Mijas and Fuengirola shoppers and Costa del Sol visitors can now prepare for wider retail options after El Corte Ingles announced expansion at its Las Lagunas centre. Currently only three of six floors operate with 14,500 square metres of space. Plans hope to increase this to more than 22,000 square metres and return every standard department before Christmas trading begins this year. The move reverses several years of reduced operations at the site.

Site background: Since 2021 cut-price odds and ends outlet store

Operators introduced an outlet format during 2021. Fashion and accessory brands with reduced prices filled much of the upper space. The Hipercor supermarket and limited services were left downstairs. Electronics received extra focus, but overall selection stayed narrower than at full El Corte Ingles locations elsewhere on the coast at that time. It became a bargain-bucket of a department store.

The original store was built in the early 2000s and was part of an ambitious expansion across Spain. The rapid expansion, which included a second store in La Coruña, the company’s first stores in El Ejido, Salamanca, and the Mijas store, were frowned upon by many in high positions in the company, especially as there were already signs of a serious global financial crisis on the horizon at the time. Previously, El Corte Inglés was largely considered a higher-end establishment for customers with generally more acquisitive power than most, and these new locations were thought of as places where the clientele would not meet that economic criteria.

After the financial crash, many of the new builds, like Mijas, ended up being converted into ‘outlets’, or discount stores used to get rid of old stock at discounted prices. However, with the Mijas economy rising in the ranks of financial well-being, it seems the company has reconsidered and decided to restore the full El Corte Inglés standard to the site.

Upgrades and new facilities underway

A Club del Gourmet is due to open during July. Hipercor will get a prepared dishes zone in August. Clothing areas are added to the Unit Home range. Electronics receive new investment and updates. These steps form part of returning the complete range of departments and services that customers expect from the chain. Broader fashion and homeware selections return to match other major centres.

Jobs boost and regional growth context

Recruitment adds 223 positions and lifts total staff above 500. The centre serves around 250,000 local people, with numbers doubling during high season. This project starts an accelerated growth programme for El Corte Inglés across Costa del Sol stores, including those in Malaga and Marbella. Other roles cover sales, logistics and customer service positions.

Interesting to note:

By the way, Did you know El Corte Inglés hires English-speaking staff? They look for various positions, especially in multi-lingual areas like Mijas. And also, especially in the ‘personal shopper’ category, who are often sought by the company to cater, often, to the wealthier foreign customers. If you consider yourself an ‘expert shopper’, this could be your calling!

Access and final rollout timeline

Full operations target the Christmas campaign period 2026. Customers reach the site at Calle Santa Laura via existing road links with 1733 parking spaces available (even with very confusing one-way systems). Bus routes from Fuengirola and nearby towns plus Cercanías train connections remain unchanged throughout the works. Opening hours stay consistent with current schedules during the phased improvements ahead.