One of my favorite activities at home that continues to be one of my favorite activities abroad is shopping. Aesthetics and clothes have always been very important to me, and I have been more than impressed with the retail side of Madrid. The city offers a wide range of shops, from extremely cheap British clothing store, Primark, to the reasonable boutiques along the popular Calle Fuencarral, to designer storefronts for Louis Vuitton. Perhaps most popular, and most widespread, however, is El Corte Inglés—an enormous department store that functions like a Spanish Dillards or Sears, but even larger. These buildings are everywhere, and they have a variety of products you probably would not see together in the United States; grocery stores, pharmacies, shoe stores, clothes, and make up all in one. Some are Corte Ingléses are larger than others, and certain ones offer different shops (I have even seen a book store included in one). They can certainly be overwhelming at first, but they will almost always have whatever you’re looking for—be that new clothes, tennis shoes, or sunscreen.
Corte Inglés may be the largest and most popular of the shopping centers in Madrid, but my personal favorite so far has been a street of smaller shops called Calle Fuencarral. Located near the Gran Vía metro stop (which is also what the surrounding area is often referred to as), Fuencarral offers a selection of small boutiques, along with some larger, more popular stores. I had heard from several people about this area, but did not go until one of my Don Quijote professors mentioned it to me. No cars are allowed through the center of the street, so shoppers are able to walk freely (or as freely as Spanish streets allow; personal space here really is not a thing). Many of the shops are European brands whose stores are seldom found in the United States, and others are well-known retailers, like Mango or Nyx makeup. Out of all the stores, I was most astonished to find a Muji storefront—a Japanese stationary company whose stores you would be hard-pressed to find in the U.S.
Spain seems to harbor a consumer culture, not unlike the United States; however, with it being such a large city frequented by tourists, many stores clearly cater to foreigners (many of the staff speak English, there are many American brands, etc.). Simultaneously, I do feel like I am participating in a common activity for any Spanish individual, and definitely have had to use my Spanish language skills more than once while shopping. I look forward to finding more places like this to explore in Madrid, as I feel really get to know a city once I know its stores.