IADS Exclusive - World Retail Congress 2024 Conference Report

The IADS attended the 2024 edition of the World Retail Congress, held in Paris from April 16th to 18th, which gathered 850 participants from 400 companies across 16 countries. During this edition, the Association had the privilege to moderate a roundtable between the CEO of Galeries Lafayette, Nicolas Houzé, and the CEO of Harrods, Michael Ward.

This report is a selection of the most relevant insights gathered for our members.

Table of contents

1- Introduction: the difficult task of forecasting in 2024 (Deloitte, Blackstone, VML)
2- But what is retail anyway? A fresh perspective (Springstudios)
3- How to win the new generation customers (Claire’s, MARS Wrigley, Pepe Jeans)…
4- …in a time of mass distraction (Adidas)?
5- What to expect from AI in retail? (Keystone, Decathlon, Google Cloud)
6- The human factor: purpose, planet, profits… and communities (ThredUp, REI, Milani Cosmetics)
7- A look at 3 retailers set in motion: Sephora, Printemps, Myer
8- The future of department stores: the IADS interviews Harrods and Galeries Lafayette
9- Interesting Quotes

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