WWD echoes IADS' announcement of Ms Kamshim Lau as the first female President of the Association. in 95 years, during its General Meeting in London, succeeding Holger Blecker. The article details her expertise and her future role in the Association and it also mentions the addition of two new members, Boyner (Turkey) and the Chalhoub group (United Arab Emirates).

Read the article below:

WWD Article 

IADS press release -New President, Ms Kamshim Lau

**The members of the International Association of Department Stores elected Ms Kamshim Lau (Lifestyle International) as their first female president in 95 years of IADS' existence.

During the 64th General Assembly of the International Association of Department Stores (IADS) held in London on November 8, 2023, the IADS members elected their Executive Committee for the new term, including their first female president since the inception of the Association in 1928.**

Ms Kamshim Lau, Executive Director of Lifestyle International Holdings Limited (which operates SOGO department store in Hong Kong, HKSAR), was unanimously appointed President of the Association during its last General Assembly in November 2023. Lifestyle International Holdings Limited has been a member of the IADS since 2013 and this election marked its 10th year of membership.

Ms Lau, 36, has held the position of Executive Director at Lifestyle International Holdings Limited since 2016. Ms Lau has served as Vice-President of the IADS for two consecutive terms, demonstrating her strong partnership with Mr Holger Blecker, the CEO of Breuninger GmbH & Co (Germany) and the exiting President of the IADS. She is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association (HKRMA) and a member of the Retail & Tourism Committee within the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Lau holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from King's College London and a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University in New York.

This is the first time that a representative from Lifestyle International Holdings Limited is appointed President, and the second time that an Asian IADS member has held this position, after Mr Ji Xiao'an, the chairman of the board of the Beijing Hualian Group (which operates SKP department stores in China), who took the leadership role from 2015 to 2017.

IADS members have also appointed Mr Blecker a member of the Executive Committee, alongside Mr Juan Carlos Escribano, CEO of El Palacio de Hierro (Mexico), Mr Nicolas Houzé, CEO of Galeries Lafayette (France), and Mr Peter King, Chairman of Magasin du Nord (Denmark). Together, they will work closely with Ms Lau in leading the strategic positioning of the IADS as an operational tool and an exclusive service for its retail members.

This drive towards a more granular role of the Association as a working resource for its members, in line with its founding principles back in 1928, has already started in the past 3 years, with a series of new initiatives aiming at consolidating its hybrid role.

In addition to the organisation of a series of exchange meetings at all levels, from CEOs to C-suite, buyers and merchandisers, the Association now offers an array of tools developed with its partners, NellyRodi in trends identification, The Style Pulse in identifying new brands, Retail Hub in tech sourcing and RH-ISAC in cyber defence, all aiming to provide extra resources to its members. The Association also operates the IADS Academy, a 9-month-long training program for its members' talent in a unique and compelling manner. Finally, the IADS also directly tackles its members' questions on an individual basis by acting as a 100% dedicated informational hub.

This new direction taken by the Association has proved to be the right one: the IADS welcomed Boyner (Turkey) and Chalhoub Group (UAE) as new members in June and September 2023, respectively. The appointment of its first female president in 95 years is another testament to the IADS members' agility and commitment to addressing the most pressing challenges in retail by collaborating and relying on the best talents available.

Ms Lau's role will be to challenge even more the Association in a highly energetic context. Together with the renewed Executive Committee, her vision and expertise will allow the Association to remain the only expert department store body in the world, a role that IADS has played continuously since 1928.

Read the full press release below:

IADS PRESS RELEASE: IADS members elected Ms Kamshim Lau as the new president

Read the full press release, in French, below:

IADS - Communiqué de presse - Kamshim Lau nouvelle president

Fashion Network has written an article based on IADS' press release reporting the results of its Sportswear in Department stores meeting. The article details key findings, trends and interesting brands in the sportswear category, spotted by IADS partner, NellyRodi.

Read the article below:

fashion network Article - French Version

IADS press release - sportswear

**Sportwear: as Covid induced a new-found interest in sports practice among many customer demographics, the category thrives in department stores. To differentiate from specialized competition, they transform themselves into dedicated hubs for fans.

Competition in the sportswear category is intense for department stores. This is partly due to the level of equipment among customers, the price pressure coming from other types of retailers, but more significantly because of the limited number of relevant brands available on the market. Larger brands leverage their size to go direct to customers, and the most powerful dictate their conditions. Despite these challenges, the category shows dynamism in department stores thanks to the exploration of new categories and practices.**

The post-Covid period, and life returning to normal, significantly impacted the market by restructuring the product segment breakdown, a phenomenon fuelled by the fact that customers needed less restocking in 2022 after massively buying equipment during lockdowns:

-    Hybrid products, used both for sports practice and in daily life, decreased from a 50% share of the business to a mere 22%.

-    Streetwear, a segment increasingly popular which can be worn in front of a screen but also in the office, increased its share from 23% to 45% of the total business.

-    Technical products, only used for sports practice, grew from 20% to 31% in 2022 thanks to a new-found interest in outdoor activities overall.

By adding carefully curated equipment for new disciplines as well as new brands and activations, department stores were able to generate growth by building their credibility in the segment. In 2022 the sportswear share out of department stores' total turnover was 6% on average, growing +14% when compared to 2021. The growth was mainly observed in store, as e-commerce sportswear share of business decreased on average by -6% among IADS members.

Making choices: department stores opt out of competition based on low prices

Consequent to inflation, e-tailers offer high discounts that department stores don't match. A price war is raging in some markets where it is easy to find running shoes with a -30% discount with retailers offloading their excess stocks. Besides, e-tailers have expanded product catalogues, sometimes making department stores' smaller offer less relevant. Finally, fashion and fast-fashion pure players and brands are more aggressively penetrating the sports market. DTC brands are also developing their own retail footprint, creating additional competition.

For these reasons, department stores have opted for a strategy involving curation and a focus on some categories.

To go beyond a limited brand portfolio, department stores combine events and new brands

Overall, members rely on a small number of major brands. Depending on the market, the best ones are Adidas, Nike, The North Face, Under Armour, Puma, On, New Balance, Asics and Lululemon. As a result, the category requires finding and onboarding additional brands to secure and leverage the business.

From this perspective, IADS partner NellyRodi spotted 50 interesting brands to follow:

•    Outdoor (technical brands made for the outside and resistant to extreme conditions): Arc'teryx, Rains, Tropicfeel, Ecoalf, Finisterre, Roa Hiking, Volleback, Aether Apparel, CMF Outdoor Garments, Flotte, Hoalen, Alk Phenix, Spoonyard, Matek.

•    Activewear (casual and comfortable clothing specifically designed for sports practice): Alo Yoga, Rapha, Girlfriend Collective, Yoga Democracy, Planet Nusa, Unrun, Chlore, Cardo Paris, Opoi, Hercule Studio.

•    Athleisure (versatile sportswear combining function and fashion to wear daily in non-sport activities): Pangaia, Outdoor Voices, Vaara, Ganni Sport, AA Spectrum, Ninepine, Sporty & Rich, Madhappy, The Upside, Jonsen Island, Les Tien, 7 Days Active, Café du Cycliste, Colorful Standard, Cariuma.

