Cornerstone Retailers’ Ethical Code of Conduct

All Cornerstone Retailers are expected to make formal appointments with a minimum of five (5) new (to you) designers or brands prior to COUTURE. These appointments must be kept, excepting extenuating circumstances, and orders are encouraged. We also require you and/or at least one member of your buying team to attend our COUTURE Design Awards event (Saturday, June 7) as well as our Opening Night Event (Wednesday, June 4). Please note, we will be conducting a comprehensive audit of all retailers invited to participate in our Cornerstone Retailer program and we will be implementing changes to our roster in 2026. Your adherence to our Ethical Code of Conduct will be considered in our review.

As an approved Cornerstone Hosted Retailer, you must, in good faith, honor the terms entered into with our designers and/or brands, including adhering to agreed-upon payment terms. Additionally, our expectation is that our Cornerstone Hosted Retailers will exercise proper etiquette when interacting with our designers and/or brands, including, but not limited to, clear, time-sensitive communication both while at COUTURE and throughout the year, and reasonable response time when confirming orders placed.

Please note: COUTURE’s Ethical Code of Conduct forbids our hosted, Cornerstone Retailers from visiting non-exhibiting designers and/or brands in private rooms or suites within the Wynn/Encore property. Additionally, it is a violation of our Ethical Code of Conduct to share your badge with someone else, and/or register non-employees of your store under your business name. If you choose to visit with non-exhibiting designers and/or brands in their rooms or suites within the Wynn/Encore property, if you share your badge, or if you register a non-employee of your store under your business name, your Cornerstone Retailer status will be immediately revoked.

Additionally, while we recognize that detailed partnership agreements are established directly between designers/brands and retailers, any behavior on the part of our Cornerstone Retailers that could be interpreted as threatening or coercive in any way will not be tolerated. Our designers and brands are not beholden to any one retailer, and outside of considerations of reasonable geographic exclusivity, i.e. 10 to 25 miles depending on specific circumstances, Cornerstone Retailers are forbidden from dictating the business practices of the designers/brands with whom they work as it relates to other retailers with whom the designers/brands partner. Any Cornerstone Retailer who is found to be in violation of this policy may have their hosted Cornerstone Retailer status revoked.

In order to secure your Cornerstone Retailer status for 2025, you must acknowledge that you have read and agreed to the terms of our Ethical Code of Conduct. If you have any questions regarding the exhibiting status of any designers and/or brands, please feel free to reach out to any member of the COUTURE team.