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World Retail Congress 25-27 April 2023  

27th - 29th April 2026 | Intercontinental Hotel | Berlin

 

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27th - 29th April 2026 | Intercontinental Hotel | Berlin

 

World Retail Hall of Fame

World Retail Congress

The World Retail Hall of Fame was created in 2007 to recognise the lifetime achievements of the true legends of the retail world; the pioneers and entrepreneurs who have founded and led modern retailing’s greatest companies and brands. 

The World Retail Hall of Fame was launched containing the names of outstanding retailers who had created or helped build iconic retail brands as well as contributing to the success of retailing generally. Each year, new names from around the world are inducted into the World Retail Hall of Fame.

Annual Inductees are selected from 3 global regions.

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 Meet the 2025 inductees

Brian Cornell        

Brian Cornell        

Chair and Chief Executive Officer
Target

Charlotte Tilbury, MBE

Charlotte Tilbury, MBE

Founder, President, Chairman, Chief Creative Officer
Charlotte Tilbury Beauty

Demetra Pinsent

Demetra Pinsent

CEO  
Charlotte Tilbury Beauty 

Patrick Chalhoub

Patrick Chalhoub

Executive Chairman
Chalhoub Group

  • We are very honoured to be named to the World Retail Congress' Hall of Fame. It is a fitting acknowledgment of the crucial role Li & Fung plays in managing the supply chains for major retailers and brands worldwide.
    Victor and William Fung (2009)
  • What an incredible honor to be included alongside so many extraordinary retail leaders, and what an amazing journey it has been to learn and practice the retail craft in the building of Whole Foods Market.
    Walter Robb (2022)
    former CEO, Whole Foods Market
  • I feel extremely honoured to be welcomed into the World Retail Congress Hall of Fame and to be invited to sit alongside so many of my retail heroes.
    Cath Kidston (2019)
    Founder, Cath Kidston
  • I am proud and humble to be included into the World Retail Hall of Fame
    Ingvar Kamprad (2007)
    Founder, Ikea

 2024 inductees

Jean-Paul Agon

Jean-Paul Agon

Chairman
L’Oreal  
Supaluck Umpujh

Supaluck Umpujh

Chairwoman
The Mall Group
Jay Schottenstein

Jay Schottenstein

Chairman and CEO
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
The Entrepreneur of the Year  Marcia Kilgore

The Entrepreneur of the Year 
Marcia Kilgore

Founder
Beauty Pie and Fitflop

2023 inductees

Mindy Grossman 

Mindy Grossman 

Partner and Chair  
Consello Growth and Business Development  
Jennifer Woo 

Jennifer Woo 

Chairman  
Lane Crawford Joyce Group 
Marc Puig

Marc Puig

Chairman & CEO  
Puig 

Previous Winners

2022

Stefan Persson, Former Chairman and CEO, H&M 

Walter Robb, former CEO and John Mackey, Founder, Whole Foods Group 

2021

Oscar Farinetti, Founder, Eataly 

2020

Leonard Lauder, Chairman Emeritus, The Estee Lauder Group of Companies 

2019

Rodney McMullen, CEO, Kroger 

Cath Kidston, Founder, Cath Kidston 

Dick Boer, former CEO, Ahold Delhaize 

Chadtip Chutrakul, CEO, Siam Piwat 

2018

Richard Liu, Founder, Chairman and CEO, JD.com 

Luiza Trajano, Chairman of the Board, Magazine Luiza 

Stefano Pessina, Deputy Chairman and CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance 

2017

Terry Lundgren, Executive Chairman, Macy’s 

Marty Wikstrom, Former CEO, Richemont Fashion & Accessories 

Micky and Renuka Jagtiani, Founder and Chair of Landmark Group 

2016

Solomon Lew, Executive Chairman, Century Plaza Group 

Jo Malone, Founder, Jo Malone London and Jo Loves 

Tommy Hilfiger 

2015

Mohammed Alshaya, Chairman, Alshaya 

Kip Tindell, co-founder and CEO, The Container Store 

Reinaldo Solari and Juan Cuneo, former Presidents, Falabella 

Dr Christo Wiesse, Chairman, Pepkor and Shoprite 

2014

Ray Kelvin, Founder and CEO, Ted Baker 

Sudhithan Chirathivat, Former Chairman, Central Group 

Myron Ullman, Chairman, JC Penney 

2013

Daniel Bernard, Chairman, Kingfisher 

Martha Stewart, Founder, Martha Stewart Living Optimedia 

Michael Kok, Former CEO, Dairy Farm 

2012

Dickson Poon, Dickson Concepts, Hong Kong 

Lord Stuart Rose, Marks & Spencer, UK 

Sir Paul Smith, Paul Smith, UK 

Lew Frankfort, Coach, USA 

2011

Burt Tansky, Neiman Marcus, U.S. 

Isidoro Alvarez, El Corte Ingles, Spain 

Tadashi Yanai, Fast Retailing Uniqlo, Japan 

2010

Michael Gould, Bloomingdales, USA  

Heinz Krogner, Esprit, Hong Kong  

Jack Ma, Alibaba, China 

Nordstrom family, USA,  

2009

Brad Anderson, President and CEO, Best Buy 

Jacques Levy, CEO, Sephora Global 

Victor and William Fung, Chairman and MD, Li & Fung 

2008

Sir Philip Green, Owner, Arcadia 

Mickey Drexler, President and CEO, J Crew 

BS Nagesh, Managing director, Shoppers Stop 

Armancio Ortega, Founder, Inditex 

2007

Ingvar Kamprad, Founder, Ikea 

Gordon Segal, Chairman, Crate and Barrel 

Masatoshi Ito, Founder, Ito Yokado 

The Original Hall of Fame inductees launched in 2007.

