Retail Gets Real

Babies need a lot of stuff, which is why expectant parents spend 40 hours on average building out their baby registry. On today’s show, Lee Anne Grant, Chief Growth Officer at Babylist, discusses her career path from babysitter to Babylist, how the company uses TikTok and the metaverse to meet their consumers where they are, and the evolution of Babylist into the leading vertical marketplace and commerce destination for baby. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Halloween is one of Party City’s biggest seasons and is a huge undertaking that includes hiring and training 20,000 new seasonal employees and sourcing costumes and décor more than a year in advance. On today’s show, Odette Welling, vice president of merchandising — and the self-confessed “Halloween queen” at Party City — talks all things Halloween, including the retailer’s most popular costumes for kids, adults, teens and pets.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Ikea’s latest cutting-edge technology allows customers to visualize Ikea products in their own homes. On today’s show, Thomas Fenrich, VP of digital product U.S., talks about Ikea Kreativ, a new technology that combines decades of Ikea life-at-home expertise with the latest developments in spatial computing, machine learning and 3D mixed reality technologies. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Just skimming the headlines reveals the dichotomy of today’s economy – consumers are still spending, despite worries about inflation and increased costs for food and fuel. Armed with PwC’s latest consumer survey, partner and U.S. retail leader Kelly Pederson joins the show to talk about consumer resiliency, how retailers are handling inventory and pricing, and which consumers will be spending the most this holiday season.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Calvin Quallis is all about helping men look good and feel good. As the founder and CEO of Scotch Porter, Quallis has taken his men’s grooming and skincare brand from a kitchen experiment to the shelves of CVS, Target and Walmart. On this episode, Quallis dives into how he started and scaled his brand, the evolution of the male consumer and providing access, opportunity and employment to other people of color.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Zach Freeze, senior director for sustainability at Walmart, discusses Walmart's approach to climate and its evolving sustainability efforts, and what it's like to lead them as part of one of the largest and most influential retailers in the world. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Jill Thomas is the CMO of PGA TOUR Superstore. The company, and the sport, have both seen a recent surge of growth due to COVID-19 and golf’s unique position as an outdoor activity that is social distancing-friendly and connection fostering. A large part of Jill’s goal is to continue fostering growth in the sport and attracting people from diverse backgrounds to it. One of their primary channels for that growth is through the retail store. Creating an inclusive environment that is welcoming to avid golfers and curious newcomers alike is what Jill sees as the company’s path to future growth. Another big facet of Jill’s role is diversity. For too long, women have played a minimized role in both the business world and the sport of golf. Through its store culture, PGA TOUR Superstores hopes to make all customers feel welcome. Listen to the full episode to learn more about how PGA TOUR Superstores is expanding the world of golf to a broader audience and impacting not only the future of retail but of the sport as w

From its delivery tracker to a mind-ordering app developed in partnership with Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” Domino’s has been delivering on innovation since 1960. Many of those innovations have come about by listening to the customer and adapting based on what they needed, says Christopher Thomas-Moore, senior vice president of customer and store experiences at Domino’s. On this episode, Thomas-Moore discusses his career journey, how the pizza brand leads when it comes to innovation, and the future of the quick service industry. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

NRF’s summer interns are about to return to college. Before heading back, we asked them about their work experience and how their perspectives on retail changed after working at NRF. Bill Thorne sits down with three bright students, Juliana Sailing, Miguel Gomez and Ashton Wiggins, to talk about the lessons they’ve learned along the way, what they’re looking for in a potential employer, and the impact of seeing the ins and outs of retail advocacy. As the retail industry looks to attract new talent into the workforce, these voices offer a glimpse of the future and the promise it holds for positive change and the ability for young people to make a meaningful impact. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Martin Gilliard, Head of Meta Store, joins the show to chat about why Meta opened a physical store, what the store is designed to do and what retailers need to know about emerging opportunities in the metaverse. Gilliard describes the Meta store as a physical space designed to mimic a living room, where consumers can try out the devices such as the Oculus VR headsets, Portal video call devices and RayBan-partnered smart glasses that can enable them to have experiences in the metaverse. Gillard describes how customers have responded to the experiences in the store so far and how retailers should be thinking about the metaverse.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Chandra Holt, CEO of Conn's HomePlus, has learned the retail ropes from the inside, with an impressive resume that includes powerhouse retailers like Walgreens, Target, Sam’s Club and most recently, Walmart, where she led Walmart.com. In this episode, Holt shares the new and innovative things happening at Conn’s HomePlus, including expanding the “store-within-a-store” concept, leaning into their strengths with key partnerships and bringing back layaway for customer financing.  Listen to hear Holt’s vision for unified commerce, Conn’s HomePlus’ journey to bring the store, ecommerce and all other touchpoints into a cohesive experience for the customer, and career insights Holt has learned as she’s risen through the ranks of retail. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Shekar Natarajan, Chief Supply Chain Officer of American Eagle Outfitters, joins this episode to discuss the company's supply chain strategy, including its vision for a shared “internet of packages,” how current challenges are impacting the business and what the future of the retail supply chain looks like. Natarajan expands on opportunities in the industry to unify, optimize and improve the outcome for everyone involved by sharing supply chain resources. He explains that, with an open platform model, as demonstrated by the internet, supply chain efforts in every corner of the world could work together for a real, tangible benefit all the way down the producer-to-consumer chain. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

