From small concept stores to the metaverse and Web3, retail is all about change and adaptation. On today’s show, Susan Reda, NRF’s VP of education strategy digs into the insights and retail trends for 2023 and explains why drones, robotics and Generation Alpha are shaping the future of retail. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .
After weathering the effects of a global pandemic, supply chain disruptions and inflation, retailers and consumers are ready for a brighter 2023. National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay joins Retail Gets Real to discuss the industry and how it fared this holiday season, what to expect from retail and NRF in 2023, and what he’s looking forward to at the upcoming NRF 2023: Retail’s Big Show in New York City. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com ....
Evan Gold, executive vice president of global partnerships and alliances at Planalytics. Gold discusses his career path from Macy’s to weather data analytics, how weather and geography impacts consumers and how they shop, especially during the holiday season, and what retailers can do to be prepared for Mother Nature heading into 2023. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .
On this week’s episode, Barbara Connors, vice president of strategy and acceleration at The Kroger Company’s retail data science, insights and media company 84.51⁰, discusses how shoppers are preparing for the holiday season, looking to spend time together with family and reconnect through family traditions. Listen to learn how inflation is impacting consumers, why even habitual online shoppers visit stores during the holidays, and what to expect into the new year. Learn more at retailgetsreal.c...
Kelly Cook, chief marketing and IT officer for David’s Bridal, talks us through her background in retail before landing at David’s and how the forward-thinking brand is staying fresh and relevant with an expanded TikTok strategy. We also learn how Cook’s team leverages live shopping events with social media influencers and stays on-trend with the latest in bridal fashions and weddings – like colored gowns, grandparent ring bearers and gender-fluid bridal parties. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com...
Shawn Nelson was just out of high school when he designed and produced the first LoveSac. Nearly 25 years later, it’s the fastest-growing furniture brand of the last decade and has reinvented the couch, the living room and even all of retail – forever. He takes us through the company’s journey into physical retail (and right back out) and how it weathered the pandemic with sustained momentum. We also get his take on the modern showroom, once a dirty word, and how LoveSac presents its physical sp...
Babies need a lot of stuff, which is why expectant parents spend 40 hours on average building out their baby registry. On today’s show, Lee Anne Grant, Chief Growth Officer at Babylist, discusses her career path from babysitter to Babylist, how the company uses TikTok and the metaverse to meet their consumers where they are, and the evolution of Babylist into the leading vertical marketplace and commerce destination for baby. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com ....
Halloween is one of Party City’s biggest seasons and is a huge undertaking that includes hiring and training 20,000 new seasonal employees and sourcing costumes and décor more than a year in advance. On today’s show, Odette Welling, vice president of merchandising — and the self-confessed “Halloween queen” at Party City — talks all things Halloween, including the retailer’s most popular costumes for kids, adults, teens and pets. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com ....
Ikea’s latest cutting-edge technology allows customers to visualize Ikea products in their own homes. On today’s show, Thomas Fenrich, VP of digital product U.S., talks about Ikea Kreativ, a new technology that combines decades of Ikea life-at-home expertise with the latest developments in spatial computing, machine learning and 3D mixed reality technologies. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .
Just skimming the headlines reveals the dichotomy of today’s economy – consumers are still spending, despite worries about inflation and increased costs for food and fuel. Armed with PwC’s latest consumer survey, partner and U.S. retail leader Kelly Pederson joins the show to talk about consumer resiliency, how retailers are handling inventory and pricing, and which consumers will be spending the most this holiday season. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com ....
Calvin Quallis is all about helping men look good and feel good. As the founder and CEO of Scotch Porter, Quallis has taken his men’s grooming and skincare brand from a kitchen experiment to the shelves of CVS, Target and Walmart. On this episode, Quallis dives into how he started and scaled his brand, the evolution of the male consumer and providing access, opportunity and employment to other people of color. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com ....
Zach Freeze, senior director for sustainability at Walmart, discusses Walmart's approach to climate and its evolving sustainability efforts, and what it's like to lead them as part of one of the largest and most influential retailers in the world. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .
Jill Thomas is the CMO of PGA TOUR Superstore. The company, and the sport, have both seen a recent surge of growth due to COVID-19 and golf’s unique position as an outdoor activity that is social distancing-friendly and connection fostering. A large part of Jill’s goal is to continue fostering growth in the sport and attracting people from diverse backgrounds to it. One of their primary channels for that growth is through the retail store. Creating an inclusive environment that is welcoming to a...
From its delivery tracker to a mind-ordering app developed in partnership with Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” Domino’s has been delivering on innovation since 1960. Many of those innovations have come about by listening to the customer and adapting based on what they needed, says Christopher Thomas-Moore, senior vice president of customer and store experiences at Domino’s. On this episode, Thomas-Moore discusses his career journey, how the pizza brand leads when it comes to innovation, and the fut...
NRF’s summer interns are about to return to college. Before heading back, we asked them about their work experience and how their perspectives on retail changed after working at NRF. Bill Thorne sits down with three bright students, Juliana Sailing, Miguel Gomez and Ashton Wiggins, to talk about the lessons they’ve learned along the way, what they’re looking for in a potential employer, and the impact of seeing the ins and outs of retail advocacy. As the retail industry looks to attract new tale...
