Tendam
Spanish fashion retail group operating a portfolio of clothing, underwear, leisurewear and accessories brands.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Tendam is a Spanish fashion retail group formerly known as the Cortefiel Group. Its business traces its origins to a family haberdashery established in Madrid in 1880 and later developed into textile manufacturing, clothing production, brand management and retail distribution. The company built much of its identity around the Cortefiel label, while subsequently adding specialist and complementary concepts including men's tailoring, casualwear, underwear, swimwear and fashion for younger consumers. The group's industrial and retail development accelerated during the twentieth century. It established the La Palma shirt factory in 1933, opened a tailoring factory in 1945, and produced its first men's suits under the Cortefiel name in 1946. In 1954, coinciding with the creation of Manufacturas del Vestido, the business adopted a holding-company structure. During the 1980s it broadened its brand portfolio through the creation of Milano in 1984 and Springfield in 1988. The acquisition of Pedro del Hierro in 1989 added a more premium Spanish fashion label, while women'secret, launched in 1993, gave the group a dedicated concept focused on women's underwear, lingerie, swimwear and related products. Tendam began international expansion in 1993 and experienced particularly rapid physical growth between 2000 and 2003, when the retail space managed by the group increased by more than 70 percent. Its international model combines directly operated stores with franchised locations managed by local distribution partners. The group has maintained a particularly strong presence in Spain and Portugal while expanding across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. Reference material describes the portfolio as reaching 86 countries and 1,990 physical points of sale, together with online operations in 47 markets in 2023; an earlier company description records 79 countries, 1,462 directly operated stores and 594 franchises, illustrating that network totals vary by reporting period and definition. Digital commerce became an increasingly important part of the business. women'secret introduced an online store in 2000, and Tendam consolidated its e-commerce activity in 2010 with the launch of SPF.com, followed by online stores for Pedro del Hierro, Cortefiel and Fifty Factory. The group also operates international buying offices in Spain, Hong Kong and India. Product distribution is supported by a central logistics platform in Madrid and an additional logistics centre in Hong Kong, serving both the group's own stores and its franchise network. In 2018, Grupo Cortefiel adopted the Tendam name as part of a broader repositioning around a multi-brand fashion platform. Individual brands retain their own design, commercial and management structures, while sharing corporate functions such as administration, finance, technology, sourcing, human resources and international expansion. The group is controlled by CVC Capital Partners and remains an unlisted company. Its current model combines brand specialization, omnichannel retail, franchise development and shared corporate infrastructure.
History
Tendam's history begins in 1880, when a family-run haberdashery opened on Calle Romanones in Madrid. The business gradually moved beyond small-scale retail into textile production and distribution. This transition established the foundations for a vertically connected fashion company combining manufacturing, brand development and sales. The company expanded its production base in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1933 it built the La Palma shirt factory, followed in 1945 by a tailoring factory. The latter produced the first men's suits sold under the Cortefiel label in 1946. In 1954, alongside the creation of Manufacturas del Vestido, the business became organized as a holding company, providing a more formal structure for its manufacturing and commercial activities. The brand portfolio broadened substantially during the 1980s and 1990s. Milano was created in 1984 as a men's tailoring brand, and Springfield was launched in 1988 as a casual youth-fashion concept. The group acquired Pedro del Hierro in 1989, adding a better-known premium Spanish label to its portfolio. In 1993 it launched women'secret, a women's underwear and swimwear brand designed around a specialist category proposition. The same year marked the beginning of the group's international expansion strategy. The period from 2000 to 2003 was one of especially rapid physical development, with the retail surface area managed by the group increasing by more than 70 percent. Expansion relied not only on company-operated stores but also on franchising, which allowed the brands to enter markets through local partners. In 2005, MEP Retail acquired a stake in the group, resulting in changes to ownership and management and coinciding with further development of the international franchise business. Tendam also developed its digital channel over time. women'secret launched an online store in 2000. In 2010, the group consolidated its e-commerce activity through SPF.com and subsequently added online stores for Pedro del Hierro, Cortefiel and Fifty Factory. This digital expansion complemented the physical store network and supported sales in markets where the group used either direct operations or franchise arrangements. The group operates with a shared-services model. Its individual brands have their own design teams and commercial and management structures, while central offices in Madrid provide common administration, finance, technology, sourcing, human resources and expansion functions. International buying offices in Spain, Hong Kong and India support procurement, while logistics are centered on a Madrid platform with additional capacity in Hong Kong. In 2018, Grupo Cortefiel changed its corporate name to Tendam. The rebrand reflected an effort to present the company as a multi-brand fashion platform rather than as a business identified primarily with the Cortefiel label. The portfolio has included Cortefiel, Springfield, women'secret, Pedro del Hierro, Fifty Factory, Milano and SlowLove. By 2023, company reference material described the brands as present in 86 countries through 1,990 physical points of sale and online operations in 47 markets. Other published descriptions give different network totals for earlier periods, so store and country counts should be treated as time-specific. Tendam remains an active, privately held Spanish fashion retailer controlled by CVC Capital Partners.
