
Retail Gets Real
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.
Latest episodes

Apr 8, 2019 • 23min
#113 R.Riveter: Empowering military spouses
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 jobs into the homes of modern-day military families. Lisa Bradley and Cameron Cruse, co-founders of R.Riveter, share how the handbag maker empowers military families through mobile, flexible income. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Apr 1, 2019 • 23min
#112 How tech is evolving the customer experience at HSN, QVC and Zulily
Karen Etzkorn is the chief information officer for Qurate Retail Group, the parent organization for brands such as HSN, QVC and Zulily. In this episode, Etzkorn identifies the two technologies all retailers should integrate today and shares how to encourage more women to embrace technology careers. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Mar 25, 2019 • 23min
#111 Poshmark challenges the norms of traditional retail
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, it's also creating a new kind of entrepreneur. Join us as we sit down with founder and CEO Manish Chandra for a look inside the largest social commerce marketplace in the United States. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Mar 18, 2019 • 23min
#110 MM.Lafleur empowers women in the workplace
MM.LaFleur empowers customers to focus on the things that really matter — like preparing for that client meeting or business trip — through styling, thoughtfully designed products and community. Vice President of Brand Marketing Jennifer Braunschweiger joins this episode to share how her team supports women and brings the brand to life. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Mar 11, 2019 • 21min
#109 Logistically speaking: Wayfair’s innovative supply chain
As customer expectations and behaviors change, retailers need to change too. That means creating new processes, implementing new technologies, and building teams with new skills. To learn more about the logistics of improving both the customer and employee experiences, we sit down with Wayfair’s Director of Supply Chain Engineering Dustin Bennett. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Mar 4, 2019 • 20min
#108 Nordstrom sets the standard for customer experience. Again and again.
Nordstrom is known for offering a great customer experience, and they manage to continue offering exceptional experiences even as customer needs change in our constantly transforming world. To learn how Nordstrom stays ahead of disruption and their customers’ changing needs, we sit down with Senior Vice President of Customer Experience Shea Jensen, who was recently honored at the NRF Foundation Gala as a Disruptor on the List of People Shaping Retail's Future. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Feb 25, 2019 • 21min
#107 The art and science of personalization at Zulily
Zulily launches over 9,000 new products and 100 sales every single day — and curates a unique storefront for each of its millions of customers. Through personalization and stories told through images, videos and social media, Zulily turns the shopping experience into an entertainment experience. Vice President of Technology Bindu Thota talks about the technology and the people that make it all happen. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Feb 18, 2019 • 24min
#106 Reinventing the Getaway
Getaway takes a fresh approach to hospitality, offering cabins in the woods designed for city dwellers overworked and burned out by the digital age. Getaway replaces amenities that people have come to expect, like Wi-Fi, with a simpler experience that will bring more balance to their lives. Founder Jon Staff discusses reimagining an established industry and creating an experience for an unmet consumer need. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Feb 11, 2019 • 21min
#105 Investing in creativity: Perfumer Jo Malone’s fighting second chance
Jo Malone is an English “scent maverick” responsible for creating some of the world’s most loved fragrances. A Dreamer on the NRF Foundation's The List of People Shaping Retail's Future, she discusses her Jo Loves brand and how she is changing the way the world wears fragrance — for a second time. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Feb 4, 2019 • 24min
#104 Birchbox CEO on the evolution of the disruptive beauty brand
Beauty was a $500 billion industry that hadn’t been disrupted since the market shifted from department stores to specialty stores — until Birchbox came on the scene in 2010. Now the subscription box pioneer is partnering with Walgreens to bring its highly personalized experience into physical stores, meeting customers at the intersection of efficacy and delight. To learn more about the partnership and the evolution of this disruptive beauty brand, we chat with Birchbox co-founder and CEO Katia Beauchamp. Recorded at NRF 2019: Retail’s Big Show. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.