When nobody's watching: Why cultural belonging is replacing digital persuasion

Beyond the hype: How retailers are actually using the metaverse

In this episode of The IADS Retail Park 🎧, Maya [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-sankoh/] and Anchita [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anchita-ranka-72b36a194/] explore the Metaverse beyond the buzz. ✨ What do Demain [https://demainbeauty.com/] https://demainbeauty.com/Beauty [https://demainbeauty.com/], L’Oréal, and luxury pioneers have in common? They’re experimenting with virtual experiences that educate, engage, and convert. 🛍️ From 75% memory retention through gamification to digital twins that reshape store planning, our hosts unpack the real business case for immersive retail. Learn how €200K and 7 months built a metaverse that blends commerce and learning—and what separates hype from ROI. 🎮 Want all the case studies and expert insight? 👉 Click here to unlock full Exclusive for deeper dives and real-world examples! [https://iads.substack.com/p/iads-exclusive-the-metaverse-explored?r=1rowmw] 🔗 For updates and more can’t-miss content, follow us on LinkedIn [https://fr.linkedin.com/company/international-association-of-department-stores] https://fr.linkedin.com/company/international-association-of-department-storesat International Association of Department Stores – I.A.D.S., explore our Substack [https://iads.substack.com/], or visit www.iads.org [http://www.iads.org/] for extra resources and the full article. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit iads.substack.com/subscribe [https://iads.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

When nobody's watching: Why cultural belonging is replacing digital persuasion

In this episode of the IADS Retail Park 🎙️, Maya [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-sankoh/] sits down with Anchita [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anchita-ranka-72b36a194/], Head of Analysis and Prospectives at I.A.D.S. and author of this week’s exclusive, to examine why the advertising infrastructure retail built over the last decade is hitting a structural ceiling 📱. Based on👉 IADS Exclusive: The End of the Nudge [https://iads.substack.com/p/iads-exclusive-the-end-of-the-nudge] by Anchita Ranka [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anchita-ranka-72b36a194/]. For more insights and updates, follow us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores - IADS [https://fr.linkedin.com/company/international-association-of-department-stores], check out our Substack [https://iads.substack.com/], visit our website at www.IADS.org [https://www.iads.org/] for additional resources, and learn more here [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Association_of_Department_Stores]! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit iads.substack.com/subscribe [https://iads.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

The layer nobody talks about — until It breaks

They're not in the keynotes. They're not in the strategy decks. But when a retail transformation actually lands — when AI gets adopted, when a store team holds together under pressure, when corporate strategy turns into something a frontline team can actually use — there's almost always a middle manager making it happen. In this episode, Maya [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-sankoh/] sits down with Christine [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinemontard/], to unpack why middle managers are retail's most underestimated asset — and what happens when you stop investing in them. 👉 Read the full exclusive here ! [https://iads.substack.com/p/iads-exclusive-middle-managers-the?r=1rowmw] For more insights and updates, follow us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores - IADS [https://fr.linkedin.com/company/international-association-of-department-stores], check out our Substack [https://iads.substack.com/], visit our website at www.iads.org [https://www.iads.org/] for additional resources, and learn more here [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Association_of_Department_Stores]! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit iads.substack.com/subscribe [https://iads.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

The 2024 IADS Academy: AI Readiness for Department Stores

In this episode of The I.A.D.S. Retail Park 🎧, Maya [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-sankoh/] and Christine [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinemontard/], explore the 2024 IADS Academy’s work on AI decision-making for retailers. A cohort of next-gen executives tackled “machine customers,” built the AIRI readiness framework, and created Lola — a retail-specific AI chatbot. 🤖 👉 Read the full exclusive here ! [https://iads.substack.com/p/iads-exclusive-2024-iads-academy?r=1rowmw] For more insights and updates, follow us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores - IADS [https://fr.linkedin.com/company/international-association-of-department-stores], check out our Substack [https://iads.substack.com/], visit our website at www.iads.org [https://www.iads.org/] for additional resources, and learn more here [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Association_of_Department_Stores]! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit iads.substack.com/subscribe [https://iads.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

40,000 people, 1,000 exhibitors, and one question: Is any of this real?

Every January, retail's biggest names descend on New York for the NRF Big Show 🎙️ — and 2025 was reportedly a record edition: 40,000 attendees, 1,000 exhibitors, and more AI claims than you could count. In this episode, Maya [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-sankoh/] sits down with Selvane [https://www.linkedin.com/in/selvanemohandas/], who was on the floor and in the rooms. They cut through the noise together — from agentic AI and "fantailing" to Target's culture strategy, Macy's bold transformation, and what Foot Locker's 50th anniversary says about where retail is actually heading 🌊. 👉 Read the full exclusive here ! [https://iads.substack.com/p/iads-exclusive-nrf-big-show-2025?r=1rowmw] For more insights and updates, follow us on LinkedIn at International Association of Department Stores - IADS [https://fr.linkedin.com/company/international-association-of-department-stores], check out our Substack [https://iads.substack.com/], visit our website at www.iads.org [https://www.iads.org/] for additional resources, and learn more here [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Association_of_Department_Stores]! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit iads.substack.com/subscribe [https://iads.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]