Retail Gets Real

The joy of life, as Kate Ross LeBlanc feels, is being well. As CEO and Co-Founder of Saje Natural Wellness, her mission is to care for a devoted community through her line of all-natural products. LeBlanc shares her passion and some Peppermint Halo with Retail Gets Real, and outlines why service is a core pillar of her phenomenally-successful business.

Soles4Souls was established as a way to help those affected by catastrophic natural disasters. Since 2006, the non-profit social enterprise has distributed over 30 million pairs of shoes in 127 countries and all 50 U.S. states. In this episode, CEO Buddy Teaster discusses how the organization serves communities in crisis, as well as entrepreneurs in developing countries.

With all the new advancements in retail technology, it’s important for retailers to know how it applies to their business. In this episode, Salesforce SVP of Retail Industry Shelley Bransten and PwC Partner Ian Kahn discuss how retailers can leverage data to seamlessly merge the omnichannel shopping experience.

Walmart’s Store No 8 incubates cutting-edge retail technology to help people save money and live better. Lori Flees, Walmart’s SVP of Next Generation Retail and Principal of Store No 8, makes sure that America’s second largest retail company is investing in the right retail technology.

With his tenure as Executive Chairman of Macy's Inc. coming to an end, Terry Lundgren sat down with NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay to discuss a decades-long career in retail and Lundgren’s rise to success. In this episode, Lundgren shares wisdom gained over the years as well as what he sees in retail’s future.

As one of the curators behind the Innovation Lab at NRF 2018: Retail’s Big Show, Seth Webb of Tusk Ventures has his finger on the pulse of retail’s newest and most game-changing technology. In this episode, learn about the latest technologies showcased at NRF 2018, and how they’re poised to transform the retail industry in the not-so-distant future.

More than 37,000 retail industry professionals came to NRF 2018: Retail’s Big Show this January to talk about retail trends and technology. So how does a 120-person team bring an entire industry together? SVP of Conferences Susan Newman and VP of Event Content and Education Angela Elder chat about how it all comes together and the event’s impact on the industry. NRF’s Ellen Davis co-hosts.

The owner of Gallery Furniture, Jim "Mack” McIngvale, became a Houston icon and hometown hero for his commitment to giving back, especially after he turned his stores into shelters for victims of Hurricane Harvey. McIngvale joins this episode from NRF 2018: Retail’s Big Show to share why caring for the community is so important in retail. PwC's Steve Barr co-hosts.

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.