Martin Gilliard, Head of Meta Store, joins the show to chat about why Meta opened a physical store, what the store is designed to do and what retailers need to know about emerging opportunities in the metaverse. Gilliard describes the Meta store as a physical space designed to mimic a living room, where consumers can try out the devices such as the Oculus VR headsets, Portal video call devices and RayBan-partnered smart glasses that can enable them to have experiences in the metaverse. Gillard d...
Chandra Holt, CEO of Conn's HomePlus, has learned the retail ropes from the inside, with an impressive resume that includes powerhouse retailers like Walgreens, Target, Sam’s Club and most recently, Walmart, where she led Walmart.com. In this episode, Holt shares the new and innovative things happening at Conn’s HomePlus, including expanding the “store-within-a-store” concept, leaning into their strengths with key partnerships and bringing back layaway for customer financing. Listen to hear Holt...
Shekar Natarajan, Chief Supply Chain Officer of American Eagle Outfitters, joins this episode to discuss the company's supply chain strategy, including its vision for a shared “internet of packages,” how current challenges are impacting the business and what the future of the retail supply chain looks like. Natarajan expands on opportunities in the industry to unify, optimize and improve the outcome for everyone involved by sharing supply chain resources. He explains that, with an open platform ...
On this episode, Carlos Londono, Vice President & Head of Supply Chain at Chipotle Mexican Grill, shares insight into the company’s supply chain strategy, how current challenges are impacting the business and what the future of the retail supply chain looks like. The promise of fresh ingredients with no preservatives or additives means that Chipotle’s supply chain team needs to operate at the top of its game. It's through a devotion to its people, an openness to technology and an organizatio...
After starting in wholesale and moving into ecommerce, Goodlife Clothing is now investing in physical stores. Andrew Codispoti, Co-CEO of Goodlife Clothing, joins Retail Gets Real to add a front-line perspective on how and why his, and other digitally native brands, are seeing success in physical retail spaces. Codispoti outlines the history of the brand and how the store has proven to be a cost-effective acquisition channel that not only brings in new customers but keeps them coming back. Learn...
As we hit the mid-point of 2022, we’re still dealing with the impacts of a global pandemic, supply chain disruptions and inflation, yet the consumer and retailers remain resilient. National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay joins Retail Gets Real to share insights about the state of retail coming off his recent conversations with industry and world leaders at the World Economic Forum and the White House. He also shares the solutions NRF is advocating for as part of its Lower Infla...
KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, CEO/Founder, Sustainable Brands, joins the show to share what retailers are doing to become more sustainable, how consumer behaviors are evolving and what the future of retail looks like through a sustainability lens. Sustainable Brands is a global community of changemakers who are working together to shift the global economy toward a more sustainable future. She’s committed to pooling data and experiences from across industry in order to position business as the hero o...
Olaplex CEO JuE Wong talks about growing a fan favorite brand, harnessing the power of social media and what's next for the company and the future of the retail industry. She shares her unique career journey and the advice that helped her find success after success. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .
After separating the digital business from stores in June 2021, Saks OFF 5TH has invested heavily in creating an unparalleled digital experience for the luxury bargain hunter. In this episode, Saks OFF 5TH President and CEO Paige Thomas shares insights into the digital strategy, leading through difficult times and where the future of retail is headed. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .
Jill Thomas is the CMO of PGA TOUR Superstore. The company, and the sport, have both seen a recent surge of growth due to COVID-19 and golf’s unique position as an outdoor activity that is social distancing-friendly and connection fostering. We talk about how PGA TOUR Superstore is expanding the world of golf to a broader audience, impacting not only the future of retail but of the sport as well. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com ....
When Krista Bourne started in the mailroom at Verizon twenty years ago, she didn’t imagine that she would someday be in the C-suite. Today, as COO of Verizon Consumer Group, she joins the episode to talk about how she’s navigated her incredible career journey, what it takes to build effective teams and the future of retail. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .
Kimberly Lee Minor is the CEO of Bumbershoot, a firm that helps businesses rethink their cultures for inclusivity. In addition to being a thought leader and advocate for the advancement of women and people of color in the workplace, Kimberly is also the President and Chief Commercial Officer at women’s apparel brand, Bandier. We talk about how companies are rethinking their values and how to nurture diversity and inclusion, not just with customers and branding, but in the workforce. Learn more a...
In this episode, we’re unpacking emerging retail trends with Cate Trotter of Insider Trends. We explore some of the latest developments shaking up the industry while focusing on hyper convenience and what factors are driving the shift to ultra-fast fulfillment. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .
Nancy Green is the President and CEO of Old Navy. After working her way up from the store level, she is deeply familiar with the customer journey and what people expect from a company at all levels, from leadership to the ground floor. Nancy joins us to discuss her career journey, the leadership lessons she’s learned along the way and what it takes to succeed in retail right now – and in the future. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .
The retail industry has been dealing with organized crime for many years, but the topic has gained new attention in the media of late. In this episode, Tony Sheppard, the director of loss prevention solutions at ThinkLP, talks about why we’re hearing so much about these problems right now, how the pandemic has impacted the problem, and how retailers can combat the issue and plan for the future. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .
