In this episode of IADS. Retail Park 🎧, Maya sits down with Christine, author of this week’s IADS Exclusive on Macy’s transformation. From pioneering retail innovations in 1858 to closing 150 stores while investing in 350 upgraded locations, Macy’s story raises a fundamental question facing department stores globally: can concentration replace expansion as a path to growth? Christine breaks down the “First 50” results, the My Macy’s localisation experiment, why the mid‑tier is getting squeezed, and whether strategic precision can outperform broad coverage. If you’re navigating fleet optimisation, format innovation, or the future of department stores, this conversation offers critical insights you can’t afford to miss.

Want to dive into the data and analysis behind this episode?👉Click here to access Christine’s full IADS Exclusive on Macy’s.

Stay plugged🔌into the latest thinking by following the International Association of Department Stores – IADS on LinkedIn, subscribing to our Substack, and visiting www.iads.org for more in‑depth resources.

In this episode of The I.A.D.S. Retail Park 🎧, Maya and Christopher pull back the curtain on Google’s Project X—Back in 2023 the moonshot factory tackling humanity’s biggest challenges. ✨ What do Waymo, Tidal, and Intrinsic have in common? They aim for 10X impact, not 10% improvement. 🚀 From embracing failure as “moonshot compost” to spending 20% of time on creative pursuits, our hosts unpack six counterintuitive principles reshaping innovation. Want all the case studies and expert insight?

👉 Click here to unlock full Exclusive for deeper dives and real-world examples!

🔗 For updates and more can’t-miss content, follow us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores, explore our Substack, or visit www.iads.org for extra resources and the full article.

In this episode of IADS Retail Park 🎧, Maya and Anchita zoom in on a customer group retailers can’t afford to overlook: the silver generation. As birth rates drop 📉, people live longer 🧬, and more spending power sits with Gen X and older, they ask a key question: how do you build experiences for aging customers without leaning on lazy stereotypes? Drawing on examples like Le Bon Marché’s Rock’n’Drôle exhibition 🎸 and Galeries Lafayette’s Sophie Fontanel curation, they explore how pro-ageing beauty, longevity‑focused wellness 💊, and nostalgia‑driven storytelling 📼 can help department stores connect generations, normalise healthy ageing, and place older shoppers at the centre of both culture and commerce. If you’re rethinking who your priority customer will be over the next decade, this episode offers fresh angles and concrete ideas to use in your strategy work.

Curious about the numbers, case studies, and full strategic lens behind this topic? 👉 Click here to read Anchita’s IADS Exclusive.

To keep up with our latest insights, follow us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores – IADS 💼, explore our Substack 📰, and visit www.iads.org 🌐 for more in‑depth resources.

In this episode of IADS Retail Park 🎧, Maya and Christine look at what happens when retailers start acting like neighbourhood builders. 🏙️ IKEA, Walmart, Breuninger, and John Lewis are all turning old malls, car parks, and land banks into mixed‑use districts where people live, work, and spend their free time. From IKEA’s Livat “Meeting Places” in Shanghai to Walmart’s mall conversion in Pittsburgh and John Lewis’ 10,000 planned rental homes, the episode explains why mixed‑use is becoming retail’s new survival strategy. If you are rethinking what your flagship or real estate portfolio should look like in 2030, this conversation will give you concrete ideas to take back to your team. Want to dive into the data, business cases, and full framework behind these moves? 👉 Click here to access Christine’s IADS Exclusive. Stay plugged into the latest thinking by following us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores – IADS, exploring our Substack, and visiting www.iads.org for more in‑depth resources.

In this episode of The I.A.D.S. Retail Park 🎧, Maya and Christine pull back the curtain on digital transformation in heritage organizations. ✨ What separates fast retailers from slow ones in a world where crises strike every twelve months? From rolling budgets and “forcasgility” to double ERP roadmaps and raw data ownership, our hosts unpack the paradigm shifts redefining retail operations. 🛍️📊 Learn why speed now trumps size—and how agile methods borrowed from unicorns can future-proof legacy businesses. Want all the case studies and expert insight?

👉 Click here to unlock the full Exclusive!

For updates and more can’t-miss content, follow us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores – I.A.D.S., explore our Substack, or visit www.iads.org for additional resources, and learn more here!

