IADS Press Release: IADS Retail Park launch

IADS launches “IADS Retail Park”: An AI-generated podcast turning retail insight into audio intelligence

The International Association of Department Stores (IADS) is proud to announce the launch of Retail Park, an AI-powered weekly podcast that transforms written insights into conversational audio, offering retail professionals a fresh and efficient way to stay informed.

Retail teams today are drowning in information but starving for meaning. Between dashboards, presentations, and constant communications, there's often little time to digest the why behind the what. Audio fills that gap by enabling passive yet meaningful learning, allowing retailers to learn while they do. The podcast format is a popular choice, as it combines consumption on the go with attention maximisation, which is why more than 500 million users are active podcast subscribers worldwide.

Department stores have already embraced the format. The Chalhoub Group launched in 2021 The Podcast by Chalhoub Group, featuring regular conversations with internal leaders, partners, and industry figures on topics such as innovation, sustainability, and organisational culture, making it one of the few department store group podcasts consistently produced. El Corte Inglès’ Ambito Cultural regularly invites writers, singers and artists on air, similarly to the events organised in their stores under the same name. Nordstrom’s The Nordy Pod, hosted by the company’s CEO Pete Nordstrom, is a familiar example of how retailers are shifting from sellers to storytellers—using podcasts to share culture, leadership, and customer stories, and enhancing customer connection and brand visibility. Galeries Lafayette’s Minuit aux Galeries shared behind-the-scenes stories after hours to celebrate their 150^th anniversary in 2024.

These examples reflect what the industry already recognises: audio is now an established tool for connection, storytelling, and visibility.

Sharing department store knowledge

Since 2020, IADS has published over 150 “IADS Exclusives,” written analyses that explore a wide range of topics relevant to department stores, including store formats, digital innovation, and industry-related topics. To foster open conversation and encourage the dissemination of knowledge about the department store format – a constant line of conduct for the Association - these articles have been made available to the public from the outset through its Substack page.

With IADS Retail Park, these insights are now accessible anytime, anywhere in the car, between meetings, or during store walkthroughs through short, high-impact audio.

Each episode is created using generative AI tools, including cloned voices of IADS team members, which allows the podcast to simulate the tone and rhythm of a live conversation. The process starts when the weekly Exclusive is released, which is then transformed into scripted dialogue, guided by reusable templates to ensure natural pacing and tone. Human editors refine each episode to provide clarity, accuracy, and emotional warmth.

Notably, the entire process (from draft to production) can be completed in under 24 hours, making Retail Park one of the fastest and most agile content formats IADS has developed.

Key features of the IADS Retail Park podcast include:

• Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Substack

• Weekly episodes featuring both past and new editorial content

• Full use of AI production tools

• Editorial oversight at every stage to ensure clarity, tone, and precision

Launched quietly in late February 2025, IADS Retail Park already features 45+ episodes, with new content added weekly. It combines editorial storytelling with emerging AI capabilities to create a format that is both personal and scalable.

The podcast reflects IADS’s commitment to combining innovation with accessibility, serving as a model for how retail organisations can scale storytelling through voice technology while maintaining trust and personality.

The International Association of Department Stores (IADS) is the only expert body specialising globally in the department store retail format. Consisting of leading department store members worldwide, the Association serves as an international network, facilitating exchange and communication among its members. It also conducts research to address the current challenges of department stores and provide actionable insights for its members.

Today, IADS permanent members include Beijing Hualian Group (PRC), Bloomingdale’s (USA), Boyner (Turkey), Breuninger (Germany), Chalhoub Group (UAE), Centro Beco (Venezuela), El Corte Inglés (Spain), El Palacio de Hierro (Mexico), Falabella (Chile, Colombia and Peru), Galeries Lafayette (France), John Lewis & Partners (UK), Lifestyle International Holding (Hong Kong), Magasin du Nord (Denmark), Manor (Switzerland), The Mall Group (Thailand), TSUM Kyiv (Ukraine). These retail leaders are joined by a network of other department stores and retail companies as corresponding members.

Together, the IADS members, all key players in their respective markets, create a landscape of diverse business models and cultures, representing more than €40.5 billion in cumulated annual turnover, achieved through over 549 stores with 251,000 associates in 28 countries.

Through its activities and partnerships with NellyRodi, Retail Hub, RH-ISAC and Newstores, the Association constantly stays up to date on its members’ questions and challenges. It generates solution-driven problem-solving processes for its members, preparing them to face the future of the retail industry.

Read the full press release below:

Read the full press release, in French, below: