Retail Gets Real
349 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 83 ratingsRetail impacts everyone, everywhere, every day. Join the National Retail Federation for authentic, insightful conversations with the industry's most interesting people. Hear retail executives, industry experts, entrepreneurs and influencers discuss trends, their career stories and the future of retail. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
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Episodes
#197 How retailers are utilizing cloud technology to accelerate innovation and cut costs
December 01, 2020 11:00 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBTom Litchford, Head of Worldwide Retail at Amazon Web Services, joins us to talk about why the cloud is a strategic investment that helps retailers innovate, recover revenue, and cut costs while protecting themselves from future unexpected events and disruptions. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#196 How 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. is helping consumers connect & celebrate this holiday season
November 24, 2020 11:00 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBAs the holiday season arrives, how will this year's unique circumstances impact business? To help us answer that question, we sat down with Steven Lightman, Group President, Gourmet Foods & Gift Baskets at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, INC. He shares his insight on how consumer behaviors are shifting this year and how the retailer is expanding its digital and mobile footprint to ensure consumers have the goods they need in time for the holidays. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#195 How Veggie Grill Became a Vegan Empire
November 17, 2020 13:14 - 25 minutes - 24.1 MBWe are months into the COVID-19 pandemic at this point, and people everywhere are forming new habits—some healthy, some not so much. Consumers continue to look for ways to improve their diet, seeking out alternatives to meat and dairy as a way to complement a healthy and balanced lifestyle. T.K. Pillan is a health and wellness enthusiast on a mission to encourage plant-based eating whenever possible. He founded Veggie Grill, a vegan restaurant chain that makes plant-based eating delicious an...
#194 Kroger’s Commitment to End Food Insecurity by 2025
November 10, 2020 11:00 - 31 minutes - 29.4 MBWhile 40% of the food produced in the United States is thrown away, one in eight Americans struggle with hunger. Kroger is hoping to close this gap with the Zero Hunger Zero Waste initiative, leveraging community engagement, customer education, and other operations. This initiative marks a commitment from Kroger to end hunger in our communities and eliminate waste across the company by 2025. Keith Dailey, Group Vice President of Corporate Affairs at The Kroger Co., joins us to discuss how Kr...
#193 Handling crisis effectively with the Crisis Prevention Institute
November 03, 2020 11:00 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBWith conflicts around health and safety likely to escalate as we head into the holiday season, the NRF Foundation recently released training credentials in retail operations and customer conflict prevention to arm frontline employees with the skills they need to better manage health and safety, for both themselves and customers, and resolve customer conflicts. The Customer Conflict Prevention Training in partnership with the Crisis Prevention Institute will train customer-facing retail emplo...
#192 How the global pandemic and economic downturn are changing retailer's approaches to M&A
October 27, 2020 10:00 - 29 minutes - 27.2 MBThe pandemic's effects on the economy have led retailers to reassess and reexamine opportunities for partnerships so that they will be better equipped to thrive through the uncertainties ahead in the market. Though some might be vulnerable, merging with sectors that have flourished in the past few months could lead to new opportunities that fortify customer relationships and expand cash flow. John Potter, a partner in the US Deals Sector at PwC, discusses mergers and acquisitions, how the ef...
#191 The Top 100 & Hot 100 Retailers list with Kantar’s Rachel Dalton
October 20, 2020 10:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBThe National Retail Federation's Top 100 Retailers list has been ranking the nation's biggest retail players by sales since 2010. Retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Amazon have dominated the Top 100 list year over year, and they saw accelerated growth during the pandemic. In 2006, NRF began releasing the Hot 100 Retailers list, which ranks the nation's fastest-growing retail companies. Among those topping this year's list are supermarket Lidl and discount merchant Five Below. Today, we're g...
#190 Halloween 2020: Celebrating Safely and Responsibly
October 13, 2020 10:00 - 28 minutes - 26 MBCoronavirus might have halted many aspects of our lives this year, but consumers are still looking forward to celebrating Halloween... although things will look a little different this year. Research from NRF shows more than 148 million US adults plan to participate in Halloween-related activities like trick or treating and wearing costumes. To learn more about how people are planning to celebrate responsibly, we sat down with Kevin Johnson, Chairman of the Halloween & Costume Association, a...
#189 How Shopify is innovating in ecommerce and brick-and-mortar
October 06, 2020 10:00 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MBShopify is a global e-commerce platform that serves over a million merchants in over 175 countries by streamlining the process of running a store online. In the wake of this year's rise in online shopping, many merchants, particularly small businesses, turned to the platform to reach their customers and earn a profit. Today, Ian Black, Head of Retail at Shopify is here to share how the platform is helping retailers of all sizes meet their needs and weather the pandemic. Learn more at retai...