•    'Tech-ipment' (new objects and innovative products that are useful to sports practice): **Starck x Baliston, Suunto, Cowboy.

•    Footwear: Eytys, Rombaut, Autry, Saye, Salomon.**

•    Food supplements: Feed, Poppi, Food Spring.

To make sure customers notice and are willing to try new products, brand activations are key, with pop-up stores at the top of the list. Initiatives such as Adidas soccer products shown prior to the World Cup and On Running shoes for instance show significant results. With cycling being increasingly popular, pop-up stores with Rose bikes and Mate bikes are also of interest.

Events and services come as a great complement to pop-up activations: Beco organises a successful fitness fest twice a year, El Corte Inglés uses influencers and social media to make brand collaborations more powerful, while El Palacio de Hierro organises happenings, cycling or yoga classes with experts. Last month, Boyner conducted their Dynamic Fest festival, a never-seen-before series of days of physical activities in a 2-hectare park.

Into the wild: outdoor practices win, including jogging, cycling and paddle

Activewear and sneakers remain hero categories in Sportswear. But besides increasing their footwear business, department stores are looking into new segments for growth. Outdoor sports are favoured: soccer, basketball, cycling, jogging and paddling are among the ones with great potential. There is a consensus on the idea of picking a few disciplines instead of being generalists. This strategic move requires building true credibility to be able to compete with specialist retailers and e-tailers: having expert sales associates in the chosen disciplines and making sure to offer head-to-toe equipment will be the winning ingredients to create a community of active customers.

Also, the Wellness category comes as an interesting complement to the Sportswear one. With its all-encompassing contours, Wellness could support the category as a unique way to link sports and beauty, and to generate additional business opportunities. In that regard, El Palacio de Hierro recently opened 1,872 sqm dedicated to wellness: it helps to develop different disciplines, brands and categories and is also a great way to bring additional experiences and services such as gym classes, a beauty bar and healthy restaurants. Pioneering in Wellness, Galeries Lafayette's 3,000 sqm Wellness Galerie gathers a gym studio, a fitness store, beauty counters and services, as well as a multi-brand store.

Despite the competition, the outlook on the future of the category is positive: in addition to activewear and footwear as key categories, the onboarding of new brands allows the Sportswear business to continue growing in department stores. Instead of having a generic approach to the category, adding new sports practice equipment helps department stores develop the business but requires building true credibility with a significant and relevant product offer, expert staff and enough surface to demonstrate products. Thanks to its all-encompassing contours, wellness will be a good support to sportswear.

Read the full press release below:

IADS PRESS RELEASE: Rise of Sports Retail

Read the full press release, in French, below:

IADS - Communiqué de presse - sportswear

What Just Happened Podcast by Christine Russo interviewed IADS' GM, Selvane Mohandas du Ménil, to evolution of department stores, and the role of technology, the challenges and opportunities department stores face in the ever-changing retail landscape. The episode is available to listen on YouTube, Apple Podcast and Spotify below.

Listen to the podcast on spotify here

listen to the podcast on youtube here

listen to the podcast on apple podcast here

Fashion Network has written an article based on IADS' press release reporting the results of its Cosmetics, Beauty and Wellness meeting. The article details key findings, trends and interesting brands in the cosmetics, beauty and wellness category, spotted by IADS partner, NellyRodi.

Read the article below:

Fashion network article - english version

fashion network Article - French Version

IADS press release - cosmetics, beauty and wellness

WWD has written an article based on IADS' press release reporting the results of its Cosmetics, Beauty and Wellness meeting. The article titled "Beauty Strategies Pivot in Department Stores, IADS Study Shows" reveals key findings, trends and interesting brands in the cosmetics, beauty and wellness category, spotted by IADS partner, NellyRodi.

Read the article below:

WWD Article

IADS press release - cosmetics, beauty and wellness

The feel-good factor: to thrive in an ultra-competitive market, department stores go beyond leveraging niche fragrances and make-up, and heavily invest in wellness, backed by revamped loyalty programs and social media on steroids.

The pandemic has radically transformed the beauty and cosmetics category, a historical pillar for department stores. Big brands went direct-to-customer and challenged their relationship with stores. In parallel, customers' expectations and tastes shifted, leading to a turnaround of the market, with big names being challenged and newcomers or niche brands taking the lead. To adapt, department stores adjusted their strategy and successfully invested in niche fragrances and new make-up brands. However, they also went beyond simple adjustments by entering a new market, wellness, to remain connected with customer demand.

The Cosmetics & Beauty business grew on average +1% from '21 to '22 for IADS members, to almost recover to its pre-pandemic level. But the fundamentals changed as Covid-19 shook the category in different ways:

After a nose-dive in 2020 and 2021 due to the various lockdowns cancelling the need for such products, Perfume and Make-up categories grew again in 2022, benefitting from life returning to normal, and contributed to the overall growth of the department,

The sanitary crisis fuelled a new customer obsession with self-care, favouring a new category which ramped up very rapidly: wellness-related products, which are now increasingly considered a standard part of the beauty offering in department stores,

Brands went direct during the pandemic, new names appeared, and speciality stores deployed aggressive commercial strategies, forcing department stores to review their options to keep their customers captive, through new services, dedicated loyalty programmes and new social media approaches.

Interestingly, these evolutions forced department stores to adapt their offer, but not their price structure: in '22, segmentation remained stable compared to '21, with luxury products representing 47% of the business, premium products 24% and prestige products 10%. The only notable evolution comes from the mass-market segment decreasing to 8% and benefiting the ultra-accessible business (7%), which had already been increasing before inflation hit.

Good-looking and smelling nice: niche fragrance brands help differentiate while makeup makes a comeback

Good-looking and smelling nice: niche fragrance brands help differentiate while makeup makes a comeback

Perfume is by far the first category for department stores, with an average of 36% of the category business. Sales are supported by niche fragrances, which are increasingly attractive to customers. IADS members mentioned brands such as Creed, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Jo Malone, Byredo, By Kilian, Les Eaux Primordiales, Montale, Ex Nihilo, Mancera or Le Labo, as true success stories. El Palacio de Hierro and Breuninger in particular are pursuing a strategy which aims to become leaders and recognized experts in Mexico and Germany respectively.

Accounting for 20% of the business in 2022, the Makeup category made a comeback with brands such as Mac back in full force. While it has a long way to recover to 2019 levels after Covid slowed down sales, in-store events represent great opportunities to redevelop the business, on top of sourcing and adding exclusive, new and trendy brands. This is why NellyRodi, a partner of the IADS, presented its exclusive scouting of up-and-coming brands made specifically for the Association's members:

Skincare: Topicals, Dieux, Cosmoss, Haeckels, Earth Library, Herbar,

Makeup: Stryx, Isamay Beauty, Youthforia, Eclo Beauty, 19/99,

Hair care: Fur, Oway, La Bonne Brosse, Make My Mask, Everist,

Perfume: Non Fiction, The Nue Co, Costa Brazil, Les Eaux Primordiales, Aer,

Other categories: V Vardis, Sentara Holistic, Miyé, Geske.

Wellness, supported by services and 'green' beauty, is appealing to all consumer groups

The skincare category represented on average 34% of the business in '20-'22 and was fuelled by demand for wellness-related and 'green' (or 'clean') beauty products. Many department stores reacted quickly with new spaces and services:

Galeries Lafayette opened their "Wellness Galerie", a world premiere, with the clear ambition to take the lead and make the trend accessible to a large portion of consumers. By combining a gym studio, fitness products, beauty and health-related services, with a care-oriented beauty store (heavily leaning towards 'green' beauty), the new space proved successful with all customer profiles, including GenZ and male customers.

El Palacio de Hierro launched "Origen", a new multi-brand space dedicated to wellness and 'green' beauty. Here also, there is no specific customer profile attached to such spaces which cater to different consumer groups and position the retailer as an expert in the category.

Manor addresses such trends and demand for clean products by giving them more visibility in-store and online, thanks to dedicated events, podiums, and beauty advisor support.

So far, Sogo in Hong Kong has relied on existing products. But their new Kai Tak store (opening end of 2023) targets younger customers, and they will start allocating space to wellness and 'green' brands.

Whether they are run by brands or directly, beauty services are performing well and tend to expand in all department stores. At Manor, Clinique Matignon (a local partner offering peelings, laser treatments…) offers light procedures and the business is growing. At El Corte Inglés and Sogo, beauty cabins are managed by stores and 'rented' by brands with excellent performance. Nails, brow and lash extension services provided by partners are doing great at Manor and Galeries Lafayette. Initiatives such as temporary or permanent tattoo parlours worked their magic in terms of traffic at Manor and El Palacio de Hierro.

Muscling the product offer should not be overlooked when it comes to growing the Wellness business:

Sexual wellness represents a promising category at Galeries Lafayette with brands like Womanizer and My Lubie, which are slated to be expanded in several stores. Manor is considering sexual wellness as well.

'Tech beauty' should rapidly develop in the future. At El Palacio de Hierro, Galeries Lafayette and El Corte Inglès, brands such as Foreo, Unicskin and Tripollar are working well, especially LED masks. Such products being technical, events demonstrating products truly generate sales.

Maximizing the business thanks to dedicated loyalty programmes and social media accounts

Building a captive customer base is critical in the beauty market. To compete with retailers such as Sephora, developing a loyalty programme dedicated to beauty (a sort of 'beauty club') could make a difference. Those that already have a beauty-specific loyalty programme note that customers are buying way more than the regular ones.

Starting beauty-dedicated social media accounts also proved to be an efficient strategy. El Palacio de Hierro has an Instagram account dedicated to beauty: posts on this account truly support sales and brands are interested in partnerships. Also, TikTok has become a must-have: Manor and Galeries Lafayette recently launched their accounts and noted that posts about beauty draw a significant number of customers and increase sales.

Post-Covid consumer aspirations are an opportunity for the Cosmetics, Beauty & Wellness business. Perfume and Makeup benefit from life getting back to normal, and the Covid-induced 'Care' trend remains strong, especially with wellness supported by new services and the rise of 'green' beauty. To further differentiate, department stores use dedicated loyalty programmes and social media as additional ways to consolidate captive customer bases.

Read the full press release below:

IADS PRESS RELEASE: In Beauty, department stores go full speed in Wellness, Niche and Loyalty programs

Read the full press release, in French, below:

IADS - Communiqué de Presse - Cosmétiques & Beauté

Chalhoub Group, the partner and creator of luxury experiences in the Middle East, joins the International Association of Department Stores.

A major regional luxury player with a global reach thanks to its relationship with international luxury brands, Chalhoub Group officially joins IADS' leading global department stores network. The membership will be formalized during the upcoming 64th Association General Assembly, to be held in Istanbul on November 8th, 2023.

For over 65 years, Chalhoub Group has remained committed to building successful brands while shaping the Middle East luxury retail market. From creating exclusive brands and experiences for customers at physical retail environments and online, to partnering with and curating over 300 global brands, the Group has continued to offer customers the ultimate retail experience through its luxury offerings across the beauty and fashion segments.

In its endeavour to excel as a hybrid retailer across the Middle East, Chalhoub Group is also characterized by its strategic business models designed to strengthen brand partnerships – from franchising to joint-ventures. Chalhoub Group has also developed its own retail brands, such as Tanagra for luxury lifestyle and art de vivre, FACES, the leading beauty omni-retailer, Level Shoes, a globally recognised retail concept and destination dedicated to the world of designer shoes & accessories, and Tryano, a concept department store for luxury, fashion, and beauty brands in the Middle East. With its robust e-commerce and omnichannel capabilities, Chalhoub Group also continues to strengthen its service efficiency and convenience to serve 5.1 million customers each year across more than 680 retail stores and 60 e-commerce websites.

Customer-centricity represents an integral aspect of Chalhoub Group's DNA, addressing the needs of over 2.5 million loyal members to date through its MUSE Loyalty Programme. MUSE enhances the customer experience through a fully controlled and personalised customer journey, ultimately enhancing speed, efficiency, and customer satisfaction, all with sustainability in mind.

The Group's in-depth knowledge and expertise of the Middle East market and consumer behaviours – demonstrated through its sector reports, including the recent Decoding the Beauty Consumer in the GCC, along with its extensive omnichannel capabilities, will fuel the Association members' conversations as department stores from across the globe come together in efforts to fast-pace their innovative solutions for customers worldwide.

Mr Holger Blecker, CEO of Breuninger (Germany) and President of the IADS, said: "It is my great pleasure to announce that the Chalhoub Group, for over six decades creator of luxury, beauty and fashion experiences in the Middle East, will be joining us in the International Association of Department Stores (IADS). As we combine our strengths and shared vision, our goal is to create a powerful network that will push the future of retail and enhance the global shopping experience".

Ms Kamshim Lau, Executive Director of Lifestyle International (Hong Kong SAR) and Vice-President of the IADS, said: "We are delighted to have Chalhoub Group as a new member of the IADS family. With their exceptional expertise in the luxury retail sector, Chalhoub Group will undoubtedly bring valuable insights and contribute to our collective mission of driving innovation and excellence in the global department store landscape".

Mr David Vercruysse, President Fashion, Beauty and Homeware at Chalhoub Group, said: "We are proud to be an official member of the IADS. This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone for the Group, as we come together with other leading retailers from across the globe who share our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences to our customers. We look forward to our fruitful partnership with IADS' members as we share our insights and expertise in all aspects of this dynamic industry and contribute to the growth and innovation of the global retail landscape."

By joining the Association, Chalhoub will contribute to the fruitful exchanges taking place between leading department stores in the world within the framework offered by IADS, where members come together to bring strategic and concrete answers to questions ranging from logistics to e-commerce profitability, omnichannel excellence, private label profitability, relationships with international brands and the evolution of customer expectations.

