Berlin 2024
Embracing Experiential Retailing
The 15th IGDS World Department Store Summit (WDSS 2024) will be staged on 12-13 September 2023 in Berlin. Facing demanding market conditions, department stores and leading brands continue to evolve their conventional business model with an even stronger customer focus and experiential retail environment on all channels.
Visit the website
Dubai 2023
Investing for the Future
In the aftermath of the pandemic, the world is dealing with a new set of issues marked by political tensions, inflation, polarised societies, risks of climate change and the public’s existential questioning. With a focus on customers and retail technology, looking into the future is all about seizing the many opportunities and chances by accelerating forward-thinking processes.
Visit the website
Seattle 2022
Retailing from the Outside-In
Retailing, like other industries, is undergoing important transformations characterised by changing customer expectations and behaviours, a push for omnichannel trading, digitalisation at all levels, new technologies and leadership challenges.
Tokyo 2019
The Role of Department Stores in Megacities
The establishment of a new and wild competitive landscape, in part due to the online revolution, has triggered a profound structural transformation in retailing and, in particular, for department stores.
London 2018
The Power of Luxury Redefined
In recent years, the luxury and retail markets have seen significant change and expansion. Beyond geographical markets, perhaps the only certainty for luxury brands and retailers is that a new luxury mind-set is emerging amongst customers.
Toronto 2017
Digital and Bricks&Mortar One Magic Experience
The impact of digitalisation on retail and the economy is similar to the effects of industrialisation more than 200 years ago. Traditional retailing has been hit by these changes which have revolutionised how business is done and moved on customer expectations.
Zurich 2016
Delighting Global Travellers at Home & Away
The unprecedented rise in travel and tourism paired with fast-pace changes in technologies is opening up an amazing new world for customers. It promises untapped opportunities for many businesses and brands - department stores especially.
Rome 2015
Strengthening Emotional Bonds with customers
Fast-changing customer behaviours and new innovations in digital communications, supply chain and information technology systems are reshaping the retail arena. More and more channels are courting the same customers, resulting in even fiercer competition.
Singapore 2014
Capturing the Retail Revolution
This year's Global Department Stores Summit presents success stories of renowned and evolving retailers and discusses which business strategies and investments should be launched to ensure a relevant positioning in order to deliver growth and sustainable profit.
Istanbul 2013
Taking Performance to the Next Level
Department Stores have weathered many crises and slowdowns in recent years. They have successfully strengthened their organisations by adjusting their business models. Luxury, demand for higher quality goods and ever more modern stores have led this change.
Paris 2012
Staying Relevant for Growth
Will the next retail decade belong to department stores? Many department stores have prepared well for the forthcoming retail years, which are anticipated to be both exciting and challenging.
Shanghai 2011
China impacts Department Stores and Suppliers
China is on its way to becoming the single largest retail market in the world. This development is poised to have some major global implications on a number of strategic issues including management focus, flow of investments, marketing spending, growth potential and emergence of new trends.
New York 2010
Winning in the New Retail Environment
In the current challenging economy, retailers all over the world are re-thinking their strategy, re-organizing their company to adapt to the new environment.
Moscow 2009
The Importance and Impact of Flagship Store
The Department Store Focus is a new platform for department stores companies and leading manufacturers and suppliers from all over the world. It provides CEOs and senior executives with the opportunity of meeting in a truly global and stimulating environment where they are able to gain new insights and information.
London 2008
Growth Opportunities for Department Stores
Department Stores are a unique and challenging retail business model. In order to address the major issues, Selfridges and IGDS are launching the first Global Department Store Summit (GDSS).