#188 Emerging trends from the pandemic
September 29, 2020 10:00 - 29 minutes - 27.7 MBCOVID-19 has accelerated retail and shaped behavior for all consumers, from gen-Z to baby boomers. In just a few short months, we've seen soaring demand for essential products like toilet paper and we've stocked up on merchandise like toys and cooking supplies that brought us comfort and entertainment while in quarantine. We opted for contactless payments, increased shopping via mobile apps, and celebrated holidays like Easter and Mother's Day from a social distance. We also saw retailers ...
#187 Prepping the Supply Chain for the Holidays
September 22, 2020 10:00 - 30 minutes - 28.6 MBThe early weeks of the pandemic led consumers to experience unprecedented supply shortages and retailers to experience delays in essential inventory that was in high demand. With the holidays just around the corner, how will the ongoing pandemic affect what has traditionally been retailer's busiest time of the year? And what are retailers doing to diversify sourcing options to reduce supply chain disruptions? In a previous episode with experts from PwC, we discuss how retailers can lev...
#186 Bringing a Personal Touch to Retail with Enjoy CEO Ron Johnson
September 15, 2020 10:00 - 28 minutes - 33.2 MBIn January at retail's Big Show, we spoke with the Enjoy Technology, Inc. CEO, Ron Johnson, about his journey establishing the mobile retail startup that reproduces the in-store experience in the comfort of customer's homes. When the pandemic hit, personal shopping experiences were impacted as retailers prioritized social distancing, and the health and safety of employees and consumers. Today, Ron discusses how the Enjoy experience has changed since the start of the pandemic, as well as how ...
#185 Predicting an unpredictable holiday season with demand sensing
September 08, 2020 10:00 - 30 minutes - 35.3 MBThe approaching holiday season will look very different for many retailers this year as the coronavirus upends and accelerates the retail industry. At a time when so many things are uncertain, understanding the rapidly changing needs of consumers is paramount in helping supply chain leaders better forecast demand and effectively manage inventory. That’s why retailers should be leveraging demand sensing, which uses supply chain information in real time to more accurately predict trends that w...
#184 How Michaels rapidly responded to increased and changing consumer demand from COVID-19
September 01, 2020 10:00 - 30 minutes - 34.8 MBWhile looking to entertain themselves in quarantine, many consumers have taken up new hobbies. A go-to place for creative hobbies is Michaels Stores, an arts and crafts retailer specializing in all types of supplies for creative endeavors. At the onset of the pandemic, Michael's responded by launching new programs like curbside pickup and same-day delivery, as well as expanding how-to content on their website as customers were scrambling to entertain kids (and themselves). Steve Woodward, Se...
#183 Gen Z: Insights on the digital native consumer with NRF’s Katherine Cullen
August 25, 2020 10:00 - 17 minutes - 20.7 MBAs the next generation of consumers comes of age, it’s important to look at the habits of Gen Z, commonly referred to as the digital native generation. Katherine Cullen of the National Retail Federation's research team shares some recent data on what to expect from this group of young people. They are the first generation to truly grow up completely connected—not only with the internet but with smartphones and social media as well. They are ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting new te...
#182 COVID-19 causes digital shift for Boomers
August 18, 2020 10:00 - 12 minutes - 14.1 MBGen Z and Millennials get all of the attention, but there are some interesting trends emerging in how Boomers have adjusted their shopping habits due to the pandemic. Katie Jordan from the NRF research team shares some recent data about how that generation is shopping today. Unlike millennials and Gen Z, Boomers aren’t known for being tech-savvy. But with social distancing mandates, they have been forced to move more of their lives online. This has resulted in a large boom in the use of onli...