About Chalhoub Group

For over six decades, Chalhoub Group has been a partner and creator of luxury experiences in the Middle East. The Group, in its endeavour to excel as a hybrid retailer, has reinforced its distribution and marketing services with a portfolio of eight owned brands and over 300 international brands in the luxury, beauty, fashion, and art de vivre categories. More recently, the Group expanded its expertise into new categories of luxury watches, jewellery, and eyewear.

Every step at Chalhoub Group is taken with the customer at heart. Be it by constantly reinventing itself or focusing on innovation to provide luxury experiences at over 750+ experiential retail stores, online and through mobile apps, each touch point leads to delighting the customer.

Today, Chalhoub Group stands for 14,000 skilled and talented professionals across seven countries, whose cohesive efforts have resulted in the Group being ranked third in the Middle East and first in Saudi Arabia as A Great Place to Work®.

To keep the innovation journey going, the Group has set up "The Greenhouse", which is not just an innovation hub, but also an incubator space and accelerator for start-ups and small businesses in the region and internationally. This is just one of the several initiatives taken by the Group to reinvent itself, catalysed by forward thinking and future proofing. The Group has also been embedding sustainability at the core of its business strategy with a clear commitment towards people, partners and the planet, and by being a member of the United Nations Global Compact Community and signatory of the Women's Empowerment Principles.

For more information : www.chalhoubgroup.com, @ChalhoubGroup

Press Contact : Lea Maalouf, Head of Media Relations and Public Affairs, Lea.Maalouf@chalhoub.com, + 971 54 716 7770

Read the full press release below:

IADS PRESS RELEASE: Chalhoub group joins the iads

Read the full press release, in French, below:

IADS - communiqué de presse: le groupe chalhoub rejoint l'iads

**Driving change: EU's accelerating sustainability regulations echo IADS White Paper's call for putting theory into action to create new business opportunities and get ahead of the curve.

Regulations such as Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), EU Deforestation-Free Regulation (EURD), and the EU Green Claims Directive are changing the way that retailers foundationally operate, raising a lot of uncertainty but equally creating potentially profitable opportunities. This is why now is the time for retailers to move from theory to action and try out new ideas. As these European regulations are coming hard and fast and should be a foretaste of what will come to the rest of the world, it is best to catch the wave early to get ahead of regulations than to struggle to keep up, especially not knowing what next big disrupter is coming.**

Knowing that fashion and retail businesses are in the midst of a functional change driven by regulation, IADS' latest White Paper was about 'Reinventing department stores through sustainability'. This exclusive study unveils how the definition of sustainability across stakeholders in retail remains vague and ill-defined and how government involvement has shifted the focus from direct carbon impacts and green energy (Scope 1 and 2 Greenhouse Gas emissions) to indirect emissions (Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas emission).

Several themes developed in the IADS White Paper were confirmed during a recent IADS member meeting from June 2023 pulling together Sustainability Directors, which allowed to identify a series of key takeaways useful for any retailer willing to move forward.

Of all stakeholders, the C-Suite is best placed to solve sustainability's financial conundrum

Involving the C-Suite means that there needs to be some kind of link to profitability and company performance, if not simply imposed by regulations. A good strategy to get the C-suite involved is through financing agreements which grant businesses low-interest loans to enable them to invest in energy efficiency and digital transformation. IADS members that have already taken advantage of this financing option have reported that it is a great way to optimize the business and create more efficient operations that will in turn make the business more sustainable

Retailers are taking on responsibility for Scope 3 emission tracking without being properly equipped

Retailers are put in the middle of consumer demand and product supply; therefore, they are taking on a lot of the responsibility from regulators as to how consumers purchase, the materials used in the makeup of products, and the working conditions of labourers. IADS members shared that Scope 3 tracking initiatives such as double materiality assessments, which have been enforced by recent regulations, are hard to comply with as retailers are having to rely on various data sources and need to piece together information from a number of tools and providers. Such methods are not sustainable for long-term business goals and regulatory expectations.

Current traceability tools are not mature enough to meet regulatory requirements

Traceability goes hand-in-hand with Scope 3 emissions tracking, but it has proven difficult to follow. Advanced technology such as blockchain and various traceability startups are starting to entice retailers to adopt such new practices as they promise to address many challenges a retailer faces. But there is a lot of hesitation around pulling the trigger on these solutions as there is no clear leader in the market and the overall process still relies heavily on data inputs from humans which leaves room for error or incomplete fields. This is why there has not been mass adoption of a given solution among department stores for the time being.

Getting ahead of regulation is the key to success

As retailers start to anticipate the upcoming impacts of regulations, it is important for them to start acting now, even before it is mandatory. IADS members that already started to act on new reporting standards have found that they have more time to ask questions and lead the conversation on how such exercises will be achieved. One way they have been successful has been to work directly with consulting firms and audit partners that already know their business and have completed other types of regulatory activities (like financial reporting) in the past.

Communication is important to consumers and greenwashing should be carefully avoided

When it comes to sharing sustainability efforts with consumers, it is not simple: consumers begin to feel exhausted from over-communication and greenwashing must be avoided at all costs. A number of IADS members have turned to conducting surveys to better understand what their customers expect and understand from sustainability labels and communications that are being placed online and in stores. What they have learned is that just because a customer is buying a product that is labelled sustainable, doesn't mean that their motivation for purchasing the item was due to the fact that it is an item that is considered 'greener' than an alternative and maybe they purchased it for other reasons. This complicates the story even more for retailers and makes proper communication on sustainability initiatives even more important.

Sustainability goals and initiatives cannot be achieved alone

Groups such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), Amfori BSCI, and EuroCommerce are setting the foundation to create standards within the entire supply chain so the proper information can be gathered, and uniform expectations can be defined. Such global standards will be the key to progress in the industry.

Sustainability leaders across global department stores are struggling with the same issues, and the biggest topic that needs to be addressed is how to follow Scope 3 emissions and make traceability tools standardized. At the moment there is not a single retailer or technology provider leading the pack and offering an all-encompassing solution that addresses all reporting requirements of new regulations. It will be interesting to watch but it will be important to note which retailer will be the influencer that sets the path for the rest of the industry. Collaboration and idea sharing among global players is the secret to advancement, making associations like the International Association of Department Stores a key piece of addressing the unknown in this changing landscape.

The IADS White Paper is available here.

Read the full press release below:

IADS PRESS RELEASE sustainability opportunities

Read the full press release, in French, below:

IADS - Communiqué de presse - RSE

Business of Fashion quoted IADS on India becoming the latest overseas market for department stores from Europe and the US to consider after opening in other countries in Asia and in the Middle East.

Galeries Lafayette announced its expansion in partnership with local group Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL), to enter India next year with a brand in Mumbai, making Galeries Lafayette the first European department store of its kind to enter India. Early movers, like Galeries Lafayette, are encouraged by the growing footprint of Indian multi-brand retailers and under-penetration of global brands' mono-brand store networks.

IADS' GM, Selvane Mohandas du Ménil described the advantage of being an early mover, stating "If [Galeries Lafayette] proves that they were right in doing so, that will create some interest from other department stores."

IADS was also quoted on the risk level of department stores entering overseas markets, and more.

Read the article below:

Business of Fashion Article

To provide its department store members with a leading edge in cybersecurity, the International Association of Department Stores (IADS) partners with the Retail and Hospitality Information Sharing and Analysis Center (RH-ISAC), the world-leading community dedicated to cybersecurity  information and intelligence.

The cost of cybercrime is predicted to rise from an estimated $8tr in 2023 to $10.5tr by 2025, and it is expected that 45% of global organizations will be impacted in some way by a supply chain attack. Retail in general, and department stores in particular, are not immune to this growing and very real threat. To further help  department stores in having access to information, data and a trusted community dedicated to the topic, a strategic partnership has been established with RH-ISAC, providing IADS members with the right assortment of strategic and tactical tools to make the right decisions in the future.

Initiated in 2020, the transformative upgrade of the IADS is now taking on a new dimension through the partnership signed with RH-ISAC to grant department store members access to a secure place where they can share  cybersecurity information and intelligence with 250+ major retailers operating in the US.

With the need to address digital-savvy customers, the increasing interconnections with suppliers for compliance purposes and the digitization of operations to increase speed, department stores have accelerated their digital transformation for the past decade. As a consequence, cybersecurity has become a critically important topic for them, as it encompasses a wide range of their activities and responsibilities, from customer data protection to business  reputation and regulatory compliance. It allows them to guarantee business continuity and grow their competitive advantage. For that reason, investing in robust cybersecurity measures and keeping up to date with the latest information are not only good practices but business necessities. This is why the partnership with RH-ISAC proves to be a competitive advantage to IADS members, as they will have access to a wide range of information and data, in addition to a safe place for exchange, to further help their decision-making process when it comes to cybersecurity topics.

RH-ISAC is a leading non-profit organization that serves as a trusted community for sharing timely and actionable cyber threat intelligence, best practices, and incident response guidance for the retail and hospitality industries.

"Partnering with the RH-ISAC advances our role in improving cybersecurity to protect our members and the industry as a whole," said Selvane Mohandas du Ménil, Managing Director of the International Association of Department Stores (IADS).

"RH-ISAC is excited to have the IADS as a partner, and we look forward to working with them to enhance the security in the retail and hospitality industries," said Suzie Squier, president of RH-ISAC.

The RH-ISAC partnership comes as the latest element completing a one-of-a-kind palette of services that makes the IADS truly stand apart in the world of global retail associations.

Read the full press release below:

IADS PRESS RELEASE RHISAC PARTNERSHIP

Read the full press release, in French, below:

IADS - Communiqué de presse - Partenariat RH-ISAC

The Nous, Entrepreneurs Podcast interviewed IADS' GM, Selvane Mohandas du Ménil, to discuss the strength of department stores in the post-COVID era. The pandemic has enabled department stores to gain 6 years in terms of digital transformation and e-Commerce thanks to exchange of industry practices, made possible by associations like the IADS.

The video interview is available to watch, in French, on YouTube below.

Watch the podcast here (in french)

The Retales Podcast interviewed IADS' GM, Selvane Mohandas du Ménil, to discuss the world of department stores, and what it means to do retail with a purpose and responsibility while embracing innovative technologies like AI. The episode is available to listen on Spotify below.

Listen to the podcast on spotify here

Visit the podcasst page

LSA has quoted IADS in an article covering how department stores are "playing the local card". The article discusses how department stores' commerce remain a source of attractiveness and jobs in the city centre, and discusses how they are working to differentiate themselves and at the same time embody accessible fashion, inlcuding efforts to adapt their offer and concept to regional specificities.

Read the article below:

LSA Article

Back with a vengeance: by proposing experience as an alternative to e-commerce convenience, flagship stores play a pivotal role in department stores' omnichannel strategies.

Physical stores have transformed from transactional hubs to experience platforms and are now playing a pivotal role in the omnichannel offering of department stores. As retailers are rebuilding customer traffic in their most iconic locations, it is necessary to couple fresh refurbishments, a muscled product offer, unique experiences, and tailored services to omnichannel strategies to woo customers back, especially the highly valued VICs.

Even though traffic has not recovered to pre-Covid levels, flagship stores have become more important to the department store business and have posted impressive 2022 performances.

Thanks to their digital upgrade, which started before the pandemic but was significantly accelerated during the Covid-19 episode, flagship stores now play a critical role in omnichannel strategies as they combine attractive product offerings, activities and services with e-commerce, which remains a major growth lever for the future. In addition, to further reinforce their attractiveness, these stores, which are often iconic locations at the heart of city centres, are being transformed through significant refurbishments to improve their look and feel, host attractive experiences, and drive in-store traffic.

Rebuilding traffic and a strong business also goes through the increasing importance of a loyal customer base, especially VICs whose needs should be fulfilled anywhere and anytime. Attracting Asian tourists back, in particular Chinese ones, represents another key question for the next 2 years of business.

More than unique buildings, flagship stores are building traffic by being community spaces

Many department stores have recently engaged in full refurbishments such as El Corte Inglés' Madrid Castellana and Marbella locations, or El Palacio de Hierro's new Coyoacán unit in Mexico City. Such heavy refurbishments are crucial as they often require years of work to upgrade the location without business interruption, and with extremely high stakes given the weight of their turnover in the company's total revenue. The challenge is worth it: at El Corte Inglès, the new stores' sales have caught up with the pre-Covid turnover faster than the rest of the fleet.

The refurbishment does not have to affect the whole store to install a new brand image and store perception. Manor in Switzerland is implementing new food supermarkets with a fresher look and a renewed experience based on seasonality, local suppliers, and a strong product offer (especially in wines). They also opened Aeschbach shop-in-shops (a local shoe multi-brand retailer) representing a great opportunity to include more brands in their offerings. In fact, launching new product categories is an interesting option for a more dynamic offer: Magasin du Nord recently added new product categories such as wedding-related products, in addition to changing the look and feel of their store entrances, following the acquisition of 100% of their real estate footprint back in 2022.

The goal is not to simply propose an architectural upgrade but to attract more customers by being more relevant and building communities around the stores. This is why flagship stores increasingly rely on experiential spaces. With their 'B-Place' spaces, Breuninger presents curated multi-product offerings. It is a way to become the 'talk of the town' and a lifestyle expert by introducing different products besides fashion. When it comes to experience, Manor favours entertainment and emotion: they hosted 25 wine festival events, allowing them to increase traffic and turnover, and build a wine community. Also reflecting consumers' growing interest in gourmet offerings, El Corte Inglés opened the first Michelin-star restaurant in a department store. Finally, El Palacio de Hierro launched experiences such as a tattoo parlour, a mezcaleria, and a candy lab to attract different consumer groups.

When it comes to services, Magasin du Nord has redesigned the store layout, by developing service lounges which regroup all cash desks in one single location (instead of being scattered through the shop floor), fitting rooms, an Instagram room, and service points such as personal shopping and gift wrapping.

Flagship stores are an essential part of department store companies' omnichannel capabilities

For all department stores, omnichannel excellence is a strategic priority and includes growing the online product offer or connecting web-to-store and store-to-web services such as click & collect, click & reserve, pickup in-store, shipping from store, mobile checkout, test & order, in-store ordering, and personal shopping. To achieve these proposals, often based on extremely complex logistical systems kept invisible to customers, retailers work on building a relevant IT architecture, integrating warehouses and stores to transform them into pieces of the same chain.

