General Terms and Conditions 

These General Terms and Conditions (GTC) govern the legal relationship existing between the GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (the Programme Organiser) and its customers (the Participant’s company) in relation to all agreements concluded between the parties. Any provisions by the Participant’s company that are in conflict with these GTC are hereby explicitly excluded.

Registration and billing process

The participant can apply using the form at www.gdi.ch/en/leadership-department-stores, HR managers report the number of participants directly to the programme director tanja.ineichen@gdi.ch.

The Programme Organiser sends by email within five working days a confirmation of admission (and reserves a programme place/places for two weeks by sending an overview of the offer) or a rejection if the admission criteria are not met (maximum 4 participants per department store company; department store companies only; English proficiency) or if the programme is already full (first come, first served).

The contract is concluded when the participant or HR sends an informal confirmation email in response to the confirmation of admission, thereby accepting the GTC. The invoice will be sent to the participant’s company by email (payment deadline 30 days).

Participation fee

The fee amounting CHF 7.670.- per participant (including all course materials, dinners, lunches, coffee breaks and free admission to the IGDS World Department Store Summit 2026; excluding accommodation and travel expenses) has to be paid in advance. The price does not vary depending on the number of participants registered together from the same company.

The fee is exempt from VAT in Switzerland.

Changes to the programme

The programme contents are subject to change.

Cancellation policy

If the programme does not take place, with less than 12 participants, full fees are refunded. Further claims are ruled out.

If a registered participant is unable to attend, please let us have your cancellation in writing.

• For cancellations received until thirty days before the first online group-touchpoint on Tue, 27 January 2026, we will reimburse 80% of the participation fee. In case of later cancellations we will charge the full participation fee.
• A substitute participant is welcome, if nominated by the participant’s company until five full working days prior to the first online group-touchpoint (Tue, 27 January 2026) at the latest.
• No reimbursement will be given and no substitute participant can be nominated, if the participant leaves the entire programme after start of the programme (Thu, 01. January 2026) or does not attend the GDI Camp 2026 or the IGDS World Department Store Summit 2026, or an online touchpoint of the programme. It is not possible to attend the GDI Camp or the IGDS World Department Store Summit, or a missed online-touchpoint, in the following years.
  

Payment terms

Payment of the participation fee is preceded by invoice.

Data protection

With regard to the gathering, processing and utilisation of personal data, the Programme Organiser and any third party mandated by the Programme Organiser to handle data management shall comply with the provisions of Swiss data protection legislation.

Applicable law/place of jurisdiction

All obligations resulting from this contractual relationship are subject to Swiss law. The exclusive place of jurisdiction is Zurich.