Retail Gets Real

#209 How Best Buy brings everyone in on diversity and inclusion

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#208 Hella Cocktail Co. leans into values to grow

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 cockt...

#207 How Unsun Cosmetics is Making Sunscreen that Works for all Skin Tones

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 co...

#206 How COVID-19 is impacting Valentine’s Day this year

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

#205 How Farmgirl Flowers flourished despite pandemic challenges

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Farmgirl Flowers CEO Christina Stembel shares how she built her business from the ground up, created growth in a challenging year, and inspired countl...

#204 What a new Administration means for retail

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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, t...

#203 How values-driven companies are setting themselves apart

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

As social responsibility and sustainability grows in importance for consumers, people are looking for a meaningful connection to the brands they suppo...

#202 NRF 2021: Retail’s Big Show—Chapter One Preview

11 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

#201 Retail trends to watch in 2021

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 retail...

#200 The state of the retail industry heading into 2021

22 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The retail industry was challenged from every direction in 2020, but retail is resilient. National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay di...

#199 How Suitsupply is Reinventing the Shopper Journey

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 Sh...

#198 The Future of the Digitized Consumer

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 smal...

#197 How retailers are utilizing cloud technology to accelerate innovation and cut costs

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 in...

#196 How 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. is helping consumers connect & celebrate this holiday season

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 Lig...

#195 How Veggie Grill Became a Vegan Empire

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 conti...

#194 Kroger’s Commitment to End Food Insecurity by 2025

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 wi...

#193 Handling crisis effectively with the Crisis Prevention Institute

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

With conflicts around health and safety likely to escalate as we head into the holiday season, the NRF Foundation recently released training credentia...

#192 How the global pandemic and economic downturn are changing retailer's approaches to M&A

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic's effects on the economy have led retailers to reassess and reexamine opportunities for partnerships so that they will be better equipped...

#191 The Top 100 & Hot 100 Retailers list with Kantar’s Rachel Dalton

20 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The National Retail Federation's Top 100 Retailers list has been ranking the nation's biggest retail players by sales since 2010. Retailers like Walma...

#190 Halloween 2020: Celebrating Safely and Responsibly

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Coronavirus might have halted many aspects of our lives this year, but consumers are still looking forward to celebrating Halloween... although things...

#189 How Shopify is innovating in ecommerce and brick-and-mortar

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 onli...

#188 Emerging trends from the pandemic

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 dema...

#187 Prepping the Supply Chain for the Holidays

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The early weeks of the pandemic led consumers to experience unprecedented supply shortages and retailers to experience delays in essential inventory t...

#186 Bringing a Personal Touch to Retail with Enjoy CEO Ron Johnson

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

#185 Predicting an unpredictable holiday season with demand sensing

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The approaching holiday season will look very different for many retailers this year as the coronavirus upends and accelerates the retail industry. At...

#184 How Michaels rapidly responded to increased and changing consumer demand from COVID-19

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While looking to entertain themselves in quarantine, many consumers have taken up new hobbies. A go-to place for creative hobbies is Michaels Stores, ...

#183 Gen Z: Insights on the digital native consumer with NRF’s Katherine Cullen

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 generati...

#182 COVID-19 causes digital shift for Boomers

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

#181 Back-to-school shopping 2020

11 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

#180 How the online pharmacy Capsule gained momentum during the pandemic

04 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

#179 How to communicate a face covering policy effectively

28 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

SKDKnickerbocker consultant and media strategist Bill Knapp describes how the issue of requiring face coverings became a contentious one and shares wh...

#178 How MahoganyBooks adapted to the pandemic and racial justice movement

21 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ramunda and Derrick Young run MahoganyBooks, an independent bookstore specializing in African American literature that operates online and from its Wa...

#177 Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar on connecting with neighbors

14 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 off...

#176 How social values are impacting consumer behavior

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How are current crises and the cultural environment impacting shopping behavior? Rachel Bonsignore, a senior consultant at GfK Consumer Life, says now...

#175 How Sam’s Club is accelerating innovation during the pandemic and beyond

29 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 need...

#174 Checking the consumer pulse during the pandemic

22 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Karl Haller, the leader of IBM's Consumer Industry Center of Competence, who has been checking the consumer pulse regularly during the pandemic shares...

#173 How Crate and Barrel is adapting to new customer needs with CEO Neela Montgomery

15 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

#172 How Rothy’s is leading business collaboration for COVID-19 relief

01 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Companies across the nation are collaborating in creative ways to lend a hand where needed during the pandemic. Saskia van Gendt, the head of sustaina...

#171 How KiwiCo activity boxes became a lifeline for parents

25 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 k...

#170 Food52 grows community during the pandemic

18 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 an...

#169 Community first: Spotlight on retail innovation

11 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The pandemic of COVID-19 is hitting everyone hard, the retail industry included. Despite that, many retailers are coming together to find creative way...