For that reason, given their central role both in terms of strategy, image, and physical location, but also given the weight of the investments required, flagship stores are key in these strategies and the reason why all new services or options are often deployed in these locations.

To complete the central role of flagships, department stores are developing "super apps" to seamlessly combine online and offline channels, intertwine services (for example, personal shopping with click & reserve), digitally develop loyalty programmes, or add more convenience, such as car park booking, hand-free buying, and appointment management. To achieve that, flagship stores are transformed into open systems, fully interacting with the super app, an entanglement which allows customers to maximize the combination of the app's convenience without losing the experience available instore. Magasin du Nord's flagship store is a key part of customers' omnichannel journey as they predominantly start their shopping experience there. Over the past few years, the number of loyal flagship store customers has steadily increased and the store also sees a higher average Customer Lifetime Value than the average of all other stores in Denmark.

Let's go customer-centric, with a focus on VICs

VICs are especially courted with exclusive experiences and services: for instance, Breuninger focuses on their top 30 best customers and invites them to prestigious in-store events where they are offered Michelin-star food. An increasing number of companies are looking at upgrading their VIC loyalty program, often by focusing on exceptional experiences rather than transactional rewards.

With life going back to normal, tourists, especially Chinese ones, are also in focus (even though it's difficult to tell when exactly Chinese tourism will resume in all parts of the world). At Sogo, this topic is critical as the store has only relied on local customers since the beginning of Covid. To secure locals, the company emphasized their 3-tier loyalty program with members benefiting from shopping privileges. Now they are re-engaging with mainland Chinese customers by offering them extra reward points and distributing attractive WeChat coupons. Chinese customers are not the only ones courted at the moment. With the UK now out of the EU, dedicated efforts were needed to continue attracting British tourists to El Corte Inglés. They launched a new campaign to attract a greater number of high-value customers. The results are visible through tax-free operations and international credit card transactions.

Flagship stores have a crucial role in the omnichannel business. They offer attractive and curated brands and products, experiences and digitally enabled services for omnichannel shoppers who are on average spending 3 times more than strictly offline and/or online customers. Consequently, department stores must dedicate significant investments to be able to serve and develop this key part of their customer base. They are currently working on intertwining channels and services for customers to benefit from a seamless journey as well as 365- 24-7 convenience, and for companies to grow their traffic, sales and data. Since retail is first and foremost a question of people, this obviously generates new challenges, as staff recruitment and retention remain major issues for retailers. Department stores are working on improving their incentive schemes and creating a mentoring program to retain talents or develop new perks to remain attractive.

Read the full press release below:

IADS PRESS RELEASE FLAGSHIP STORES

Read the full press release, in French, below:

IADS - Communiqué de presse - MAGASINS AMIRAUX

Boyner Büyük Mağazacılık, part of the Boyner Group, a leading department store and fashion retail group in Turkey, joins the International Association of Department Stores.

One of Turkey's most important retail companies, Boyner Büyük Mağazacılık, specialized in lifestyle, experience, and customer satisfaction, joins IADS' network of leading global department stores. The membership will be formalized during the upcoming 64th General Assembly of the Association, which will be held in Istanbul on November 8th, 2023.

For more than 40 years, Boyner Department Stores (Boyner Büyük Mağazacılık) has been serving Turkish customers as a pioneer of innovative retailing. As a leading brand in Turkey, Boyner carries the mission of being a model for the sector by presenting a wide variety of products, while always keeping quality, trust and customer satisfaction at the heart of their business.

With the title of Turkey's first major department store, Boyner operates six different store concepts: Boyner Zone, Boyner Dynamic, Boyner Active, Boyner Outlet, StarBrand and Lifestyle Multibrand Store. The app Boyner Now and the boyner.com.tr website stand out as alternative sales channels. Boyner serves its customers with more than 600 Turkish and international brands presented in 101 stores located in 39 provinces in Turkey, with a total sales area of approximately 300,000 sqm, which is completed by a strong e-commerce offering.

As customers are increasingly interested in special and personalised offers, they expect brands to take on the role of an assistant who knows their particular tastes. For this reason, Boyner positions itself as a lifestyle shopping destination, and the stores are designed as places of experience where everyone can spend time and express themselves easily.

There, customers can find a wide product selection, made of both local and international brands, in different categories such as sportswear, men's and women's clothing, shoes, bags, children's, accessories, cosmetics, and home decoration products, completed by Boyner's own private labels. In addition, the Boyner Home line offers customers kitchenware, bathroom products, home textiles, electrical appliances, and home accessories.

In terms of shopping convenience, Boyner was the first Turkish retailer to offer 24/7 customer support services and a loyalty programme in the country, but they went even further with the Boyner Now application, considered a trailblazer when it was released in 2022. With Boyner Now, products are delivered to any location in Turkey within 90 minutes, and orders made through the app allow customers to shop without paying for items until they are delivered to their door. This unique feature gives customers the option to try different-sized options when receiving products and being able to return unwanted items on the spot without hassle.

Mr Holger Blecker, CEO of Breuninger (Germany) and president of the IADS, who supervised the conversations with Boyner, said: "I am delighted to welcome Boyner as part of IADS. Boyner will perfectly complement the group comprised of the world's leading department stores. Together, we will continue to strive towards innovation, collaboration, excellence and customer centricity in the retail industry and help shape the future of department stores worldwide. As partners and members of IADS, we aspire to achieve the same goals across many areas of our industry.".

Ms Kamshim Lau, Executive Director of Lifestyle International (Hong Kong SAR) and vice-president of the IADS, said: "I congratulate and extend a warm welcome to the Boyner Group on joining the IADS. In IADS, we believe collaboration and engagement are key to succeeding in the retail industry. With Boyner joining the IADS, we bring together some of the most innovative and influential department stores from across the world, creating a powerful network that fosters creativity, promotes best practices and drives growth across the industry".

Mr Eren Camurdan, CEO of Boyner, said: "Boyner is an experienced retailing brand positioned as a lifestyle shopping destination that offers more than 600 brands from both Turkey and the world. Our pioneering merchandising approach integrates sustainability, art, fashion and technology into our fluid merchandising approach, which makes us very proud.

By combining our experience with a very strong dynamism, we love to try the untried. For example, we offer a world-first service by combining both our online and offline sales channels with the Boyner Now application. We are constantly challenging ourselves to provide a better experience for our customers by following the latest developments.

This is powered by a top-of-class technological infrastructure that allows us to follow customer insights with data analytics. Since the day we were founded, we have always focused on our efforts for unconditional customer happiness. We are proud and happy to take our place here as the only Turkish member of the International Association of Department Stores Association (IADS), the only expert body in the world of department stores."

By joining the Association, Boyner will contribute to the fruitful exchanges taking place between leading department stores in the world within the framework offered by IADS, where members come together to bring strategic and concrete answers to questions ranging from logistics to e-commerce profitability, omnichannel excellence, private label profitability, relationships with international brands and the evolution of customer expectations.

