For some time already, department store retailing has become less profitable as online has developed. The recent pandemic has accelerated this trend with innovative services such as digital shopping in store, kerb-side pick up and extraordinary fulfilment offers. It is the least profitable part of our business that we have had to expand. How can we readjust, rebalance and integrate our physical and digital formats to recover a profitable department store model for tomorrow? This is one of the qustions which the IADS Academy has set for its participants in 2021.

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 25 November 2020.

While in an April survey of European consumers by McKinsey, more than 60% of respondents said they considered the way brands promote sustainability as a factor in purchasing decisions, it seems like sustainability has reached a tipping point. Sustainability can be an opportunity to better match customers' shifting expectations, but a quick overview of the different ways the issue is being addressed in the fashion and retail industry shows that sustainable efforts often mean investing more and costing more. Are these the only options for department stores to explore, or can sustainability simply go hands in hands with efficient and good management? In this case, how to make it visible and desirable to the customers?

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 18 November 2020.

Following a truly innovative process this year due to the worldwide pandemic, the IADS Academy was conducted in full digital mode, and looked at immediate consequences of lockdowns for IADS member organisations.

A number of suggestions were made by the 2020 IADS Academy who presented some answers to the question "What next?" at the General Assembly of CEOs on 30 October 2020. Their answers covered customer behaviour, convenience, private labels, and store networks, as well as organisation structure and skills for the future.

They caused some important questions to be raised relating to organisations, profitability and store real estate.

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 04 November 2020.

Keeping markets under a close watch, IADS detects innovative concepts related to key topics such as experience, new models, digital, and curation.

In the first selection from our Retail Review series discover:

• adidas Home of Originals in London: a smaller store focusing on the Originals line, aiming at Gen Zs
• MAC Innovation Lab in New York City: a digital playground putting community at the centre, through omnichannel and digital experience
• Levi's NextGen in Palo Alto: a new concept for Millennials with live product customisation, personal styling, and pandemic-proof processes
• Naked Retail in New York City: a physical space to showcase invited DNVBs on a popup basis, with a strong focus on curation.
• The RealReal in Chicago: see how to mix resale, proximity, F&B, and design in one place and make it work with a pre-existing digital business
• Showfields in New York City: "The most interesting store in the world" houses a mix of curated DNVBs and labels in a most theatrical environment

IADS retail review #1 (IADS members only)

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 28 October 2020.

The world's largest company by revenue ($514 billion in 2019), Walmart has stuck over the decades to the same model created by Sam Walton in the 60s, and the company has set up a massive network of rural and suburban supercentres across the U.S.

Although the low prices that have differentiated Walmart in the past seem less of an advantage at the age of ecommerce, while retailers are competing on convenience, the company's main differentiator online may be its brick-and-mortar stores.

And while its online sales have soared in the U.S during the pandemic, the company seems finally to have figured out how to compete against Amazon, and how to keep thriving thanks to a full omnichannel approach, a push in fashion, and a striking attempt to integrate a content-oriented social media platform.

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 21 October 2020.

The current Covid-19 pandemic crisis has been a real challenge for retail. The management of this crisis has highlighted the usefulness of having an agile structure, a simplified business model, and a solid e-commerce platform. It also requires specific tools. Do department stores have what it takes?

While reviewing the actions taken on the market, it appears that some are moving in the right direction. They are becoming more resilient, simplifying their operations, and developing omnichannel. It is not only a matter of weathering the storm, but also of preparing the future: in every crisis lies an opportunity to showcase a company's character, its commitment to its brand promise and its institutional values, in other words, all the components of a company's culture.

As a sub-chapter of risk management, crisis management has tools which we need to put in place to minimise the damage of a repeat Covid-19 episode or any of the other crises which may or may not hit us at any moment. Perhaps one of the most urgent measures which need to be taken by department stores concerns their structure which too often belongs to a past "industrial" machine-based model, and which needs to shift to something more agile, or perhaps more "organic".

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 14 October 2020.

With a total number of stores that has increased from 345 to 433 from 2013 to 2019 (+ 25,5%) and a global revenue that has steadily risen from 28 to 41 billion euros (+ 46%) over the same period of time, Ikea has managed to drive expansion and performance by innovating and adapting its distribution format locally while still offering a unique range of products worldwide.

