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Since its founding in 1928, the IADS has served as a collaborative platform for department stores worldwide, conducting research on their activities and supporting members as they navigate ongoing developments.

Each year since 2020, the IADS has published a White Paper on a topic considered strategically important for its members. In 2020, the paper reflected on lessons from the pandemic. Then in 2021, it examined digital transformation and its organisational impact. The 2022 edition analysed sustainability, CSR and ESG. In 2023, retail media and monetisation ecosystems were explored. And in 2024, the White Paper highlighted the crucial role of middle management.

In 2025, the IADS turned its attention to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), a subject that has become increasingly complex. The shift began to take shape in 2024, when DEI programmes became a visible point of political contention in the United States. The signing of Executive Order 14151 on January 20, 2025, and the rapid corporate reactions that followed made clear to companies worldwide that DEI is being tested yet again. At the same time, given the challenging economic context, retailers worldwide are asking whether DEI is a must-have rather than simply a distraction from more pressing issues related to “business as usual”. These tensions are the reason why the topic was selected for research this year.

IADS Exclusive: DEI at a crossroads in retail 

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics.

*IADS Exclusives are for members only. You can subscribe to our Substack to receive our weekly exclusives here.*