Retail Gets Real

Recorded from NRF 2023: Retail's Big Show in New York City: Andrea Bell, vice president of Consumer Insights at WGSN, dives into the latest consumer research on what the future of retail looks like, trends that retailers need to be aware of and how to plan for the unknown. From the rise of the “polycrisis” era to synthetic creativity, retailers are looking for ways to future-proof their businesses...

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...

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 vi...

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 color...

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 a...

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 c...

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 f...

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...

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 peo...

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 f...

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-Mo...

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 im...

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...

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 s...

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 outco...

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...

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-e...

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 Foru...

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 commit...

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 .