What: El Palacio de Hierro grew first-half sales by 4.65%, but net income fell 9.46% as profitability remained under pressure.

Why it is important: El Palacio de Hierro’s performance highlights the growing importance of credit and real estate divisions in supporting diversified department store groups.

El Palacio de Hierro continued to grow sales in the first half of 2026, but profitability remained under pressure. The Mexican department store group reported first-half sales of 28.648 billion pesos, up 4.65% year on year, while net income fell 9.46% to 1.264 billion pesos. Operating income also declined, dropping 8.63% to 2.317 billion pesos. The second quarter showed a similar pattern. Revenue rose 5.05% to 15.374 billion pesos, but net income fell 3.56% to 842 million pesos and operating profit declined 6.11%. The results suggest that El Palacio de Hierro is maintaining commercial momentum but facing pressure on margins and operating profitability. The commercial division, which remains the group’s main business, grew 4.4% in the second quarter. However, supporting businesses expanded faster, with the credit division up 12.7% and real estate income up 5.9%. The company has been led by Eléonore de Boysson since June 2025.

IADS Notes: El Palacio de Hierro’s first-half results show that the Mexican luxury department store continues to grow sales, but profitability is becoming harder to protect. In August 2026, Modaes reported that first-half sales rose 4.65% while net income fell 9.46%, with second-quarter revenue up 5.05% and credit and real estate growing faster than the core commercial division. This follows Fashion Network’s May 2026 coverage of first-quarter revenue growth of 4.2% across commercial, credit and real estate, already accompanied by margin pressure. Fashion Network’s June 2026 report on leadership changes under Eléonore de Boysson showed the company strengthening store sales, supply chain and HR leadership to improve operational excellence and agility. 

El Palacio de Hierro’s sales continue growing, with reduced profitability

What: John Lewis is launching Sports & Wellness departments that combine sportswear, wearables, recovery, AI-powered fitness and expert services.
Why it is important: John Lewis’s investment highlights the shift from category-based merchandising to goal-led shopping journeys that combine advice, digital access and local engagement.
John Lewis is launching a new Sports & Wellness concept that brings sportswear, footwear, wearable technology, recovery, AI-powered fitness and expert services into one destination. The multi-million-pound investment is part of the retailer’s wider £800 million transformation programme and will roll out across Oxford Street, Liverpool, Cheadle and Glasgow. Each department spans around 5,000 sq ft and is organised around activities such as running, training and outdoor pursuits rather than traditional product categories. The aim is to support customers shopping around fitness goals, whether training for a marathon, taking up Hyrox or building a healthier lifestyle. The offer includes brands such as Nike, Brooks, Patagonia, Garmin, Oura, Whoop, Therabody, Peloton and NordicTrack. Services include free gait analysis, specialist footwear advice and MagicAI’s intelligent fitness mirror, which provides personalised training, rep counting and form correction. Monthly “Jog Lewis” run clubs will also connect customers with local running communities, product testing and expert advice.
IADS Notes: John Lewis’s Sports & Wellness concept reflects the rapid convergence of fitness, wellness, technology and community inside department store retail. John Lewis is rolling out the concept across Oxford Street, Liverpool, Cheadle and Glasgow, combining sportswear, footwear, wearables, recovery, AI-powered fitness, expert services and run clubs in one destination. Ian Jindal’s June 2026 analysis of the “health hub economy” showed how fitness, wellness, technology and community are becoming connected retail ecosystems where health drives loyalty, data and commerce. WWD’s May 2026 coverage of Harvey Nichols’ wellness floor similarly showed luxury retailers integrating Pilates, treatments, nutrition and holistic health into stores to drive footfall and differentiation. Retail Week reported in November 2025 that Flannels’ Leeds flagship had added a premium health and fitness club combining performance, recovery, activewear and local community engagement. Modaes’ January 2026 coverage of El Corte Inglés’ Puerta del Sol sports destination also showed how department stores are using sports, technical apparel, footwear and major brand shop-in-shops to attract active-lifestyle customers.

John Lewis’new sports and wellness departments

What: John Lewis is launching its biggest beauty advent calendar yet, worth £1,160 and available first to MyJL Beauty members.
Why it is important: The launch shows how department stores are using beauty calendars to drive loyalty, early festive demand and premium brand discovery.
John Lewis is launching its biggest beauty advent calendar to date, with a stated value of £1,160 and a retail price of £250. Available to preview from 3 August, it will be offered first through app pre-orders for MyJL Beauty members, before wider member availability and general sale in September.  The calendar contains 41 products across 25 drawers, with more than half in full size. Brands include Fenty Beauty, Elemis, Trinny London, Aveda, Dermalogica, Jo Loves, Medik8, Sisley, La Mer and Charlotte Tilbury. For the first time, the calendar also includes beauty tech, with a FOREO UFO mini worth £129. One in 41 customers will receive a mystery voucher, with prizes including a Shark tool and a Clarins spa treatment.
John Lewis is also launching its first 12-day fragrance advent calendar, priced at £99 and worth £305, featuring brands such as Memo Paris, KILIAN PARIS, Frederic Malle and Essential Parfums.
IADS Notes: John Lewis’s 2026 beauty advent calendar builds on a clear strategy of using beauty as a loyalty, discovery and premium-value engine. In September 2025, Fashion Network reported that John Lewis’s previous beauty advent calendar used high-value curation, early loyalty access, surprise prizes, reusable packaging and premium brands to drive seasonal excitement, with searches for beauty advent calendars up 50%. The 2026 edition extends that model through MyJL Beauty app pre-orders, a higher stated value and the first inclusion of beauty tech. This fits John Lewis’s wider beauty push: in April 2026, a Press Release described the launch of MyJL Beauty rewards, exclusive Skin Cupid shop-in-shops, curated boxes, expert advice and omnichannel engagement, while Drapers reported in May 2026 that loyalty, events and advisory services were being used to deepen customer relationships. The strategy also builds on the August 2025 transformation of John Lewis’s Liverpool beauty hall, covered by The Retail Bulletin, where experiential spaces, premium brands, Fenty Beauty, service-led retail and digital integration repositioned beauty as a growth category. More broadly, Glossy’s November 2025 analysis of US department stores showed how luxury brands, immersive services and advanced technology are reshaping beauty retail.

John Lewis announces its biggest beauty advent calendar, worth £1,160