Jack Cohen, Tesco, founded 1919 (UK) 

Vittorio Coin, Coin, founded 1916 (Italy) 

George Coles, Coles, founded 1914 (Australia) 

Jef Colruyt, Colruyt, founded 1924 (Belgium) 

Terence Conran, Habitat, founded 1964 (UK) 

Roger Corbett, Woolworths (Australia) 

Jules Delhaize, Delhaize, founded 1867 (Belgium) 

Valentim dos Santos Diniz, CBD (Companhia Brasileira de Distribuição), founded 1948 (Brazil) 

Robert DiRomualdo, Borders (USA) 

Gottlieb Duttweiler, Migros, founded 1925 (Switzerland) 

Timothy Eaton, Eaton's, founded 1869 (Canada) 

John Ewald, Avon (USA) 

Marshall Field, Marshall Field & Co, founded 1881 (USA) 

Don Fisher, Gap, founded 1969 (USA) 

Adam Gimbel, Saks (USA) 

David Glass, Wal-Mart (USA) 

Victor Gruen, Southdale Center (USA) 

Charles Digby Harrod, Harrods (UK) 

Erivan Haub, Tengelmann Group (Germany)  

Albert Heijn, Ahold, founded 1887 (Netherlands) 

Osuke Hibi, Mitsukoshi (Japan) 

Barbara Hulanicki, Biba, founded 1964 (UK) 

Masatoshi Ito, Ito Yokado (Japan) 

Stanley Kalms, Dixons (UK) 

Ingvar Kamprad, Ikea (Sweden) 

Rudolph Karstadt, Karstadt, founded 1881 (Germany) 

Simon Keswick, Dairy Farm (Hong Kong / China) 

Samuel Klein, Casas Bahia, founded 1952 (Brazil) 

Phil Knight, Nike, founded 1964 (USA) 

Charles Lazarus, Toys R Us, founded 1948 (USA) 

Bernard Arnault, LVMH 

Fred Lazarus Jr, Federated Stores, founded 1929 (USA) 

Jean-Pierre Le Roch, Intermarche, founded 1969 (France) 

Edouard Leclerc, Leclerc, founded 1949 (France) 

Spedan Lewis, John Lewis (UK) 

Ian MacLaurin, Tesco (UK) 

Rowland Hussey Macy, Macy's, founded 1857 (USA) 

Dominique Mandonnaud, Sephora, founded 1969 (France) 

Stanley Marcus, Neiman Marcus (USA) 

Sir John Moores, Littlewoods, founded 1932 (UK) 

 

Gerard Mulliez, Auchan, founded 1961 (France) 

Sidney Myer, Myer, founded 1900 (Australia) 

Lee Myung-hee, Shinsegae (South Korea) 

Isao Nakauchi, Daiei, founded 1957 (Japan) 

Archie Norman, Asda (UK) 

Takuya Okada, Aeon, founded 1969 (Japan) 

Michael Otto, Otto Group (Germany) 

James Cash Penney, JC Penney, founded 1902 (USA) 

Erling Persson, H&M, founded 1947 (Sweden) 

François Pinault, Kering, founded 1963 (France) 

Aljekandr Pomeranzev, GUM (Russia) 

Miuccia Prada, Prada (Italy) 

Feargal Quinn, Superquinn, founded 1960 (Ireland) 

Henry Racmier, LVMH (France) 

EJ Railo, Kesko, founded 1941 (Finland) 

Leonard Riggio, Barnes & Noble (USA) 

Anita Roddick, Body Shop, founded 1976 (UK) 

Ramón Areces Rodriguez, El Corte Ingles, founded 1934 (Spain) 

John James Sainsbury, Sainsbury's, founded 1869 (UK) 

Clarence Saunders, Piggly Wiggly, founded 1916 (USA) 

Dieter Schwarz, Schwarz Group (Germany) 

George Segal, Crate & Barrel, founded 1962 (USA) 

Gordon Selfridge, Selfridges, founded 1909 (UK) 

James Sinegal, Costco, founded 1983 (USA) 

Sebastian Spering, Kresge Kmart, founded 1899 (USA) 

Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart Living, founded 1991 (USA)  

Levi Strauss, Levi Strauss, founded 1873 (USA) 

Toshifumi Suzuki, 7-Eleven/Ito Yokado (Japan)  

Marvin Traub, Bloomingdale's (USA) 

Seiji Tsutsumi, Seiyu Group (Japan)  

Cal Turner Jr, Dollar General, founded 1955 (USA) 

Ian Wade, AS Watson (Hong Kong / China)  

Charles Walgreen Jr, Walgreens (USA) 

Sam Walton, Wal-Mart, founded 1962 (USA)  

John Wanamaker, Wanamakers, founded 1861 (USA) 

Aaron Montgomery Ward, Montgomery Ward, founded 1872 (USA)  

George Weston, George Weston, founded 1882 (Canada) 

Leslie Wexner, The Limited, founded 1963 (USA)  

Robert Wood, Sears Roebuck (USA) 

Frank Winfield Woolworth, FW Woolworth, founded 1878 (USA) 

About Hall of Fame 

Launched in 2007 with a founding group of 100 members, The Hall of Fame honours retail’s most influential representatives. The world’s greatest retailers celebrated in the World Retail Hall of Fame share many qualities. They are innovators. They are brand builders. They demonstrate clear vision, courage and determination to make their dreams a reality. They have profound customer insight and they are driven to improve the lives of consumers. But above all, they are leaders and role models. 

Want to know more about World Retail Congress? Discover all of the other exciting happenings across our 3-day programme.  

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Join us from the 27th - 29th April 2026 for the next iteration of World Retail Congress. Register your interest to be the first to know when registration goes live.

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