- 2023
International network reported across 86 countries
[1]Reference material described the brands as having 1,990 physical points of sale and online operations in 47 markets.
- 2018
Grupo Cortefiel renamed Tendam
[1]The corporate group adopted the Tendam name to represent its broader multi-brand identity.
- 2010
E-commerce platform expanded
[1]The group consolidated its online activity with SPF.com and later added digital stores for other brands.
- 2005
MEP Retail acquired a stake
[1]MEP Retail acquired an ownership stake, leading to changes in ownership and management and supporting franchise growth.
- 2000
First women'secret online store launched
[1]women'secret entered e-commerce with the launch of its online store.
- 1993
women'secret launched
[1]The group launched women'secret as a women's underwear and swimwear specialist.
- 1993
International expansion began
[1]Tendam's predecessor group began its international expansion strategy.
- 1989
Pedro del Hierro acquired
[1]The group acquired Pedro del Hierro, expanding its portfolio with a premium Spanish fashion label.
- 1988
Springfield launched
[1]Springfield was introduced as a casual youth-fashion brand.
- 1984
Milano created
[1]The group added Milano as a men's tailoring brand.
Products and positioning
A Spanish multi-brand fashion retail group combining accessible and premium apparel concepts, shared retail infrastructure, direct stores, franchising and e-commerce.
Apparel and tailoring · 1946
Cortefiel
Tendam's historic Cortefiel label is associated with men's and women's apparel, with roots in the group's suit and tailoring production. It functions as one of the central full-range fashion brands in the portfolio.
Casual fashion · 1988
Springfield
Springfield is a casual fashion brand created in 1988 and oriented toward accessible everyday clothing for younger consumers. Its range includes apparel and complementary accessories sold through stores and online channels.
Premium fashion
Pedro del Hierro
Pedro del Hierro joined the group through a 1989 acquisition. It adds a more premium Spanish fashion proposition to Tendam's portfolio, with collections spanning men's and women's clothing and related accessories.
Lingerie and swimwear · 1993
women'secret
women'secret is a specialist women's brand launched in 1993. Its product scope centers on underwear, lingerie, sleepwear, swimwear and related lifestyle items, supported by a dedicated international store and e-commerce presence.
Outlet fashion retail
Fifty Factory
Fifty Factory is an outlet-oriented fashion format within the Tendam ecosystem. It is also represented through a dedicated online channel and supports the group's multi-format distribution strategy.
Menswear and tailoring · 1984
Milano
Milano was created in 1984 as a men's tailoring brand, extending the group's presence in formal and tailored menswear.
Fashion and lifestyle
SlowLove
SlowLove is a fashion and lifestyle concept associated with Tendam's broader brand portfolio. The group has promoted it through branded campaign activity, including the 'El viaje pendiente' launch campaign.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023El viaje pendiente
International
Tendam promoted SlowLove through a campaign titled 'El viaje pendiente', or 'The Upcoming Trip'. The campaign presented the SlowLove concept through branded audiovisual content published on Tendam's global fashion retail channel.
Brand decisions
2018
Corporate rebranding from Grupo Cortefiel to TendamStrategyBackground
The predecessor group had developed a portfolio of distinct fashion brands, making its historic Cortefiel identity less representative of the overall business.
Action taken
The company changed its corporate name to Tendam and presented itself as a multi-brand fashion and retail group.
Aftermath
The individual brand identities remained in use while corporate functions, international expansion and shared infrastructure continued to be managed at group level.
2010
Expansion of the e-commerce channelStrategyBackground
The group had already launched a women'secret online store in 2000 and was developing digital sales alongside its store network.
Action taken
Tendam consolidated its online activity with SPF.com and later added e-commerce stores for Pedro del Hierro, Cortefiel and Fifty Factory.
Aftermath
The expanded digital channel became part of the group's omnichannel and international distribution model.
1993
Launch of women'secretProduct launchBackground
The group sought to diversify beyond its established tailoring and general apparel labels.
Action taken
It created women'secret as a specialist women's underwear and swimwear brand.
Aftermath
women'secret became one of the group's principal international brands and later developed its own online channel.
Sources3 sources
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