

Retail Gets Real
National Retail Federation
Retail impacts everyone, everywhere, every day. Join the National Retail Federation for authentic, insightful conversations with the industry's most interesting people. Hear retail executives, industry experts, entrepreneurs and influencers discuss trends, their career stories and the future of retail. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 7, 2019 • 25min
#139 Designing the store for a digital-first consumer
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 robots and AI. It’s more about seamless—maybe even invisible—tech that helps associates assist customers and stores become self-aware. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Sep 30, 2019 • 26min
#138 How Take Care creates an oasis for wellness
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 to stay in the store. Becky Waddell describes how the business finds new ways to use its retail space, from experimenting with co-working to introducing new services. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Sep 23, 2019 • 28min
#137 Zulily’s Brian Doherty: Creating unique experiences
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 departments to create a personalized and compelling experience that brings customers back every day — even when they don’t want anything. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com

Sep 16, 2019 • 27min
#136 Drybar CMO Sarah Hoffmann on experiential retail
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 extend the VIP treatment to guests outside the store. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Sep 9, 2019 • 27min
#135 The store of the future with WD Partners’ Lee Peterson
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 driving change and what it takes for retailers to adapt in a world where mobile devices give consumers anything, anywhere, any time. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Sep 3, 2019 • 32min
#134 How True Value Hardware continues to innovate
Hardware wholesaler, True Value Company, has been in business for almost 70 years and, today, serves more than 4500 independent retail stores. Divisional Vice President of Marketing Strategy, Sue Smolenski chats about how the company is continuing to innovate both online and offline, in a changing marketplace. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Aug 26, 2019 • 27min
#133 Getting personalization right
The retail experience of the future is personalized, but what actually resonates with consumers? How can retailers deliver personalized experiences at scale? In this episode, research experts Joe Beier and Rachel Bonsignore from GfK share insights from their latest study. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Aug 19, 2019 • 26min
#132 How retailers can prepare for the workforce of the future
Demographic, social and technological disruptions are causing retailers to reevaluate their approach to building teams and cultures. Carrie Duarte, a leader in PwC’s Workforce of the Future, joins Retail Gets Real to talk about how organizations can keep up with the pace of change, from finding new sources of talent to the business case for diversity and inclusion. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Aug 12, 2019 • 26min
#131: How Lilly Pulitzer stays fresh for a new generation
A piece of Lilly Pulitzer apparel is immediately recognizable; its vibrant prints and inimitable energy have been delighting customers for 60 years. President Michelle Kelly joins this episode of Retail Gets Real to talk about how the iconic Florida brand stays relevant and uses “the love of Lilly” to bring people together. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Aug 5, 2019 • 26min
#130: 3 elements for creating extraordinary retail experiences
Jeffrey Rayport, Faculty at the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School sees established legacy retailers being “attacked” from three different avenues and suggests three elements that can help them adapt: data analytics, digital marketing and creating customer experiences. Find out more about each, plus learn more about NRF NXT, our newest event. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.