#168 How the health crisis has changed consumer behavior

04 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Retailers are facing unique challenges in today’s environment. Today, we're looking at how consumer behavior is changing amid the COVID-19 crisis wi...

#167 Inside innovation at LEGO

27 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How do you make shopping for LEGOs as fun as building them? That’s the question — and the ambition — behind Martin Urrutia’s work as the Head ...

#166 Crazy dog people: How passion drives BARK (special rerelease)

21 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Originally released May 14, 2018: BARK, the makers of BarkBox, began where so many great companies do — in a heart-shaped bed on a cruise ship. Henr...

#165 Innovating at the cutting edge of wellness with Sharon Leite of The Vitamin Shoppe

13 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

How do you stay on the cutting edge of wellness while maintaining consumer trust? Sharon Leite, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe, starts by asking a question...

#164 Passion, resilience and creativity with Jo Malone of Jo Loves (special rerelease)

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What does it take to become the person responsible for creating some of the world's most-loved fragrances? Jo Malone, the creator of Jo Loves, shares ...

#163 How Pinterest aids in shopping and discovery (special rerelease)

31 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Originally released Sept. 9, 2018: For millions of people around the world, Pinterest is the first stop on their retail journey — it’s a place to ...

#162 How Cotopaxi creates superfans through sustainability

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Annie Agle, Director of Impact and Brand at Cotopaxi, shares how its customers are gathering around a mission of sustainability, conscious capitalism ...

#161 Ensuring retail jobs are good jobs

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Zeynep Ton, the author of the book The Good Job Strategy, discovered that many of the expensive, productivity-draining problems faced in retail came d...

#160 How Sephora evolves the in-store experience

09 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Alison Hahn, Senior Vice President of Merchandising for Color and Fragrance at Sephora, is at the helm of some of the most exciting innovations in the...

#159 Understanding the future consumer

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The consumer is constantly changing, and companies need to adapt and change quickly in order to keep up — or, even better, retailers can be proactiv...

#158 How data drives decisions at TechStyle

24 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

TechStyle has built one of the most data-driven, deeply consumer-obsessed advertising groups by effectively building an internal agency that advertise...

#157 NRF Innovation Lab highlights and the future of AI in retail

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The NRF Innovation Lab at Retail’s Big Show showcases over 50 of the most groundbreaking technologies in the retail space. Sucharita Kodali, an NRF ...

#156 How to retain and recruit talent in a tight labor market

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Indeed’s Director of U.S. Marketing Carmen Bryant and Economist Daniel Culbertson join Retail Gets Real from NRF 2020: Retail’s Big Show to share ...

#155 International retail trends to watch in 2020

03 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kate Ancketill, CEO and founder of GDR Creative Intelligence, discusses how technology is shaping consumer behavior, how retailers are responding worl...

#154 Le Tote CEO on retail’s evolution

27 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rakesh Tondon is the co-founder and CEO of Le Tote, an online clothing rental business that recently acquired Lord & Taylor and opened its first physi...

#153 UncommonGoods: Creating unique and sustainable retail

20 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

When Dave Bolotsky was transitioning from retail analyst to entrepreneur in 1999, he set out to create an online concept that would capitalize on the ...

#152 Inside Walmart’s Intelligent Retail Lab

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

While most of the industry is just starting to understand the possibilities of quickly evolving technologies like artificial intelligence and its appl...

#151 NRF 2020 Vision: Retail’s Big Show Preview

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

NRF 2020 Vision: Retail's Big Show is right around the corner, where nearly 40,000 retail industry attendees, and 800 exhibitors from 99 different cou...

#150 The state of retail leading into 2020

30 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay looks back on why 2019 was a great year for retail and looks forward to how policy, societal...

#149 Retail Gets Real’s Greatest Hits of 2019

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the Retail Gets Real team gathers around an open fire with chestnuts and a microphone to reflect on their favorite moments of 2019, featuri...

#148: Holiday 2019 starts strong

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Katherine Cullen, head of NRF’s consumer research division, joins the show to share what happened between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, some surpri...

#147 2020 retail industry trend forecast

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Re-commerce, experiences and CBD ... oh my! In this episode, we look ahead to 2020 with Susan Reda, editor of NRF’s STORES Magazine, who digs into t...

#146 2019’s holiday shopping outlook

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Katherine Cullen, NRF's head of consumer research, provides some insight into what consumers are looking for this holiday season and how it's shaping ...

#145 Behind the scenes of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade started back in 1924, but it's still bringing Americans together for a shared cultural experience that delights bot...

#144 How SHOWFIELDS redefines the store experience

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What does it take to create “the most interesting store in the world?” In this episode, Tal Nathanel, CEO of SHOWFIELDS, discusses the process of ...

