IGDS WDSS AWARDS 2023

Three new and unique awards for the department store industry were celebrated on 11 October 2023 in Dubai at the IGDS World Department Store Summit 2023.

The Most Innovative Department Store in the World 

It recognized the most progressive and unique department store in 2023. The competition was open to department stores across the world, from small to large to premium or luxury, evaluating their impact on customers, employees, community, stakeholders as well as the digitization and innovation of their business. The KaDeWe Group, Germany, is the winner of this prestigious award, standing out as “A department store that is a beacon for its surrounding community, renowned for throwing the best parties and events, and featuring an elevated, immersive, and engaging experience across physical and digital channels” as quoted by Michel Ganci, Chairman of the Award Jury and SVP of GTM at NuORDER by Lightspeed. 

Winner: The KaDeWe Group, Germany
Runners-up: Far Eastern Department Stores, Taiwan and Liverpool, Mexico 

Members of the Jury: Bernie Brookes (Former CEO of Myer), Hiroishi Onishi (Former CEO of Isetan Mitsukoshi), and Paolo de Cesare (Former CEO of Printemps), chaired by Michael Ganci (SVP of GTM at NuOrder by Lightspeed).

This Award was sponsored by   

World’s Best Employee at a Department Store &
World’s Best Team at a Department Store

The two awards celebrated the importance of employees and teams in the retail industry, and congratulated them for their efforts. The Award Jury chairman Tamim El Mili, Retail Director at L’Oréal Luxe International, emphasized their importance, mentioning that “The success stories of these awards prove that in this increasingly digital world, we cannot forget the integral and irreplaceable role of human touch.”

World’s Best Employee at a Department Store 2023

Ms Hayat Idrissi, Personal Shopper at Bloomingdales in Dubai (Al Tayer Insignia, UAE), was crowned the winner. In her heartfelt acceptance speech, Hayat thanked the Al Tayer team for their support and loyalty, and her customers for standing by her.

Winner: Ms Hayat Idrissi (Bloomingdale's, Al Tayer Insignia, UAE)
Runners-up: Ms Maiju Niskanen (Stockmann, Finland) and Mr Jaegwon Cynn (Lotte Department Stores, South Korea).

For the World’s Best Team at a Department Store 2023

The winner was the Digital Transformation team ‘JARVIS’ from Shoppers Stop, India. As explained by Tamim El Mili “This team stood out because of their ability to dig deeper, it is a team that is aligned for the future”. The first runner-up was the Wine & Beverages team from the KaDeWe Group, Germany. The second finalist was the Commercial Shopping Team from Harvey Nichols (Al Tayer Insignia, UAE).

Winner: Jarvis Team (Shoppers Stop, India)
Runners-up: Commercial Shopping Team (Harvey Nichols, Al Tayer Insignia, UAE) and the Wine & Beverages Team (The KaDeWe Group, Germany).

Members of the Jury: Alan O’Neill (CEO of Kara Change Management), Ralf Pütmann (Former CEO of Kaufhof) and Sunny Setiawan (Former COO of Matahari), with Jury Chairman Tamim El Mili (Retail Director at L’Oréal Luxe international).

These two awards were sponsored by     

Winners of the IGDS WDSS Awards in Dubai