Frequently Asked Questions

There are several professional department stores associations in the world. The IADS (International Association of Department Stores), based in Paris, is the oldest (founded in 1928) and most exclusive.

IADS stands for International Association of Department Stores.

The International Association of Department Stores (IADS) was founded in 1928 by a group of department stores to prepare and anticipate the future together. At the time, founding members were concerned to apply the latest management ideas to department stores, the leading retailing format of the time, as well as to learn from each other. Today, it is the most exclusive and oldest department stores think tank in the world.

In a retail world saturated with information, where the industry players are facing many challenges in their individual markets: digital competition, social changes, sustainability concerns and deep changes in consumption patterns, it is crucial to facilitate the communication and the exchanges between department stores of the world. The Association provides its members with a number of activities allowing them to share retail management experience and best practices.

The Association, both through its activities and own expertise, is an additional resource for its members, be it in terms of strategic thinking or operational implementation. Three objectives are at the IADS’ core:

• To be an international bond between its members, facilitating exchange and communication,
• To research the future of the business and anticipate its fundamental changes,
• To promote cooperation and best practices.

To achieve that, the IADS acts at different levels and aims to be operational through:

• Transformative meetings
• Focused market knowledge
• The promotion of cooperation and future orientation

The Association’s uniqueness lies in the close relationship between its member CEOs, making it a very powerful asset for decision-making at the highest level.