In this episode of IADS Retail Park 🎧, Maya and Anchita unpack what happens when department stores face the unthinkable—wars 🎯, currency collapse 💸, and complete economic chaos ⚡. Through exclusive IADS research with retailers at the epicentre of global crises, they reveal the raw playbook: why cash is king, how people come first, and the critical difference between iterative🔄 and protocol-driven crisis management 🚨.From retailers paying employees for three years while they serve in national defence 👥, to installing solar panels and mapping citywide power grids ⚡, to transforming into financial entities temporarily just to survive 💰—this isn’t theory. These are survival tactics from those who’ve lived it. Discover how strategic teams navigated hyperinflation, supply chain collapse 🚛, infrastructure failure, and government restrictions while keeping their doors open. If you think your contingency plan is solid, this episode will make you think twice 🌟.

👉 Click here to read the full IADS Exclusive on crisis management

For more insights and updates, follow us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores - IADS, check out our Substack, visit our website at www.iads.org for additional resources, and learn more here!

In this episode of The I.A.D.S. Retail Park 🎧, Maya and Anchita pull back the curtain on relational shopping’s business impact. ✨ What do Magasin du Nord and Lane Crawford have in common? They’ve turned customer data into loyalty engines. 🛍️ From booking personal shoppers to WeChat mini-programs that 6x sales, our hosts unpack how retailers bridge online and offline—and why Western stores must prepare for Chinese travelers’ sky-high expectations. 🌏 Want all the case studies and expert insight?

👉 Click here to unlock Anchita’s full Exclusive for deeper dives and real-world examples!

For updates and more can’t-miss content, follow us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores – I.A.D.S., explore our Substack, or visit www.iads.org.

In this episode of The I.A.D.S. Retail Park 🎧, Maya and Christopher explore Green Pea, the world’s first green retail park in Turin. 🌱 What do Patagonia, Brunello Cuccinelli, and a building you can disassemble with a screwdriver have in common? They’re all part of a manifesto-driven retail experiment. From energy-capturing floors to 20 million annual visitors, our hosts unpack how sustainability can be a business model—not just a marketing claim. 🛍️ Want the full breakdown of Green Pea’s strategy and lessons for legacy retailers?

👉 Click here to read the full exclusive on challenging the retail business model with the CEO of Green Pea!

👉 If you haven’t caught our first episode on Green Pea as a business case, click here.

👉 For further reading, check out our free IADS white paper on reinventing department stores through sustainability!

For more insights, follow us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores – I.A.D.S., explore our Substack, or visit www.iads.org.

In this episode of IADS Retail Park 🎧, Maya and Christine dissect the bold new era where brands don’t stop at products—they shape full lifestyles. Why are icons like Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, and Selfridges diving into beauty lines, homeware, sports, and even film? 🏆💄🏠 From LV’s jump into Formula 1 and cosmetics to Zara’s thriving home business and Selfridges’ quirky post-Covid garden centres, our hosts trace how “brand territory” has become the hottest strategy in retail.

Listen in for real stories, from blockbusters like Zara Home’s €830M success to curveballs like Birkenstock’s skincare flop, and get straight answers about what works, what fizzles, and where department stores fit in.

Ready for the whole playbook and deeper case studies? 👉 Click here to get Christine’s Exclusive deep dive 🕵️‍♀️

For more insights and can’t-miss retail updates, follow us on🔗 LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores – IADS, check out our Substack, or visit www.iads.org for bonus resources and the full article.

In this episode of The I.A.D.S. Retail Park 🎧, Maya and Christine explore Benedict Evans’ provocative take on retail transformation. What do Netflix, Shopify, and Shein have in common? ✨ They’ve all used tech not to upgrade existing models, but to unbundle and rebuild entire value chains. From L’Oréal’s 25% direct-to-consumer shift to Amazon’s $31 billion ad business, our hosts unpack how every retail function—manufacturing, distribution, advertising, wholesale—is being deconstructed and reassembled. 🛍️ Learn why the question isn’t if your business will be unbundled, but when—and whether you’ll control the rebundle.

👉 Check out the full Exclusive for more expert insights.🔗

For updates and more can’t-miss content, follow us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores – I.A.D.S., explore our Substack, or visit www.iads.org for extra resources and the full article.