reach beyond its London stores. The collection spans dresses, knitwear, blouses, jackets, skirts, scarves, shoes and bags, combining RIXO’s vintage-inspired silhouettes with John Lewis’s focus on wearability. Prices start at £65, positioning the range as a more accessible entry point into the RIXO aesthetic. A key feature is an exclusive floral motif adapted from a block-printed textile in the John Lewis Partnership Archive dating back to 1849. It is the first time an archive print has been used in a John Lewis fashion collaboration. RIXO co-founder Orlagh McCloskey described the collaboration as a true extension of the brand, while John Lewis fashion director Rachel Morgans said the partnership felt natural because both brands are well known and loved in the UK.

IADS Notes: John Lewis’s collaboration with RIXO builds directly on its strategy to strengthen premium fashion through exclusive partnerships, curated brands and omnichannel reach. In April 2026, Drapers reported on John Lewis’s second Rejina Pyo collection, showing how designer collaborations help the retailer differentiate its fashion offer and build loyalty among style-conscious shoppers. Fashion Network’s March 2026 coverage of the second Labrum collaboration similarly highlighted cultural storytelling, craftsmanship and category expansion as tools for repositioning John Lewis as a fashion-forward, multi-brand destination. The broader strategy was set out by Retail Gazette in August 2025, when John Lewis added 100 premium fashion brands, exclusive collaborations and own-label collections as part of an £800 million turnaround plan to double fashion revenue. Fashion Network’s February 2026 coverage of 32 permanent Topshop corners showed how John Lewis uses its national store network and online platform to bring major fashion brands to a wider audience. Fashion United’s October 2025 article on the retailer’s supplier platform also showed how digital infrastructure is helping John Lewis onboard premium brands faster and support omnichannel fashion growth.

John Lewis launches its biggest fashion collaboration with iconic British brand RIXO

What: John Lewis leads UK retail customer satisfaction, but the sector has fallen behind banks and building societies for the first time in the UKCSI.

Why it is important: This shift shows that retailers must improve digital differentiation, logistics reliability and service quality as banks set new customer experience benchmarks.

John Lewis has been ranked the highest-rated retailer for customer satisfaction in the July edition of the UK Customer Satisfaction Index, scoring 87.1 and placing just behind Nationwide, the best-performing company overall. M&S Food ranked second among retailers, followed by Specsavers, while Ocado and Amazon.co.uk were the strongest online-only retailers in the retail list. Despite these strong individual performances, retail has lost its traditional lead in the index to banks and building societies for the first time since the UKCSI launched in 2008. Average satisfaction scores fell across both non-food and food retail, with non-food dropping from 81.6 to 81 and food easing from 80.9 to 80.6. The Institute of Customer Service said some retailers are struggling to differentiate online as digital offers become increasingly similar, while ecommerce operators remain exposed to delivery partner failures. Banks, by contrast, have invested heavily in consumer-facing technology, combining strong app experiences with trained staff for more complex needs.

IADS Notes: The Retail Week article’s finding that John Lewis leads UK retail customer satisfaction while the sector falls behind banks reflects several trends. In March 2026, Retail Week’s Digital Capability Index showed that retailers are investing in omnichannel tools, AI, mobile commerce and rapid delivery, but still struggle to convert digital capability into trust, loyalty and satisfaction. In January 2026, Journal du Net framed logistics as a strategic lever for retail, reinforcing the article’s point that ecommerce performance is vulnerable to delivery and returns failures that can damage the customer experience. John Lewis’s strong ranking is consistent with May 2026 coverage from Drapers, which highlighted the retailer’s push into loyalty, beauty services, exclusive partnerships and omnichannel engagement as ways to build deeper customer relationships. The comparison with banks is also supported by November 2025 BCG analysis on retail banking, which showed how AI agents and digital service models are raising expectations for responsive, technology-enabled customer service across consumer-facing sectors.

John Lewis was the best performing retailer in the July UK Customer Satisfaction Index