Retail Gets Real

The pandemic taught us that new behaviors are always popping up, but we’re still figuring out which ones are here to stay. 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 joined Retail Gets Real to talk about what’s happening in retail, technology and how consumers are helping drive innovation. (Originally released June 21, 2021.) Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Oliver Chen, managing director of retail and luxury at Cowen, discusses the challenges and opportunities coming out of the pandemic and how luxury retailers are catering to consumers’ changing values and shopping patterns. The pandemic has accelerated the future of retail, and that future includes a radically transformed store experience. The world expects instant speed, but they also want convenience and safety. The role of the store has shifted mainly into that of a distribution point, and organizations have had to learn to embrace and execute on this new reality overnight.   Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

The team takes a look back at some of highlights shared by leaders at NRF’s virtual events in 2021, including insights on leading through a crisis from UPS’ Carol Tome, the future of the last mile with the Urban Freight Lab, and Jared Issacman’s lessons from working with SpaceX.   Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

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 counsel and chief administrative officer, Stephanie Martz. We're going to talk to her about how the NRF has worked with retailers throughout this time and the extraordinary ways retailers have come together as an industry to get through unimaginable challenges. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

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 the lists and what it tells us about today's retail industry.   Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

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.