Retail Gets Real

NRF forecasts that 2019 holiday sales will grow between 3.8% and 4.2% over 2018, to between $727.9 billion and $730.7 billion. NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz discusses what's behind those numbers and the state of the economy heading into the holidays. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Original release date: Oct. 15. In a world where customers do everything on smartphones, ZIVELO CEO Healey Cypher says the store of the future isn’t robots and AI. It’s more about seamless—maybe even invisible—tech that helps associates assist customers and stores become self-aware.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Take Care, a natural skincare and wellness shop in Washington, D.C., is so effective at creating inviting spaces that its customers want more reasons to stay in the store. Becky Waddell describes how the business finds new ways to use its retail space, from experimenting with co-working to introducing new services.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Winning as a team is a core tenet of Zulily. The online retailer’s Brian Doherty joins the show to talk about how Zulily brings together various departments to create a personalized and compelling experience that brings customers back every day — even when they don’t want anything. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com

Drybar CMO Sarah Hoffmann joins the podcast to share how the company known for its in-store experience is focusing on mobile and personalization to extend the VIP treatment to guests outside the store. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Retailers that don’t change won’t survive in this landscape. Lee Peterson, EVP of brand strategy and design at WD Partners, discusses the trends driving change and what it takes for retailers to adapt in a world where mobile devices give consumers anything, anywhere, any time. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Hardware wholesaler, True Value Company, has been in business for almost 70 years and, today, serves more than 4500 independent retail stores. Divisional Vice President of Marketing Strategy, Sue Smolenski chats about how the company is continuing to innovate both online and offline, in a changing marketplace. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

The retail experience of the future is personalized, but what actually resonates with consumers? How can retailers deliver personalized experiences at scale? In this episode, research experts Joe Beier and Rachel Bonsignore from GfK share insights from their latest study. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Demographic, social and technological disruptions are causing retailers to reevaluate their approach to building teams and cultures. Carrie Duarte, a leader in PwC’s Workforce of the Future, joins Retail Gets Real to talk about how organizations can keep up with the pace of change, from finding new sources of talent to the business case for diversity and inclusion. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com...

A piece of Lilly Pulitzer apparel is immediately recognizable; its vibrant prints and inimitable energy have been delighting customers for 60 years. President Michelle Kelly joins this episode of Retail Gets Real to talk about how the iconic Florida brand stays relevant and uses “the love of Lilly” to bring people together. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Jeffrey Rayport, Faculty at the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School sees established legacy retailers being “attacked” from three different avenues and suggests three elements that can help them adapt: data analytics, digital marketing and creating customer experiences. Find out more about each, plus learn more about NRF NXT, our newest event. Learn more at retailgetsreal.co...

Retail expert James Mullan, formerly SVP and Head of US Business at UK consultant firm GDR Creative Intelligence, describes the trends in retail today that he thinks will have the biggest impact in the future and shares how retailers can adapt and evolve to rapidly changing consumer behavior. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

As the EVP of Loss Prevention and Global Sustainability at Gap Inc., Keith White has a one-of-a-kind title and position: While protecting the company’s people and assets, he also takes care of the planet. White joins this episode of Retail Gets Real to discuss emerging trends in the loss prevention world and how the apparel retailer is taking corporate social responsibility to the next level. Lear...

As retailers seek to build personalized and engaging customer experiences, they’re collecting more consumer data. PwC’s US Cybersecurity and Privacy Leader Sean Joyce joins the show to discuss how retailers must practice transparency around data collection and protect consumer data to build trust with consumers in the age of experiential retail. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Cuyana uses its philosophy of “fewer, better” things to create thoughtfully made items, appealing to women who have become dissatisfied with fast fashion. Co-founder and CEO Karla Gallardo discusses how the business was born, the journey to opening stores and how to grow a brand built on trust. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

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. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Shopping for used clothing is turning into a luxury experience with thredUP, a company that started online and expanded into five stores in just a few years. President Anthony Morino is helping take this “unappealing” market and making it sexy and environmentally conscious. Hear him explain all the things that are woven into the operation to make it seamless for customers. Learn more at retailgets...

B8ta’s “retail-as-a-service” model brings new and innovative products to retail faster. Co-founder and President Phillip Raub talks about the company’s unique model and how its retail spaces elevate the discovery experience in the physical world. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Shoe brand Rothy's brings together things consumers don't find everyday — shoes that are comfortable, stylish and made sustainably from recycled plastic. That winning combination has earned the company an avid fan base that's growing quickly. VP of Marketing Elie Donahue talks about how to attract fans and where the brand is headed. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Social media's powerful influence to reach consumers is a game changer for many businesses. Facebook’s Martin Gilliard, head of industry, retail — superstore and grocery, is at the center of where social media and shopping meet. In his role at Facebook, Gilliard drives the development of data products for retail; in this episode, he dives into how Facebook is working with retailers now and in the...

“Stores are a powerful way to bring experiences to life for people,” says Sephora EVP of Omni Retail Mary Beth Laughton. In this episode, Laughton describes how to look at the customer journey holistically and create a seamless shopping experience — whether in-store or online — through the expertise of beauty advisors, tech that solves a pain point and no-hitch transactions. Learn more at retailge...

Keeping things fresh on the restaurant side of retail can be quite a challenge, in every conceivable way. Offering healthy food that people actually want to eat, making sure it stays safe throughout the supply chain, and creating a restaurant experience that people want to go back to are all big challenges, for restaurants of all shapes and sizes. In this episode, we’re talking to CAVA’s CEO, Bret...

Today’s guest identified a retail opportunity that no one else saw –  an opportunity to disrupt and grow the custom framing industry by focusing on the customer experience – and then she made the entrepreneurial plunge. In this episode, Susan Tynan shares her experience founding Framebridge, how the company can offer a great product at a lower price point, why it is opening physical retail locatio...

The digital transformation has ushered in a new era of data, which allows retailers to work smarter, innovate faster and serve customers better — but it has also introduced new risks. PwC U.S. Cybersecurity and Privacy Leader Sean Joyce says when it comes to cyber risk, being resilient is a company’s best defense. In this episode, learn the cyber threats retailers need to be aware of and what cons...

Starting a small business means more than becoming a small business owner — it also means becoming a bigger part of the local community, as well as the community of retailers all around the country. In this episode, we talk to Rachael Gruntmeir, owner of the Black Scintilla boutique in Oklahoma City, about how she builds a sense of belonging in her customers, fosters strategic partnerships within...