Global, yet still relentlessly inventive and adaptable to local markets, Ikea has managed to become the world's biggest home furnishing retailer, and to keep growing and performing while continuously sticking to its differentiating Swedish character and original core values. And the company has managed to transform those values into a business model, an organizational structure, and a transversal and quick-decision-making management pattern.

While the firm itself actually rests on a very complex corporate structure made of several corporations owned by non-for-profit foundations registered in different countries, the company has successfully managed to transform its values into efficiency, inventiveness, agility and, most basically, a stunning simplicity for a global retailer of that size.

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 07 October 2020.

All IADS members face the same question: in order to cope with the increase of online competition, what do we have to do - apart from also being present online-? For customers to come to our stores, they need to have a reason: is that a specific product, an experience, or something more? Thinking again purpose and values in a post-covid world that has been shaken to its roots is key. But how do you do that very concretely? What does it mean in terms of execution? At IADS, we have seen recently an example that is worth the visit.

French urban supermarket chain Monoprix opened mid-September a refurbished location in Montparnasse area. On the day of the opening, Monoprix CEO claimed that "from a supermarket, Monoprix is bound to be a new generation department store".

Apart from some interesting surface improvements which are nice to watch, Monoprix takes the notion of "third space" quite literally and provides an interesting approach on how to integrate an already popular retail brand into the city life. At a moment when department stores are wondering how to recreate bonds with local customers and be a "popular" destination again (in the sense of addressing everybody), this is an interesting lead.

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 01 October 2020.

Department stores are disrupted by customer expectations, by suppliers going directly to consumers, by competitors developing new concepts, by politics imposing regulations, by the weather, and of course by pandemics. We need to change rapidly but intelligently, in order to adapt and thrive. Why do we find this so difficult? The reasons are partly uncertainty and fear: methods for choosing the right direction for change, the real possibility of failing, and the cost and difficulties of developing alternatives. We are also sometimes hampered by our own internal organisation structure inherited from the past. Can we learn lessons from the agile and innovative tech world?

Using Geoffrey Moore's "zone theory", we explore what it means to shift attention and energies towards transformation while keeping performance and productivity going in our businesses. It takes courage, leadership, a clear strategy, conviction and persistence. Some department stores have managed this with e-commerce. Some new concepts might be developing an alternative model for department stores.

In this IADS Exclusive, we ask the question what would it take for a department store to incubate a different model, take it from incubation to transformation, and eventually pilot it and let it see the light of day.

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 23 September 2020.

Self-proclaimed "the most interesting store in the world", NYC-based Showfields houses a mix of curated DNVBs and brick and mortar brands in a most theatrical environment. But is it as innovative as it claims?

Immersive, exclusive, instagrammable, many adjectives to describe Showfields and to qualify experiential retail globally. IADS reviews the store's assets and confronts them with existent concepts, reviewing a full spectrum from the industry.

IADS also tackles the state of experiential (physical) retail in time of pandemic as instore experience was announced like the future of retail. Is it completely being questioned by Covid-19 or can it find its way out?

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 16 September 2020.

Part of the SM Retail division, Filipino IADS member SM STORE has 64 stores nationwide, representing overall more than 807.000 sqm of retail space, operated with more than 23,000 associates.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent lockdown strongly affected the group's ability to operate both online and offline, due to the local harsh regulations applied. This led SM into setting up a new way of selling and distributing its products, the "Call to Deliver" setup, in a record time with significant & quantifiable results.

The "Call to Deliver" setup uses the existing instore resources (staff, assortment) to address the needs of the local clientele with a low-tech and simple procedure, while remaining in line with regulations and safety instructions.

Its success made SM Group identify a new channel opportunity, and this temporary solution has now become permanent, as it ideally addresses local communities' needs & tightens ties between SM and those communities.

IADS reviews the benefits of this setup to identify key learnings in terms of crisis anticipation and response.

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 09 September 2020.

Department stores are being challenged to rediscover what it means to serve their local customers. Going local in retail has been a trend for some time but the Covid-19 pandemic has brought it into focus and perhaps accelerated the trend. What does this mean for department stores and their business model?

Traditionally, department stores have relied on economies of scale: centralised management and support departments have allowed larger companies to get better prices for volume from suppliers, to minimise supply chain costs per unit, to rationalise management processes to reduce the marginal cost of growth etc. And these might still be relevant, to some extent, for some businesses.

But we need to begin to challenge the assumptions of economies of scale which the volume-based department stores have been wedded to since their inception. Arguably, technology, processes and management today allow a shift towards economies of scope, and a vastly different model of the department store.