#143 How Hawthorne sells men’s personal care to a “clueless” consumer

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Men's grooming brand Hawthorne is spicing up the men's personal care market, using technology to provide a personalized experience and catering to men...

#142 How tariffs are impacting retailers

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As the trade war continues, U.S. businesses and consumers are paying the price, but how did we get here and what is the end game? Scott McCandless, Tr...

#141 Ministry of Supply CEO Aman Advani: The scientific method of fashion

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ministry of Supply brings a scientific approach to redesigning the work wardrobe, blending high-tech performance materials, extensive research and exp...

#140 The 2019 Holiday Forecast

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 Jac...

#139 Designing the store for a digital-first consumer

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#138 How Take Care creates an oasis for wellness

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

#137 Zulily’s Brian Doherty: Creating unique experiences

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 dep...

#136 Drybar CMO Sarah Hoffmann on experiential retail

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ex...

#135 The store of the future with WD Partners’ Lee Peterson

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 d...

#134 How True Value Hardware continues to innovate

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hardware wholesaler, True Value Company, has been in business for almost 70 years and, today, serves more than 4500 independent retail stores. Divisio...

#133 Getting personalization right

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The retail experience of the future is personalized, but what actually resonates with consumers? How can retailers deliver personalized experiences at...

#132 How retailers can prepare for the workforce of the future

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Demographic, social and technological disruptions are causing retailers to reevaluate their approach to building teams and cultures. Carrie Duarte, a ...

#131: How Lilly Pulitzer stays fresh for a new generation

12 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A piece of Lilly Pulitzer apparel is immediately recognizable; its vibrant prints and inimitable energy have been delighting customers for 60 years. P...

#130: 3 elements for creating extraordinary retail experiences

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jeffrey Rayport, Faculty at the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School sees established legacy retailers being “attacked” from...

#129 Tips for future-proofing today’s retail

29 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Retail expert James Mullan, formerly SVP and Head of US Business at UK consultant firm GDR Creative Intelligence, describes the trends in retail today...

#128 How Gap Inc.’s LP leader also helps preserve the planet

22 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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’...

#127 Data privacy and the customer experience

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As retailers seek to build personalized and engaging customer experiences, they’re collecting more consumer data. PwC’s US Cybersecurity and Priva...

#126 Cuyana: Scaling a brand built on ‘fewer, better’

08 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Cuyana uses its philosophy of “fewer, better” things to create thoughtfully made items, appealing to women who have become dissatisfied with fast ...

#125 How KiwiCo’s growth is fueled by kids’ creativity

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 k...

#124 How thredUP is changing secondhand fashion

24 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

#123 How b8ta is reimagining the retail model

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

B8ta’s “retail-as-a-service” model brings new and innovative products to retail faster. Co-founder and President Phillip Raub talks about the co...

#122 The Rothy’s formula for success

10 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Shoe brand Rothy's brings together things consumers don't find everyday — shoes that are comfortable, stylish and made sustainably from recycled pla...

#121 Facebook: Where social media and shopping intersect

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Social media's powerful influence to reach consumers is a game changer for many businesses. Facebook’s Martin Gilliard, head of industry, retail —...

#120 Sephora’s winning customer experience formula

27 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

“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...

#119 How CAVA keeps fast-casual food fresh

20 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Keeping things fresh on the restaurant side of retail can be quite a challenge, in every conceivable way. Offering healthy food that people actually w...

#118: How Framebridge is shaping retail’s future

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s guest identified a retail opportunity that no one else saw –  an opportunity to disrupt and grow the custom framing industry by focusing...

#117 Practicing cyber resiliency in the digital age

06 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The digital transformation has ushered in a new era of data, which allows retailers to work smarter, innovate faster and serve customers better — bu...

#116 Building communities in and out of the store

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

#115 Chief protector: Inside the business of loss prevention

22 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Mike Brenton, Director of Asset Protection for Giant Food, talks about the business of protecting people, assets, and brands at the grocery chain, and...

#114 Engaging consumers in a channel-less world

15 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Retail is a combination of online, mobile, and in-person experiences, but they aren't discrete channels anymore – they are all pieces of the custome...

#113 R.Riveter: Empowering military spouses

08 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

During World War II, Rosie the Riveter famously left her home to go into factories and shipyards and help her country. Today, R.Riveter is bringing jo...

#112 How tech is evolving the customer experience at HSN, QVC and Zulily

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Karen Etzkorn is the chief information officer for Qurate Retail Group, the parent organization for brands such as HSN, QVC and Zulily. In this episod...

#111 Poshmark challenges the norms of traditional retail

25 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Social network's ability to connect and influence people's behavior is powerful. In the case of Poshmark, it's not only connecting buyers and sellers,...

#110 MM.Lafleur empowers women in the workplace

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

MM.LaFleur empowers customers to focus on the things that really matter — like preparing for that client meeting or business trip — through stylin...