On this episode, Carlos Londono, Vice President & Head of Supply Chain at Chipotle Mexican Grill, shares insight into the company’s supply chain strategy, how current challenges are impacting the business and what the future of the retail supply chain looks like. The promise of fresh ingredients with no preservatives or additives means that Chipotle’s supply chain team needs to operate at the top of its game. It's through a devotion to its people, an openness to technology and an organizational commitment to efficiency that Londono and his team are able to adapt in today’s marketplace while staying true their values around running a sustainable business. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

After starting in wholesale and moving into ecommerce, Goodlife Clothing is now investing in physical stores. Andrew Codispoti, Co-CEO of Goodlife Clothing, joins Retail Gets Real to add a front-line perspective on how and why his, and other digitally native brands, are seeing success in physical retail spaces. Codispoti outlines the history of the brand and how the store has proven to be a cost-effective acquisition channel that not only brings in new customers but keeps them coming back. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

As we hit the mid-point of 2022, we’re still dealing with the impacts of a global pandemic, supply chain disruptions and inflation, yet the consumer and retailers remain resilient. National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay joins Retail Gets Real to share insights about the state of retail coming off his recent conversations with industry and world leaders at the World Economic Forum and the White House.  He also shares the solutions NRF is advocating for as part of its Lower Inflation Now campaign, which include repealing tariffs and addressing the broken immigration system that contributes to an ongoing labor shortage and workforce challenges. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

As the chief people and belonging officer at Neiman Marcus Group, Eric Severson oversees all of the aspects of the organization that impact people, both internally and externally.  Eric takes us from his start in the industry, at ten, working in his father’s retail shop, to Macy’s, Gap and more. His tips on team building and talent retention, leveling the playing field and operating with inclusion in all aspects of business are as actionable as they are insightful. The bottom line is, you can’t just talk the talk anymore. You have to walk the walk. And that means developing real, measurable programs, investing in them and holding yourself accountable. It has to be fully integrated in what you do, or modern consumers will look the other way.  We learn that what Eric is after, this overall sense of belonging for all stakeholders, is an ongoing process, one that we must work at and fine tune over time. Listen to hear his insightful perspective on the current place (and future) of diversity, the environment, and

KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, CEO/Founder, Sustainable Brands, joins the show to share what retailers are doing to become more sustainable, how consumer behaviors are evolving and what the future of retail looks like through a sustainability lens. Sustainable Brands is a global community of changemakers who are working together to shift the global economy toward a more sustainable future. She’s committed to pooling data and experiences from across industry in order to position business as the hero of the future, not its destructor.  Starting in the sustainability space in 2004, she’s seen, and directly participated in, a total shift in how businesses and the consumer view it. As she puts it, the train has left the station, so to speak, and today’s brands better get on board or be left behind. Tune in for yet another expert perspective on how our industry continues to thrive during a period of rapid change. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Olaplex CEO JuE Wong talks about growing a fan favorite brand, harnessing the power of social media and what's next for the company and the future of the retail industry. She shares her unique career journey and the advice that helped her find success after success. Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

After separating the digital business from stores in June 2021, Saks OFF 5TH has invested heavily in creating an unparalleled digital experience for the luxury bargain hunter. In this episode, Saks OFF 5TH President and CEO Paige Thomas shares insights into the digital strategy, leading through difficult times and where the future of retail is headed.  Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.  

Jill Thomas is the CMO of PGA TOUR Superstore. The company, and the sport, have both seen a recent surge of growth due to COVID-19 and golf’s unique position as an outdoor activity that is social distancing-friendly and connection fostering. We talk about how PGA TOUR Superstore is expanding the world of golf to a broader audience, impacting not only the future of retail but of the sport as well.   Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.