Retail Gets Real

This year, 65% of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween. After a dip in participation last year, that's almost back up to pre-pandemic levels and spending is estimated to reach record highs. NRF’s Head of Consumer Research, Katherine Cullen, breaks down the data around how consumers will be shopping and spending this Halloween.   Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Tractor Supply Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer Colin Yankee shares how the company is planning for the holidays and beyond amid a tangle of supply chain challenges and the investments the company is making to strengthen its supply chain operations for the future.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

As we're 18 months into this pandemic, we're taking a moment to reflect on the past year and a half and what it's meant for retail. NRF has a unique perspective from working with hundreds of retailers, big and small, from every sector and in every region. We've seen how they've responded to this crisis with ingenuity and resiliency. Our guest today is the National Retail Federation’s general couns...

Ariel Kaye, founder and CEO of the home brand Parachute, talks about how her company has grown throughout the pandemic, why they are investing in stores, and what's on the horizon for the home segment as we look toward 2022. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Originally released May 11, 2021: A great pair of jeans never goes out of style. That fact is one of the many reasons why Levi Strauss & Co. has led the way for over a century. Today's guest is Marc Rosen, President of Levi Strauss Americas. We'll talk to Marc about Levi's digital strategy and how the brand is appealing to a whole new generation of consumers. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

For over a decade, NRF has been working with Kantar to compile our top retailer lists. This year's lists are out: The 2021 Top 100 Retailers and our list of the 25 fastest growing US retailers, the Hot 25. Kantar's Rachel Dalton is the director of ecommerce and omnichannel insights at Kantar, the agency that compiles the list. She joins this episode of Retail Gets Real to tell us about who made th...

It’s back to school season, which means something different to everyone – especially in the world of retail. Katherine Cullen, NRF’s Head of Consumer Research, explores the topic and what it means for retailers as well as parents.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

While the retail industry is very competitive, improving diversity across the industry is one area where retail companies are working together, sharing ideas, and learning from one another. We're talking with two leaders from Nordstrom about the company's diversity, inclusion, and belonging strategy. Fanya Chandler is SVP of the Southwest Region and Personal Styling, and Gemma Lionello is Executiv...

Article is an online furniture company that is reimagining the furniture-buying process from design and manufacturing all the way through to delivery. We chatted with co-founder and COO, Andy Prochazka, earlier this summer about the company's journey. Whether you never thought you’d buy furniture online or are thrilled by the idea of it, Article has much to share about how they are impacting the i...

With its debut on Target store shelves in the spring, a whole new group of consumers has been introduced to Grove Collaborative this year. We're talking with Grove Collaborative Co-Founder and CEO Stu Landesberg about the evolution of the natural products company, from starting as a direct-to-consumer retailer, to developing new products, to teaming up with one of the biggest retailers in the coun...

As more of the country gets vaccinated against COVID-19, weddings are starting to fill the calendar once again. Some are even predicting that we're entering a wedding boom. No one has their finger on the pulse of weddings more than our guest today, Jim Marcum, CEO of David's Bridal. We're going to talk about how the company approached digital innovation during the pandemic and the company's focus...

It’s the time of year for out-of-office notifications. Since it's vacation season, we're going to talk about how to turn off work and recharge. We all know it's important, but this is something a lot of people just don't do very well. It's also something our friends at the NRF Foundation have been asking industry executives about in their 20 questions episodes over the past several months. We’re g...

As shopping for secondhand goods becomes increasingly popular, the resale market continues to grow quickly, and more and more retailers are leaning into the trend. Our guest today is Andy Ruben, Founder and CEO of Trove, which enables retailers such as REI, Lululemon, Patagonia, and Levi's to offer what they call “circular shopping.” We'll talk to Andy about the resale market and about how organiz...

While many retail workers were on the frontlines throughout the pandemic, other corporate employees have been working from home for more than a year. We're talking with Organizational and Workforce Transformation Advisory Partner, Elizabeth Yates, and Deals Partner at PwC, Sushil Ahuja, about how retailers can navigate return-to-office plans in their organizations. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com...

We hear so much about the death of physical retail, but are the reports of retail’s death greatly exaggerated? We’re talking about the future of physical retail with Melissa Gonzalez, CEO of The Lionesque Group, and a principal at MG2. The Lionesque Group specializes in strategy and retail design. We'll find out what trends Melissa is watching as she works with leading retailers across the country...

With more than 689 million users across the world, TikTok has emerged as a social media app that brands and consumers can’t ignore. Our guest today is Matt Cleary, TikTok's Vertical Director for Retail and Restaurants. We're going to ask him to share how retailers are using TikTok, what works for brands, and how consumers are engaging with the platform. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Rob Mills, Exec VP/Chief Technology & Strategy Officer at Tractor Supply Company on retail acceleration, family and what’s next for Tractor Supply Company. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Jason “Retailgeek” Goldberg is the Chief Commerce Strategy Officer at Publicis Group and has been a go-to retail expert for industry leaders for years. He is consistently one of our top-rated speakers at NRF events, not to mention the host of his own podcast on eCommerce, the Jason & Scot Show. Jason will be speaking at our upcoming NRF Retail Converge event in June. In this episode, we discuss th...

As we head towards NRF’s newest event, NRF Retail Converge, we’re highlighting a few speakers you’ll hear from at the event. Mark Irvin, Best Buy’s Chief Inclusion, Diversity, and Talent Officer, joined Retail Gets Real earlier this year for a conversation. Originally released March 2, 2021. Best Buy’s Mark Irvin, is working hard to build and maintain an inclusive work environment for the 125,000...

This summer, NRF is putting on a whole new virtual event, one that brings together the entire retail community to hear from leaders and experts about where the industry is today and where it’s headed in the future. NRF Retail Converge will run from June 21st through the 25th. Today, we sit down with Martine Reardon, CMO and EVP of Content and Membership at NRF, to discuss how the show is coming to...

When Ten Thousand Villages opened its doors in 1946, it was a fair trade pioneer, offering ethically-sourced, handmade products, crafted by artisans from developing countries. In today's episode, we're speaking with their CEO, Gordon Zook, about how the organization continues its mission, helping to positively impact the life and community of its makers and villages around the world, even as consu...

A great pair of jeans never goes out of style. That fact is one of the many reasons why Levi Strauss & Co. has led the way for over a century. Today's guest is Marc Rosen, President of Levi Strauss Americas. We'll talk to Marc about Levi's digital strategy and how the brand is appealing to a whole new generation of consumers. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Torrance Hart is the founder of Teak & Twine, a small business making it easy to send thoughtfully curated gifts to just about anyone. A veteran-owned business, Teak & Twine is one  of the featured businesses in NRF Foundation and Qurate Retail Group’s Small Business Spotlight. Torrance talks about growing Teak & Twine and how uplifting other brands. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Today's guest, Rob Smith, is on a mission to challenge boundaries with humanity. That’s the overarching goal of The Phluid Project, a gender-free fashion brand that works to foster community and acceptance in the industry. Smith, The Phluid Project's founder and CEO, discusses his inspirations for building the company, its purpose-driven evolution, and what the future holds for himself, his brand,...

As many around the country celebrate Earth Day this week, it's a good time to think about sustainability and how businesses can make a difference. NRF Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Scot Case discusses what makes a sustainable brand and what retailers can do to ensure progress and communicate transparently with consumers.   Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .