Retail Gets Real

Many of us who work in corporate environments haven't touched our business attire in a year. As we work from home, stretchy pants have become the new business casual. Today's guest is Brian Kennedy, Vice President of Operations at Ministry of Supply, an apparel brand that specializes in reengineering business attire for the modern professional. We talk with Brian about how Ministry of Supply shift...

The past several months have been a whirlwind of growth and change for the retail industry, including in how people pay for things. Today we’re talking about buy now, pay later with Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO and co-founder of Klarna, which partners with thousands of retailers in the United States and across the globe to offer new payment options. He offers his unique take on the retail landscap...

NRF's annual consumer survey for Easter showed Americans would drop $21.6 billion during Easter this year. As we examine the data and take a closer look at what's driving holiday spending and the consumers' pulse, progress continues on vaccinating millions across the country. Katherine Cullen, NRF Senior Director of Industry & Consumer Insights, shares what we need to know about the upcoming holid...

Susan Reda and Jill Dvorak from NRF's Content and Retail Strategies team discuss the retail trends popping up around remote work, including how retailers keep their teams engaged and how leadership is taking on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

As we've seen over the past several years, the retailers that adapt and evolve with consumer behavior have thrived, even in challenging times. But what about the mall? Jill Renslow, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Mall of America, shares her perspective on how the mall was faring during a pandemic and what the future holds for both the Mall of America and malls ac...

The National Retail Federation recently published its annual retail sales forecast for 2021 , projecting that retail sales will grow between 6.5 and 8.2 percent, to more than $4.3 trillion in 2021. In this episode, NRF’s Chief Economist, Jack Kleinhenz, shares what goes into the forecasting process and what is likely to impact consumer spending this year. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Best Buy Chief Inclusion, Diversity, and Talent Officer Mark Irvin is working hard to build and maintain an inclusive work environment for the 125,000 employees that work at Best Buy. In this episode, he talks about his path to the role and the retailer's approach to attracting, retaining, and growing a diverse talent pool. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

While most people aren't crowding the bar these days, Jomaree Pinkard knows that the pandemic doesn't have to stop you from savoring a delicious cocktail. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of Hella Cocktail Co., which makes cocktail mixers and bitters that are sold online and through partner retail stores across the United States, and even offered on Delta Airlines flights. Prior to the pandemic at lea...

After being frustrated that most sunscreens leave a white residue behind, today's guest set out to create a better option, especially for people of color. Katonya Breaux is the founder of Unsun Cosmetics, which makes clean mineral sunscreen that blends into any skin tone. And it's also one of the businesses selected for the NRF Foundation and Qurate Retail Group's Small Business Spotlight, which f...

In a year unlike any other, how have the behaviors of consumers changed around holidays? Katherine Cullen of NRF's Research Team shares some insights about what consumers are planning to do for Valentine’s Day this year. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

Farmgirl Flowers CEO Christina Stembel shares how she built her business from the ground up, created growth in a challenging year, and inspired countless Instagram-worthy moments and memories for customers. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

After a truly tense election, and a chaotic and unruly start to 2021 in the nation's capital, the country remains divided as ever. But nevertheless, there is work to be done. A new administration means new retail policy priorities for 2021, and David French, NRF's Senior Vice President of Government Relations, who was recently recognized as one of the top lobbyists by “The Hill,” knows all about w...

As social responsibility and sustainability grows in importance for consumers, people are looking for a meaningful connection to the brands they support. In this episode, Ron Kinghorn, PwC’s US Consumer Markets Advisory Leader, discusses ESG investing and how ESG can be used as a core competitive differentiator.   Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

NRF’s virtual event, NRF 2021 Retail's Big Show—Chapter One, starts January 12. NRF's Vice President of Content and Retail Strategy, Jill Dvorak chats with the team about what we're hearing from retail leaders across the country and why this is going to be a Big Show like no one has ever seen before. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

NRF’s Susan Reda discusses which trends coming out of 2020 will gain momentum in 2021 and what the year ahead holds for retail. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

The retail industry was challenged from every direction in 2020, but retail is resilient. National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay discusses what shaped the industry this past year and looks ahead at the challenges and the opportunities for retail going forward. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com .

As the world of retail is transforming at a rate faster than we've ever seen, the National Retail Federation's virtual event, NRF 2021 Retail's Big Show Chapter 1, will provide the talks, tech, and talent of tomorrow to propel the retail industry forward. This year, COVID-19 taught us that the customer experience of the future requires connection, personalization, and most importantly, safety. Sui...

The National Retail Federation's flagship event is going virtual this year. At NRF 2021, Retail's Big Show Chapter One, innovative brands big and small will come together — virtually — to celebrate the best in retail and move forward with focus. Mitch Joel is an expert in reimagining what's next. This January at NRF 2021, he'll be discussing the growth of e-commerce and what lies ahead for the ful...

Tom 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 .

As 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 goo...

We 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 possib...

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...