#181 Back-to-school shopping 2020
August 11, 2020 10:00 - 15 minutes - 18.5 MBIt's back-to-school time, but not like we’re used to. Confusion about what school looks like this year also means uncertainty around back-to-class shopping. NRF’s Katherine Cullen talks about how implications of the pandemic are impacting family budgets, how retailers are adjusting their back-to-school shopping experience for online shopping and how kids are contributing to their own school shopping. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#180 How the online pharmacy Capsule gained momentum during the pandemic
August 04, 2020 10:00 - 29 minutes - 33.7 MBEric Kinariwala, the founder and CEO of Capsule shares how the business is designed to improve the pharmacy experience, how it’s growing rapidly to meet the health needs of customers, and how the pandemic has impacted its business. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#179 How to communicate a face covering policy effectively
July 28, 2020 10:00 - 29 minutes - 34.3 MBSKDKnickerbocker consultant and media strategist Bill Knapp describes how the issue of requiring face coverings became a contentious one and shares what messaging resonates best when communicating safety policies with customers. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#178 How MahoganyBooks adapted to the pandemic and racial justice movement
July 21, 2020 10:00 - 35 minutes - 40.7 MBRamunda and Derrick Young run MahoganyBooks, an independent bookstore specializing in African American literature that operates online and from its Washington, D.C. location. In this episode, the Youngs share how they’ve navigated the pandemic as a small business and the recent surge in demand for books about the Black experience and racism following global protests against racial inequality. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#177 Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar on connecting with neighbors
July 14, 2020 10:00 - 27 minutes - 32 MBSarah Friar, CEO of the social networking platform Nextdoor, shares what retailers can learn from how people are engaging on the app, whether it's offering a helping hand, supporting a local business, or fostering community. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#176 How social values are impacting consumer behavior
July 06, 2020 10:00 - 33 minutes - 38.7 MBHow are current crises and the cultural environment impacting shopping behavior? Rachel Bonsignore, a senior consultant at GfK Consumer Life, says now is a critical time for companies to make their values clear in an authentic way as shoppers are more savvy than ever. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#175 How Sam’s Club is accelerating innovation during the pandemic and beyond
June 29, 2020 10:00 - 29 minutes - 34.1 MBThroughout the last few months, Sam's Club has been innovating at a rapid pace, offering new tools to help customers and associates fulfill their needs and maintain a high level of service during very difficult times. Eddie Garcia, senior vice president and chief product officer for Sam's Club discusses how the company is adapting to members' needs, and what he expects will continue to change when the pandemic is behind us. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#174 Checking the consumer pulse during the pandemic
June 22, 2020 10:00 - 36 minutes - 42.2 MBKarl Haller, the leader of IBM's Consumer Industry Center of Competence, who has been checking the consumer pulse regularly during the pandemic shares the most important things for retailers to know about consumers right now. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#173 How Crate and Barrel is adapting to new customer needs with CEO Neela Montgomery
June 15, 2020 10:00 - 22 minutes - 26.2 MBIn January, at NRF 2020, Retail's Big Show, we talked with Crate and Barrel CEO Neela Montgomery about her journey to retail and becoming the head of one of America's most popular home brands. And just a few weeks ago, Neela joined us for a virtual event as part of our NRF Retail Leadership series. Today, we're going to bring you highlights from both of those conversations. Neela's path to retail leadership, how so much changed virtually overnight amid the pandemic, and what the future of re...
#172 How Rothy’s is leading business collaboration for COVID-19 relief
June 01, 2020 10:00 - 26 minutes - 31.1 MBCompanies across the nation are collaborating in creative ways to lend a hand where needed during the pandemic. Saskia van Gendt, the head of sustainability for Rothy's, talks about how the Open Innovation Coalition is bringing together like-minded brands to share resources to support COVID-19 relief efforts, with the goal of helping one million people by July 1, 2020. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#171 How KiwiCo activity boxes became a lifeline for parents
May 25, 2020 10:00 - 22 minutes - 26.4 MBSandra Oh Lin took her knack for creating fun STEM activities for her kids and turned it into KiwiCo, a monthly subscription box business that fuels kids’ passion for creativity. On this episode, Oh Lin describes how she went from engineer to entrepreneur and the lessons she learned the hard way as demand for the popular kids’ activity boxes quickly grew. Originally released July 1, 2019. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#170 Food52 grows community during the pandemic
May 18, 2020 10:00 - 29 minutes - 33.9 MBFood52 was created with the vision of celebrating a love of food with a like-minded community. With more people staying at home during the pandemic and turning to cooking for comfort, Food52’s massive community of engaged followers has grown even more. Listen to learn more about how the brand turns fans into customers with crowdsourced product launches that sell out in days and why consumers connect with their human approach to cooking. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#169 Community first: Spotlight on retail innovation
