El Corte Inglés brings back its birthday letters to customers

El Corte Inglés brings back its birthday letters to customers

The Spanish department store chain has once again sent some customers a physical birthday card, signed by Marta Álvarez. It is a return to the postal tradition of Isidoro Álvarez, though in a less formal style, and it has drawn mixed reactions: from nostalgic approval to criticism over paper waste and the company's priorities.

A vintage gesture in the middle of the digital age

For years, El Corte Inglés sent birthday letters to its customers; the custom was dropped and has now reappeared sporadically. Those who received the card applaud it: a personal touch in a world of automated messages. The current signature, Marta Álvarez, replaces that of Isidoro Álvarez, and the design is no longer the classic formal one of the past.

Paper, dogs and ghost fridges

But the gesture does not convince everyone. Environmental critics point to the paper waste that countries like Switzerland have managed to avoid, and some customers make their purchases conditional on the policy of allowing dogs in stores, something the chain shares with other retailers. There are also those who note that a greeting card is no substitute for better working conditions. The icing on the cake came from the recipient himself: after praising the letter, he revealed that this year he bought a fridge, paid for it, and it never arrived; he had to buy one from another chain. The promise of winning the customer back by mail ends at the returns counter.

The performance was not repeated: the trinc year there was no further letter. The episode remained an isolated customer-relations gesture, while discontent with the company's services continues to simmer. A birthday card being overshadowed by a fridge that never arrived sums up the gap between form and substance.