_From luxury to fast fashion: Spain appeals to the full retailer spectrum

Spain is one of the most appealing markets for top-tier retailers, whether they be national or international brands. Their expansion strategies have always focused on Spain's main cities, Madrid and Barcelona.

febrero 13, 2017

In the luxury sector, fashion brands have long mainly been drawn to streets such as Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona and Serrano and Ortega y Gasset in Madrid. In recent years, brands such as Michael Kors, Versace and Balenciaga have arrived in Spain and others such as Chanel, Gucci and Bulgari have relocated or expanded their stores, demonstrating that the sector is in good shape.

At the other end of the retail spectrum, with the global economy on stand-by due to the economic downturn, "fast fashion", also known as "mass market brands", has increased its market share. This refers to retailers searching for larger spaces, on high streets with high levels of footfall. In Madrid, Preciados is the traditional go-to street for this sector, followed by Gran Vía and Fuencarral, which are hot on its heels after registering stratospheric growth in recent years. In Barcelona, the traditional Portal del Àngel and Portaferrissa remain the mainstays of the mid-range segment.

Brands such as H&M, the Inditex Group and Primark are some of the retailers taking advantage of this trend to invest in expansion, opening ever more spectacular flagship stores.