May 11, 2020 10:00 - 21 minutes - 25.5 MBThe pandemic of COVID-19 is hitting everyone hard, the retail industry included. Despite that, many retailers are coming together to find creative ways to help each other, their customers, and their communities. Today, we’re sharing the stories of some of those companies and how they are innovating to accommodate. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#168 How the health crisis has changed consumer behavior
May 04, 2020 10:00 - 25 minutes - 29.3 MBRetailers are facing unique challenges in today’s environment. Today, we're looking at how consumer behavior is changing amid the COVID-19 crisis with NRF Senior Director of Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen. NRF has been checking in on how people have adapted to the coronavirus pandemic, including popular purchases, shopping methods, and the broader ways this impacts their lives and behaviors. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#167 Inside innovation at LEGO
April 27, 2020 10:00 - 27 minutes - 32.1 MBHow do you make shopping for LEGOs as fun as building them? That’s the question — and the ambition — behind Martin Urrutia’s work as the Head of Global Retail Innovation at LEGO. With more than 25 years of retail experience, his job is to push innovative retail practices that will keep the company at the forefront of customer expectations. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#166 Crazy dog people: How passion drives BARK (special rerelease)
April 21, 2020 14:26 - 20 minutes - 23.8 MBOriginally released May 14, 2018: BARK, the makers of BarkBox, began where so many great companies do — in a heart-shaped bed on a cruise ship. Henrik Werdelin and his co-founders bonded over a mutual love for dogs and an obsession with making their furry family members happy. In this episode, Werdelin discusses how BARK’s dog-obsessed culture drives every facet of the business and attracts an army of similarly obsessed fans. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#165 Innovating at the cutting edge of wellness with Sharon Leite of The Vitamin Shoppe
April 13, 2020 10:00 - 29 minutes - 33.9 MBHow do you stay on the cutting edge of wellness while maintaining consumer trust? Sharon Leite, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe, starts by asking a question: “How can we make this relevant for today and how do we make sure that we can take it forward into the future?” In this episode, Leite talks about how The Vitamin Shoppe is innovating around everything from the customer experience to CBD products. Sharon has learned how to take her years of retail experience fundamentals and apply them to turn...
#164 Passion, resilience and creativity with Jo Malone of Jo Loves (special rerelease)
April 06, 2020 13:14 - 22 minutes - 25.4 MBWhat does it take to become the person responsible for creating some of the world's most-loved fragrances? Jo Malone, the creator of Jo Loves, shares her origin story and how she came to be called an English scent maverick. Learning to sell as a means of survival, Jo cultivated a passion for her business that has led to the creation of two global brands. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#163 How Pinterest aids in shopping and discovery (special rerelease)
March 31, 2020 13:16 - 23 minutes - 27 MBOriginally released Sept. 9, 2018: For millions of people around the world, Pinterest is the first stop on their retail journey — it’s a place to discover, get inspired and personalize. For retailers, Pinterest is an opportunity to engage with customers earlier and more often, well before a transaction takes place. To learn more about how brands of all sizes are taking advantage of this social media platform, we sit down with Amy Vener, the head of retail strategy at Pinterest. Learn m...
#162 How Cotopaxi creates superfans through sustainability
March 23, 2020 10:00 - 24 minutes - 28.4 MBAnnie Agle, Director of Impact and Brand at Cotopaxi, shares how its customers are gathering around a mission of sustainability, conscious capitalism and an ambitious goal of ending poverty, as well as what other companies can learn from the startup’s unique approach to sustainable outdoor apparel. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#161 Ensuring retail jobs are good jobs
March 16, 2020 10:00 - 22 minutes - 25.5 MBZeynep Ton, the author of the book The Good Job Strategy, discovered that many of the expensive, productivity-draining problems faced in retail came down to poor labor practices. By focusing on creating good jobs for employees that lead to great customer experiences, companies can both save money and make their employees happy. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#160 How Sephora evolves the in-store experience
March 09, 2020 10:00 - 23 minutes - 27.7 MBAlison Hahn, Senior Vice President of Merchandising for Color and Fragrance at Sephora, is at the helm of some of the most exciting innovations in the beauty industry. She joins Retail Gets Real from the NRF Foundation Student Program to share some of the cutting-edge initiatives Sephora is leading and where the beauty industry is headed. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#159 Understanding the future consumer
March 02, 2020 11:00 - 22 minutes - 25.7 MBThe consumer is constantly changing, and companies need to adapt and change quickly in order to keep up — or, even better, retailers can be proactive and get ahead of the curve. To tell us more about where the customer will be in 2022 and what retailers can do to prepare, we talk to Andrea Bell, Head of Insight for WGSN, who believes that the biggest point of differentiation in 2022 will be the dichotomy between different generations. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#158 How data drives decisions at TechStyle
February 24, 2020 11:00 - 23 minutes - 26.9 MBTechStyle has built one of the most data-driven, deeply consumer-obsessed advertising groups by effectively building an internal agency that advertises across its portfolio of brands. They also have a unique membership model that rewards customers with better pricing and promotions, and in return, these members help TechStyle acquire more customer data. To learn more about the company’s unique model and where it’s headed in the future, we talk to Laura Joukovski, President of Global Fashion ...
