Intercontinental Group of Department Stores

What Intercontinental Group of Department Stores does

Intercontinental Group of Department Stores (IGDS) is a non-profit industry association founded in June 1946 in Lugano, Switzerland, by eight European department stores including Jelmoli, Printemps, Selfridges, and Rinascente. It operates as the world's largest department store association, serving 44 leading department store members worldwide spanning Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa, with the membership preferably limited to one member per country. Its member base collectively operates roughly 2,500 stores, employs approximately 600,000 full-time equivalents (including concession workers), serves over one billion visitors annually, and represents approximately US$120bn in combined global department store sales.

IGDS's core offerings are organised around four pillars: (1) an annual events calendar of more than 20 exclusive gatherings, anchored by the World Department Store Summit (held in Mexico City in May 2026, co-organised with member Liverpool); (2) the IGDS WDSS Awards, an industry benchmark programme running since 2008 across ten categories including Most Innovative Department Store and World's Best Sustainability/CSR Campaign; (3) educational programmes, including the GDI Impact Leadership Programme for Department Stores (2026) and on-demand online courses in Customer Data & Loyalty and Visual Merchandising; and (4) market intelligence resources such as podcasts, annual reports, and a worldwide department store directory. The association also runs Retail Employees' Day as a global initiative and provides CSR guidance for members. IGDS does not develop proprietary technology products; its platform is fundamentally a curated community, content, and convening layer.

The business model is a non-profit subscription model, financed exclusively by members' subscriptions with no disclosed pricing. Governance is provided by a Board of department store leaders, with André Maeder, CEO of The KaDeWe Group, serving as President for the 2021-2023 term and Simon Susman (Woolworths Holdings, South Africa) as Honorary President. The organisation operates with a small secretariat of 1-10 employees headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, and has no parent company, no venture backing, and no disclosed subsidiaries. Notable member initiatives showcased via IGDS include Selfridges' Project Earth sustainability programme, Nordstrom's BEAUTYCYCLE recycling partnership with TerraCycle, and luxury brand shop-in-shops (Louis Vuitton, Prada) within member stores.

Name

Intercontinental Group of Department Stores

Legal name

Intercontinental Group of Department Stores (IGDS)

Website

https://igds.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IGDS is a non-profit industry association founded in 1946 in Lugano, Switzerland, serving 44 leading department store members worldwide through events (World Department Store Summit), industry awards, leadership and training programmes, and market intelligence sharing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: IGDS is a non-profit organization financed by members' subscriptions. The membership is exclusively reserved for department stores and is preferably limited to one member per country.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IGDS is a non-profit global association of 44+ leading department stores that delivers member-exclusive networking, market intelligence, industry events (including the annual World Department Store Summit and Retail Executive Seminars), the WDSS Awards program, online training courses (Customer Data & Loyalty, Visual Merchandising), the GDI Impact Leadership Programme, and CSR/sustainability resources. It functions as an industry convener and knowledge-sharing platform rather than a retailer or marketplace, financed by member subscriptions and governed by a Board of department store leaders.

Product overview

IGDS is a global association of 44+ leading department stores providing market intelligence services, annual events (World Department Store Summit, Retail Executive Seminars), industry awards (WDSS Awards), educational programs (online courses, GDI Leadership Programme), and CSR resources. The organization connects department stores worldwide through an annual calendar of more than 20 exclusive events including General Assembly, conferences on Cosmetics, Fashion, VM, Logistics, and HR topics. Key initiatives include Retail Employees' Day and the WDSS Awards program recognizing outstanding department store achievements since 2008.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IGDS World Department Store Summit (WDSS): World's largest and leading discussion platform for department store CEOs, senior executives, stakeholders, and business partners from all continents
• IGDS WDSS Awards
• GDI Impact Leadership Programme
• Retail Employees' Day (RED)

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Louis VuittoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLouis Vuitton has opened stores within member department stores including Stockmann's Helsinki flagship and Daimaru department store in Kyoto. These luxury brand partnerships enhance the premium positioning of member stores.
• Hurr CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelfridges partnered with HURR Collective for clothing rental services. The partnership uses Hurr technology for Selfridges Rental Collection offering designer label rentals for 4, 8, 10, and 20-day periods.
• TerraCyclecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordstrom partnered with TerraCycle for BEAUTYCYCLE program to recycle beauty product packaging. Goal: take back 100 tons of hard-to-recycle beauty packaging by 2025.
• GoodwasteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelfridges partnered with Goodwaste (RCA Product Design Graduates) for Bright New Things initiative creating homeware from waste materials.
• PradacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrada unveiled its first full Re-Nylon collection made with Econyl recycled nylon yarn at Selfridges Corner Shop as part of Project Earth launch.
• InfarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelfridges partnered with Infarm for in-store vertical farming units in the Foodhall, growing leafy greens with 95% less water and 90% less transport than traditional agriculture.
• HURR CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelfridges partnered with HURR Collective for clothing rental service offering styles from designers like Zimmermann, Cecilie Bahnsen, Emilia Wickstead for 4-20 day rentals.
• Kaas TailoredminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordstrom partnered with Kaas Tailored to sew 100,000+ masks for healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic.
• Harper WildeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordstrom partnered with Harper Wilde for bra recycling program. Harper Wilde products available at 5 Nordstrom stores with bra recycling bins.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• EuroCommerce: The leading European trade association representing the wholesale and retail sector to EU institutions. Similar association model and retailer membership base as IGDS, but regionally focused on Europe and covering broader retail, not just department stores.
• World Retail Congress: A global forum for retail CEOs and senior executives, producing summits and networking events. Closely mirrors IGDS's World Department Store Summit concept and overlaps in audience and content themes.
• National Retail Federation: The largest US/global retail trade association, organizing industry events, advocacy, and education for retail executives. Directly comparable to IGDS as a retailer-facing industry body, though NRF serves the full retail universe while IGDS focuses narrowly on department stores.
• Japan Department Stores Association: National association of Japanese department stores performing sector advocacy, data, and events. Directly comparable as a department-store-specific association, though limited to Japan rather than intercontinental membership.
• The Consumer Goods Forum: Global industry association connecting consumer goods manufacturers and retailers on sustainability, safety, and supply chain. Comparable in membership-driven model, CEO-level convening, and global scope, though CGF spans broader categories beyond department stores.

Regional players

• British Retail Consortium: UK retail trade association providing advocacy, standards, and events for British retailers. Comparable industry body role, though national rather than intercontinental and not focused exclusively on department stores.

Others

• International Apparel Federation: Global federation of apparel and fashion industry associations. Operates a similar intercontinental trade association model serving member associations and brands, with shared focus on sustainability and trade events adjacent to department store interests.
• EuroShop / Messe Düsseldorf (retail trade fair): World's leading trade fair for retail investment, technologies, and trends. Comparable as a high-profile retail industry convening platform with global reach, though a for-profit fair organizer rather than a member-funded association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/intercontinental-group-of-department-store

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Intercontinental Group of Department Stores