About Boyner Buyük Magazacilik

Boyner Büyük Mağazacılık, which has been the pioneer of innovations in Turkey for more than 40 years with its global merchandising approach, sets an example in the sector by combining its product variety with the understanding of quality, trust and customer happiness.

Today, Boyner offers products of both local and global brands in different categories such as sportswear, men's and women's clothing, shoes, bags, children's accessories, cosmetics and home decoration products, with its 101 stores in 39 provinces of Turkey, completed by e-commerce capabilities and Boyner Now, which delivers online shopping in 90 minutes.

Press Contact: Artı İletişim Yönetimi, boyner@artipr.com.tr, dilara@artipr.com.tr

Read the full press release below:

IADS PRESS RELEASE BOYNER GROUP JOINS THE IADS

Read the full press release, in French, below:

IADS - Communiqué de presse - Le groupe Boyner rejoint l'IADS

Fashion Network has quoted IADS in an article covering how department stores are focusing on the home and decor sector. The article covered how the tableware and furniture sectors are the best performing categories, and also included interesting home brands spotted by IADS partner, NellyRodi.

Read the article below:

Fashion Network Article (in french)

Mind Retail has featured IADS' GM, Selvane Mohandas du Ménil in an op-ed piece that discusses how European department stores are preparing for the new generation Chinese tourists. The article explains the current retail strategies after the reopening of the Chinese borders in January 2023.

Read the article below:

Mind Retail Article

WWD has quoted IADS in an article covering how department stores are focusing on the home and decor sector. The IADS General Manager, Selvane Mohandas du Ménil, shares insight on how this category experienced major growth due to COVID.

Read the article below:

WWD Article

Home & Decor: a stable business in department stores thanks to a few overperforming categories, with customers shifting focus to new products.

Still impacted by the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdowns in many ways, the global Home & Decor market in department stores remains dynamic and is now influenced by fashion trends.

Overall, the Home & Decor turnover share remained stable from 2019 to 2022 for IADS department store members, at 15%. However, research shows that companies actually found themselves in two different situations:

• A struggling business compared to previous record growth: after a Covid-related positive impact on sales, some department stores faced difficulties to achieve a similar level of sales in 2022 and to reach their margin targets.
• A stable or growing business in value: with inflation forcing retailers to increase their prices, other companies saw their turnover remaining stable even though they saw a decrease in volume. In addition, growth in a few categories supported their business and contributed to maintaining turnover.

In one way or another, the current Home & Decor trends reflect the post-Covid life: tableware and furniture are the most successful categories, with furniture being considered a strategic priority for the department stores' buying teams. Consequently, given the average size of these products, the optimization of omnichannel operations is a must for any company willing to harness this category without dedicating too much space in its stores' stockrooms, by relying on distant warehouses or marketplace agreements instead.

In the post-Covid market, the home and decor category is increasingly following the fashion pace and mood

The Style Pulse, an IADS partner, described to department stores' buying teams Covid's long-lasting impact on stylistic trends and market tastes. The product offering now reflects consumers' feelings and answers their aspirations as life returns back to normal: colourful and joyful aesthetics, inspiration from nature and travel, and objects enhancing comfort and at-home wellness.

The Home & Decor market increasingly follows the same logic as the fashion industry: according to Nelly Rodi, another IADS' partner, consumers replace home products more often than before (every 5 years for a sofa instead of 15), in addition to increasingly asking for fashion codes in terms of branding, motifs or collection merchandising.

Also, this fragmented and highly competitive market is diversifying both downwards and upwards, as distributors (including mass-market) propose more interior design services, while fashion luxury brands put effort into their Home & Decor offerings. Louis Vuitton's opening of a home goods store in Shanghai represents a significant example and shows that department stores are increasingly facing more intense competition not only on the product offer (whatever the positioning) but also on the range of services they recently developed to remain relevant.

The winning recipe: tableware, furniture and private labels

Nelly Rodi presented its exclusive scouting of up-and-coming brands in tableware and furniture, but also in the decoration, electronics and household appliances categories:

• Tableware: La Double J, Studio Arhoj, Marie Daâge, Artesanias del Atlantico, Maison Fragile, Minval Living.

• Furniture: Red Edition, Houtique, Maison Dada, Popus, Noma.

• Decoration: Papermint, Tekla, Anna + Dina, Marmi, Petite Friture, Mattina Moderna, Areta, Datcha.

• Electronics: Transparent, La Boîte Concept, Roberts.

• Household appliances: Amibot Tech, Steamery.

IADS members also highlighted the brands that were already performing well in their assortments: Bolia, Red Edition, Flamant, Salt & Pepper and Pols Potten.

The product category dispatch shares remain relatively stable: Home Accessories are dominating the business with an average of 48% of the department store category business, Electronics represent 21%, Furniture 15% and Household Appliances 13%.

The tableware market is booming thanks to consumers looking for trendy products. Using fashion reasoning, shoppers are not shy about buying multiple sets of plates and consider these items as fashion products. In stores, creating multi-brand themes and stories that change on a regular basis is the path to success: products sell quickly after hitting the shop floor, thus enhancing margins. Candles (including regular candles, scented candles, and candle holders) are also a booming category: with good margins and little space needed, multi-brand areas successfully develop.

Even though the category is more difficult to handle (as it requires space and operations are inherently difficult), furniture is a strategic component and priority of Home & Decor's growth. Post-Covid life also encourages its growth: convertible sofas are extremely successful at Galeries Lafayette and BHV, thanks to tourism resuming, fuelling Airbnb apartment renting. Craving for life in the open air, consumers continue investing in outdoor furniture at El Corte Inglés.

Finally, private labels are successfully positioned among the department stores' best Home & Decor brands. This is why department stores keep developing new product categories and plan on expanding existing ones in the near future.

Omnichannel business is growing and being optimized despite competition and inflation

Even with the growth of their online business at an average of 33%, it remains difficult for department stores to compete with pure players offering extremely fast and free delivery services. With inflation, price competition is a reality in all markets, leading to aggressive promotions from competitors.

Overall, online commerce is seen as the main growth lever for the future and omnichannel services have been tremendously developing in all categories. When it comes to Home & Decor, in-store showrooming currently achieves good performance giving in-store consumers access to an extensive product offer. At the same time, department stores are increasingly curating their website to clear the product offer and to avoid online customers from feeling lost in an 'infinite aisle'.

Despite relative stability in the Home & Decor sales value, many factors are affecting the category. Fewer quantities are sold at some department stores, showing the impact of inflation on customer spending. On the other hand, some product categories are booming and supporting the business: tableware, furniture and private labels are considered key to maintaining and growing sales. As for other product categories, the online business remains a priority for department stores that are improving operations.

Read the full press release below:

IADS PRESS RELEASE HOME & DECOR

Read the full press release, in French, below:

IADS - Communiqué de presse - Maison & Décoration

Retail in Asia has written an article covering the World Retail Congress panel discussion on the future of department stores. The IADS General Manager, Selvane Mohandas du Ménil, hosted the discussion and was joined by retail leaders including Niraj Jain, CFO of Indonesian department store Matahari, David Wilkinson, CEO of Steen & Strøm in Oslo, and Rita Clifton, portfolio chair and non-executive director at John Lewis Partnership. The article includes the key takeaways from the conversation.

