Unless you walk around with your eyes closed, you’ll have noticed the overwhelming El Corte Inglés store in the heart of Puerto Banús. The Spanish department store isn’t a stand-alone branch, either. El Corte Inglés has stores spread across the nation, from Madrid to Barcelona. Generally supplying more affluent Spanish residents and visitors with high-end products, El Corte Inglés is a mix between Selfridges and Debenhams in the UK.

Inside the Puerto Banús branch, there’s a large supermarket called Hipercor. If you recognise some of the products on sale here, it’s probably because you’ve seen them before at OpenCor – a late-night chain that also belongs to the El Corte Inglés umbrella. Shoppers will find a wide range of quality products, from food and beverages, to clothes and furniture. Don’t expect the products in Hipecor to come cheap, however – many people use Hipercor to pick up special luxury items, rather than a place do their whole week’s food shopping.

Outside of Hipercor, on the ground floor, female shoppers will be in seventh heaven; a large cosmetic section offers makeup, toiletries and fragrances, while others sections specialise in shoes, bags and jewellery. There’s even a small watch repair stand near the far entrance, should you need another battery for your watch or a quick repair, and a place to buy lottery tickets, magazines and newspapers. What’s more, shoppers are able to purchase a variety of tickets from the Customer Service and Information Desk on this level. These include coach excursions for tourists, and concert and show tickets for those must-see local events.

On the first floor, you’ll find a seemingly never-ending supply of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing; while there is a cheaper section which sells El Corte Inglés’ own label, shoppers flock here for the designers, including Cerruti, Versace, Armani, Valentino and Tommy Hilfiger, amongst others. If you’re after discounted designer goods, update your summer wardrobe in the winter and stock up on winter gear in the summer. There’s also a little-known mid-summer sale on swimwear, where you’ll be able to snap up big name trunks, bikinis, swimming costumes, towels and flip-flops for half the price. There’s also a place for men and women to get their hair cut, and a cafeteria near the far back.

On the second floor, shoppers will find every conceivable electrical good imaginable, from televisions to computers. There’s also household items for the house-proud, including crockery and cutlery, furniture and linen. Those who are looking to get away from it all rather than stay at home won’t be disappointed either; the second floor also boats a travel agent and a luggage section.

Those who venture up to the third floor (and let’s face it, not many of us do because we’ve usually spent maxed out our credit cards by this point) will find the store’s old stock of furniture, as well as discounted items on offer. Shoppers are advised to make the effort and browse through the junk for hidden treasures.

Down in the basement, the more active shoppers amongst you will be pleased to find a whole department dedicated to sporting equipment and clothing. There’s also a music and DVD section, as well as a stationer complete with photocopying service. Add to that a show repairer, a key cutter, dry cleaner, optician, car shop and flower arranger, and you’ve pretty much got everything under one roof at El Corte Inglés. Beneath this – on the second basement floor – are also a haberdashery, florist and pet store.

There’s an abundance of parking available at the Puerto Banús store, so don’t worry about getting there early just to snag yourself a space. Parking is about 1.50 euros an hour, but if your have a special El Corte Inglés Store Card then the first two hours are free when you spend 30 euros or more. So shop ‘til you drop at El Corte Inglés.

Monday to Saturday 10am to 10pm
July and August 10.30am to 10.30pm including Sundays. Open some bank holidays
Tel: 0034 952 909 990
www.elcorteingles.es