What: KaDeWe Group has appointed long-serving executive Julie Gasperini as director of buying, succeeding Simone Heift and ensuring continuity in its merchandising leadership.

Why it is important: This promotion highlights the strategic value of internal talent development and succession planning in maintaining continuity, expertise, and commercial performance at leading department stores.

KaDeWe Group has promoted Julie Gasperini, a company veteran of more than 11 years, to director of buying, entrusting her with overall responsibility for buying at KaDeWe Berlin, Oberpollinger Munich, and Alsterhaus Hamburg. Gasperini’s appointment follows the departure of Simone Heift, who served the group for over a decade and played a pivotal role in shaping its merchandising strategy. By selecting an internal candidate with deep institutional knowledge and established supplier relationships, KaDeWe Group reinforces its commitment to continuity, operational excellence, and a strong organisational culture. This move reflects a broader industry trend of prioritising internal talent pipelines and succession planning to ensure stability, agility, and commercial performance in a rapidly evolving retail landscape. Gasperini’s leadership is expected to support KaDeWe’s ongoing transformation and maintain its position as a leading destination in the competitive luxury department store sector.

IADS Notes: Julie Gasperini’s promotion to director of buying at KaDeWe Group exemplifies the sector’s increasing emphasis on internal talent development, succession planning, and leadership continuity within leading department store groups. This approach is mirrored across the industry, as seen in the July 2025 management reshuffle at Galeries Lafayette, where key executive appointments balanced family continuity with professional management to drive transformation and sustain relevance (WWD, July 2025). El Corte Inglés has similarly prioritised internal promotions and specialisation in its purchasing and commercial leadership teams, aiming to maintain operational excellence and adapt to evolving market demands (Modaes, June 2025; Modaes, March 2026). Saks Global’s consolidation of its buying organisation and the promotion of internal talent at Bergdorf Goodman reflect the importance of maintaining brand identity and merchandising excellence amid organisational change (WWD, April 2025; Retail Dive, November 2025). The sector’s focus on promoting experienced, long-serving executives—such as Gasperini, who has been with KaDeWe for over a decade—ensures the preservation of institutional knowledge, strong supplier relationships, and a resilient organisational culture. These developments highlight how department stores are leveraging internal talent pipelines to foster agility, continuity, and commercial performance in a rapidly evolving retail landscape.

KaDeWe Group appoints Julie Gasperini as director of buying