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 03 September 2020.

Covid-19 changed people's consuming habits, as lockdowns boosted trends that were already emerging before the pandemic.

Lockdowns forced many of us to stay home, creating long-term new habits in terms of work mobility. It reinforced the needs and demands for home and lifestyle items, from furniture to wardrobe. Retailers, including department stores, need to adapt their assortment quickly to respond to the new behaviours.

In order to do so, retailers should know more about their customers, especially in large cities. As the pandemic froze travels for a while, adding up to the lack of tourists in capital cities, flagships stores need to adapt their offer to cater to their local audience.

IADS identified the new trends and reviewed some examples from various markets for inspiration.

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 28 August 2020.

Nike opened its newest "House of Innovation 002" in Paris this summer. IADS analyses the novelties of the format, comparing it to other innovative business models (Live, Rise, outlets).

Is putting screens in a store and QR codes on items enough to call a venue innovative?

Nike House of Innovation 002 is more than just a shiny, screens-filled new store; and department stores could learn a few things from the sports retailer, especially on building a strong community.

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 06 August 2020.

In a recent book entitled The Future of Department Stores, a number of owners, CEOs and top leaders of the format express their views and make a number of interesting and insightful points about the format. Do these views still hold after our recent experience of a global pandemic? Do they provide a guide to the future in "the new normal"?

What is clear is that department stores cannot remain a volume business; that they need to know their customers better; and in particular their local customers; that they will need to make sometimes difficult choices relating to targeting, curation, convenience, experience, value and innovation; and that the model needs to be drastically simplified.

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 29 July 2020.

Recent events of 2020 including protests around the world have highlighted a a long-felt sense of injustice that has found an echo so deep that it has forced media, businesses and politics into a frenzy of self-justification and defensive posturing.

The reaction has some things in common with the viral spread of the MeToo movement three years ago following the revelations of harassment and sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein.

Any imbalance in employment of different social groups represents potential waste of talent as employees at all levels may be excluded in spite of their high ability. A number of reports have considered this angle and by and large link lack of diversity to underperformance: the World Economic Forum argues that "diversity brings many advantages to an organization: increased profitability and creativity, stronger governance and better problem-solving abilities". BCG claim that "diverse leadership teams boost innovation"; and for McKinsey, "many successful companies regard I&D (inclusion and diversity) as a source of competitive advantage".

At the present moment, racial diversity is under the spotlight. It is a perfect moment to learn that our customers are diverse beyond simply age, and if we are to keep them, we will need to cater to that diversity, whether ethnic, gender, sexual, disability or other. We will not have the means to do so successfully if we rely on a traditional uniform leadership. "To start building diverse senior teams for the future, retailers need to take deliberate and proactive action" …. Only this "will ensure the pipeline is filled with leaders of the future".

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 21 July 2020.

Fashion is the second most polluting industry worldwide, which is now a top worry for retailers. Consumers want to reduce their environmental impact and shop "green". Retailers realise they need to follow their customers to avoid becoming irrelevant.

Department stores have several options to engage on sustainability: corporate initiatives, eco-friendly brands, rental clothing, and resale. But how far have we gone?

What are the priorities? Is it the buildings or the merchandise?

What do customers want?

Better communications and transparency; no green washing: we need real measures and offer real answers to customers; communicating on eco-friendly assortment does not exempt department stores from taking ecological measures at the corporate level.

Some are also piloting resale and rental.

Crucially, it has become a positive business strategy as an increasing number of customers are demanding green and are willing to pay for it.

Sustainability: department stores' destiny - Full article (IADS members only)

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 09 July 2020.

E-commerce has become an essential part of the department store toolkit. It is tasked with increasing sales, improving service to customers and, thanks to an optimised structure, boosting profitability in the same way the return on space did in yesterday's model.

However, e-commerce pure players and most of the e-department stores are losing money in operations, competing for a fickle customer who appears to chase the cheaper option in their mostly indistinguishable offers.

Is that an inescapable fate? If it is, why are some department stores entering the game now, when so few have succeeded so far? Learning lessons from the small number of best-in-class players, the few who are making money, might be a good idea for the newcomers.

And for others too.

E-commerce and department stores; becoming rich online - Full article (IADS members only)

IADS provides its members with a weekly in-depth analysis on retail-oriented topics. This is an example of the themes the Association regularly addresses, and the topic of an article  from the IADS members-only newsletter date 03 July 2020.