Retail Gets Real

While 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...

With 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 Trai...

The 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...

The 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 thos...

Coronavirus 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...

Shopify 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...

COVID-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 c...

The 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...

In 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...

The 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 se...

While 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 t...

As 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 sm...

Gen 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...

It'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 shoppi...

Eric 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 .

SKDKnickerbocker 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 .

Ramunda 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. Lear...

Sarah 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 .

How 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 .

Throughout 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...

Karl 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 .

In 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...

Companies 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 retailgetsre...

Sandra 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 mo...

Food52 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 conne...