Retail Gets Real

Luke Chatelain began his career as a molecular biologist and is now West Elm’s vice president of innovation. In this episode, he explains how his background prepared him to develop forward-thinking solutions for the furniture retailer.

Carlos Mateos Jr. got his start working part-time at his father’s McDonald’s and now owns the restaurant where he first flipped burgers. In this episode, Mateos discusses his dynamic career with McDonald’s and how automation is changing the business.

HSN gives entrepreneurs a platform to sell their products to a large television audience and the prospect of finding the next innovation energizes Dara Trujillo, VP of New Business Development. In this episode, Trujillo discusses how the company elevates entrepreneurs with business education, guidance and exposure, and chats about HSN's new American Dreams Academy program.

STORES Magazine Editor Susan Reda believes that 2017 was one of the most transformative periods of retail we’ve seen in decades and predicts that 2018 will continue to be just as dynamic, with technology playing an increasingly important role for both physical and digital retailers. Listen to learn more about her retail industry predictions for 2018.

The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership helps connect retailers with qualified talent. CEO Karin Norington-Reaves discusses how workforce development initiatives help job-seekers, retailers and the entire retail industry, and chats about the importance of initiatives like the NRF Foundation’s RISE Up program.

As the largest external driver of consumer need, weather is more than just a conversation-starter for retailers. Evan Gold, EVP of global services at Planalytics, helps retailers account for weather when planning their business strategy for the coming year. The trick is to remove weather effects from historical data to arrive at a “weather-neutral baseline” from which to start making sound decisions. On this episode, learn how retailers can plan for a rainy day.

BJ’s Wholesale Club has 215 stores in 16 states and sells more fresh food per member than any of its club store competitors. CEO Chris Baldwin says his company’s 5 million members shop there frequently and that BJ’s offers them immense value. In this episode, Baldwin discusses what keeps the company competitive in a rapidly changing industry.

Gregg Renfrew believes that a woman with passion can really make a difference. She is the founder and CEO of Beautycounter, a health and beauty empire that empowers women with advocacy, education and safe products. Learn how Renfrew nurtures a remarkable connection with her coalition of consultants and how the company achieved exponential growth in just five years.

NRF’s Director of Retail and Consumer Insights Katherine Cullen paints a picture of what retailers can expect to see this holiday, from consumer spending to what gets people in the spirit of the season. Listen to this episode for insights on what people are buying, where they’re shopping, and what makes them choose one channel over another.

Karen Katz started as an assistant store manager in a small Neiman Marcus store; 32 years later, she is CEO of the luxury retailer. Retail “has allowed women to achieve things much faster and earlier as an industry than many other industries,” she says. Katz joins Retail Gets Real to discuss how the 110-year-old company has adapted to drastic changes in the industry with a “digital-first” approach, and how the evolution is impacting today’s retail workforce.