Read the article below:

Retail in Asia Article

Fashion Network has written an article based on IADS findings on department stores' omnichannel strategies driving profits. The article details how retailers are now focusing on adjusting the most relevant channels while maximizing return on investment.

Read the article below:

FASHION NETWORK ARTICLE (ENGLISH)

Fashion Network Article (French)

fashion network article (spanish)

300% more profitable: the most lucrative customers shop online and offline at the same time. To attract them, department stores are intertwining their most cost-efficient store features and e-commerce capabilities to become customer-centric omnichannel shopping and experience platforms.

While e-commerce is seen as the main driver for growth in the future, department stores continue to invest in their stores and are not ready to let them go, in the hope of combining experience with convenience. For that reason, becoming truly omnichannel is a crucial part of the transformation they must go through. After having tested many services in a constant work-in-progress mode, adjusting them and possibly concentrating them in a "super-app" is planned, provided it improves the financial bottom line.

Customers have been at the core of any department store strategy since the inception of this format. The rise of e-commerce and digitalization of the world have created a new breed of clients who indifferently purchase both online and offline: omnichannel customers. On average, such customers are spending 3 times more than strictly offline or online ones and, for that reason, are enthusiastically regarded by retailers.

On their side, department stores, which viewed themselves as multichannel retailers until not so long ago, have engaged in the journey to becoming truly omnichannel. This transformation, which involves moving from a traditional delivery model to a customer-centric model with multiple purchasing options, is still an ongoing process, with many new services and innovative sales channels being tested.

But now that the pandemic is over, and has been replaced with new challenges, such as the increased cost of operations, retailers need to ensure that their approach is relevant, efficient and measurable in terms of intertwined online and offline customer experience. After all, the very notion of channels is not a reality for consumers. As a result, the target is now to offer a seamless buying experience, not necessarily based on new services, but rather on fine-tuned existing ones, possibly merged into a "super app", as long as ROI is ensured.

No need to reinvent the wheel: sales channels are now all about integration and adaptation

The pandemic led to the multiplication of sales channels and services. Now is the time to rationalize. Department stores are individually reviewing the added value of their innovations both from the customer point-of-view and the financial aspects, to focus on efficiency:

-    Click & collect, the most widespread omnichannel service, is here to stay and represents up to 41% of all omnichannel transactions at Manor. While at the beginning some department stores located this service on upper floors to push customers to wander the store, the consensus now is that the best location for this service is on the ground floor, especially near the entrance, in the customer service area or close to the parking lot.

-    Click & express, a speedier version of Click & Collect, builds on the fact that some companies use their stores as fulfilment centres for their e-commerce operations, and as a consequence do have speedy logistics capabilities (Breuninger ships 15% of their online orders from its stores). For instance, at El Corte Inglés, customers can come in and pick up their order in 120mn, and even in 60mn at Manor.

-    Click & reserve, where the product is booked online without any guarantee for the retailer that it will be purchased, is more controversial, due to the high risk of cancellation or customer's no-show. For companies continuing to offer this option, the key to success is their ability to provide a quick answer to customers (at Breuninger, customers receive the confirmation that the product is reserved in the store of their choice in less than 2 hours).

-    In-store ordering is a new approach where customers have access to more products than displayed, through specific devices (iPads…) linked to other stocks. Manor and Breuninger are developing this strategy, with a 40% higher turnover compared to pre-Covid levels for the latter.

-    Marketplace services are developing. While purchases on marketplaces used to follow a specific logistics flow (brand to customer and customer to brand), Breuninger now accepts returns for merchandise ordered from third-party brands on their marketplace to their own warehouse, which considerably simplifies the life of their customers. On their side, Galeries Lafayette is running a test with 3 different marketplaces which offer customers in-store pickup services.

-    Personal shopping, now a staple service for all department stores, is expected to be available online for some of them. For instance, El Corte Inglés' website offers customers an 'ask an expert' button, leading to immediate advice via chat, phone and video call. Overall, it is worth the effort: the average basket of a customer being advised by a personal shopper is 4 times higher than a regular offline or online sale.

In reality, department stores are pursuing two rationalization strategies at the same time. On the one hand, they are reducing services and options that either did not prove to be economically viable or recognized as useful by customers and on the other hand, they are further developing the ones that proved right and connecting them with each other (for instance Personal shopping with Click & reserve).

Are "Super Apps" the future of omnichannel?

At Manor, 70% of omnichannel traffic goes through mobile phones, showing the importance of a unified platform, or "super app", to provide all services and options to customers directly in customers' pockets. These super apps can be seen as shopping dashboards or interfaces combining all online and offline channels as well as services: at El Corte Inglés the app is both an e-commerce and in-store service platform, and at El Palacio de Hierro the app merges e-commerce with all services, such as Click & Collect, Car Pick-up, Scan & Go… The goal is to optimize the shopping experience and ensure a seamless transition between online and store modes for customers to shop anywhere, anyhow, anytime, and even possibly while talking with a staff member.

Department stores are currently working on how to enrich their apps with new features. For instance, AR and VR features are already in the works to guide customers through floors, for instance, enriching store maps, and even allowing each user to receive personalised offers in real-time, on the go.

To nudge customers or to begrudge free returns? The difficult financial question

With delivery and return costs taking a heavy toll on margins, should department stores incentivize customers into prioritizing cost-efficient order processes? For instance, Click & collect is cheaper for retailers than home delivery as they do not bear the cost of transportation. Taking the example of other categories (Amazon, Fnac) the key question they are currently pondering is to know if it is worth it, in terms of finances but also brand image, to offer a small discount or loyalty benefits to nudge customers in the right 'cost-efficient' direction. Such initiatives are, so far, purposedly made invisible to customers. For instance, Breuninger's customers living close to a store see the Click & collect option emphasized and more visible online to nudge them to use it rather than home delivery.

Another important topic for the future of the business is the possibility of asking customers to pay for their returns. While this initiative is not yet a common practice, the fact that Zara and others started to implement it influences retailers' decisions. Among IADS members, Manor already took a step towards cost efficiency, as returns in-store are free but returns to the warehouse are not. As a result, 66% of product returns are made in-store.

Department stores' digital transformation has not been fully achieved yet, as they still consider themselves as good multichannel retailers. Covid-19 accelerated the launch, development, experimentation, and adoption of existing or new sales channels and services. In their strategies, retailers now focus on fine-tuning the most relevant ones while maximizing their ROI, be it to enhance the customer experience or to maximize the business.

This doesn't mean that new services and sales channels won't develop in the future, but that the current strategy is really to intertwine the relevant ones to provide a truly seamless omnichannel experience, possibly through a super app, in order to capture the complete customer journey, anywhere, anyhow, anytime, with cost optimization as a Damocles sword upon them.

Read the full press release below:

IADS Press Release: Department stores boost profitability with omnichannel strategy combining online and in-store Shopping experience

Read the full press release, in French, below:

IADS - Communiqué de presse - Omnicanal