International Association of Department Stores to Hold CEO Conference at The Hyundai Seoul on June 10

CEOs from Department Stores in Nine Countries Including the US and France Participate
Non-Member Country Korea Chosen... Interest in the Success of 'The Hyundai Seoul'

Hyundai Department Store announced on June 9 that it will co-host the International Association of Department Stores (IADS) regular CEO Conference with IADS at The Hyundai Seoul on June 10. This marks the first time since the association’s founding in 1928 that the IADS CEO Conference will be held in Korea.

Exterior view of Hyundai Department Store The Hyundai Seoul.
Photo by Hyundai Department Store

This conference will bring together CEOs and executives from department stores in nine IADS member countries, including Bloomingdale's (United States), Galeries Lafayette (France), Breuninger (Germany), Manor (Switzerland), Magasin du Nord (Denmark), The Mall (Thailand), SOGO (Hong Kong), TSUM Kyiv (Ukraine), and SKP (China).

IADS is an association established by global department store industry leaders to analyze the retail sector and study department store formats. It currently has 16 member department stores from 16 countries worldwide. Korea does not yet have a member company. Only one company from each country can qualify for membership, and new members must receive unanimous approval from all existing members, reflecting the organization’s emphasis on trust and authority. The CEO Conference is also strictly closed to the public, and, as its main purpose is to share distribution trends and discuss cooperation among member companies, it is typically held only in member countries.

This year, IADS broke its internal rule and chose to visit Hyundai Department Store in Korea, a non-member country. In fact, many IADS member companies expressed interest in Hyundai Department Store’s retail differentiation strategy and requested an exchange, which led to this visit.

Kamshim Lau, President of IADS, stated, “Hyundai Department Store is a true leader that is redefining the future of retail,” and added, “Co-hosting this CEO Conference demonstrates both sides’ commitment to innovation, excellence in the department store industry, and global communication.” She continued, “I expect this will be an opportunity to gain deep insight into Hyundai Department Store’s visionary leadership and the evolving trends in the Asian retail market.”

Prior to the conference, CEOs and executives from department stores in nine countries will tour The Hyundai Seoul’s major attractions. At the request of participants, the tour will focus on exclusive Hyundai Department Store locations, including the 12-meter-high artificial waterfall ‘Waterfall Garden,’ the 1,000-pyeong (approximately 3,300 square meters) large-scale green park ‘Sounds Forest,’ and the MZ-specialized zone ‘Creative Ground.’

The conference will be co-chaired by Jung Jiyeong, President of Hyundai Department Store, and Kamshim Lau, President of IADS. The session will share the success strategies of The Hyundai Seoul, as well as the direction of ‘The Hyundai 2.0,’ which will expand to The Hyundai Busan and The Hyundai Gwangju. Additionally, diversification strategies such as the K-brand overseas export platform ‘The Hyundai Global’ and the retail model ‘Connect Hyundai,’ which combines department stores, outlets, and art museums, will be introduced. Key topics will also include AX (Artificial Intelligence Transformation) initiatives that Hyundai Department Store is proactively pursuing, such as the AI copywriter ‘Louis’ and the AI mentor system for internal employees.

Jung Jiyeong, President of Hyundai Department Store, stated, “Department stores are evolving beyond simple shopping spaces to become platforms that provide customers with new experiences and value,” and added, “I hope the retail innovation centered on space, technology, and content proposed by Hyundai Department Store will be further expanded through this CEO Conference.”