#157 NRF Innovation Lab highlights and the future of AI in retail
February 17, 2020 11:00 - 21 minutes - 25.4 MBThe NRF Innovation Lab at Retail’s Big Show showcases over 50 of the most groundbreaking technologies in the retail space. Sucharita Kodali, an NRF Innovation Advisory Committee member and a retail analyst with Forrester joins the show to talk more about the Lab, along with one of the innovators from the lab, George Shaw, CEO and co-founder of Pathr, the first AI-powered spatial intelligence platform that uses anonymous location data to derive business insights in real-time. Learn more at ...
#156 How to retain and recruit talent in a tight labor market
February 10, 2020 11:00 - 23 minutes - 26.4 MBIndeed’s Director of U.S. Marketing Carmen Bryant and Economist Daniel Culbertson join Retail Gets Real from NRF 2020: Retail’s Big Show to share data-driven insights on the current state of the labor market and how retailers can adapt in a challenging environment. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#155 International retail trends to watch in 2020
February 03, 2020 11:00 - 32 minutes - 37.3 MBKate Ancketill, CEO and founder of GDR Creative Intelligence, discusses how technology is shaping consumer behavior, how retailers are responding worldwide and what the nascent “loneliness economy” looks like. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#154 Le Tote CEO on retail’s evolution
January 27, 2020 11:00 - 25 minutes - 34.9 MBRakesh Tondon is the co-founder and CEO of Le Tote, an online clothing rental business that recently acquired Lord & Taylor and opened its first physical location. Tondon shares how Le Tote is disrupting the fashion industry, why it’s opening physical locations and why it’s imperative for retail to continue evolving if it wants to survive. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#153 UncommonGoods: Creating unique and sustainable retail
January 20, 2020 11:00 - 23 minutes - 33 MBWhen Dave Bolotsky was transitioning from retail analyst to entrepreneur in 1999, he set out to create an online concept that would capitalize on the opportunities presented by the growing sector of online retail without competing with huge retailers. Twenty years later, UncommonGoods stands out as a business model that champions sustainability in all forms. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#152 Inside Walmart’s Intelligent Retail Lab
January 13, 2020 11:00 - 25 minutes - 35.9 MBWhile most of the industry is just starting to understand the possibilities of quickly evolving technologies like artificial intelligence and its applications for retail, Walmart is sprinting ahead with projects like its Intelligent Retail Lab, a fully operating store with an in-store AI lab. Mike Hanrahan, CEO of Walmart's Intelligent Retail Lab joins the show to share more about the lab and what it means for the future of retail. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#151 NRF 2020 Vision: Retail’s Big Show Preview
January 07, 2020 18:53 - 28 minutes - 39.3 MBNRF 2020 Vision: Retail's Big Show is right around the corner, where nearly 40,000 retail industry attendees, and 800 exhibitors from 99 different countries joining NRF in New York City from January 12-14. To share what you can expect from retail’s biggest and best event, we talk to Susan Reda and Eric Olson, who helped program the event; Kevin Parakkattu, who is part of the committee responsible for curating the Innovation Lab; and Ellen Davis, who is president of the National Retail Federa...
#150 The state of retail leading into 2020
December 30, 2019 11:00 - 26 minutes - 36.2 MBNational Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay looks back on why 2019 was a great year for retail and looks forward to how policy, societal shifts, and technology will affect retailers in 2020. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#149 Retail Gets Real’s Greatest Hits of 2019
December 16, 2019 11:00 - 35 minutes - 48.4 MBThis week, the Retail Gets Real team gathers around an open fire with chestnuts and a microphone to reflect on their favorite moments of 2019, featuring: Chip Bergh of Levi’s, Mary Beth Laughton of Sephora, Elie Donahue of Rothy’s, Michelle Kelly of Lilly Pulitzer, Becky Waddell of Take Care, Rachael Gruntmeir of Black Scintilla, Ed Stack of Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Lisa Bradley and Cameron Cruse of R.Riveter. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
#148: Holiday 2019 starts strong
December 09, 2019 11:00 - 17 minutes - 24.4 MBKatherine Cullen, head of NRF’s consumer research division, joins the show to share what happened between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, some surprising data about generational purchasing behavior and what shoppers have left to do this season. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.