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First Edition
BJ’s Wholesale Club Chairman, President and CEO Chris Baldwin opened NRF 2019: Retail’s Big Show in grand style, balancing the “big” of retail with the impact of its individual innovative leaders. It is, he noted, the largest retail conference and expo worldwide. The 108th annual event drew nearly 40,000 attendees from across the globe, including 700 exhibitors, and was expected to bring a $45 million impact to New York City.
In a session at Retail's Big Show, Jeremy King, Walmart’s executive vice president and CTO, fielded a wide-ranging series of questions from Sara Castellanos, reporter for The Wall Street Journal’s CIO Journal. Touching on blockchain, robots, machine learning, virtual reality, cloud services, improved customer experience, open-source software, store connectivity, Black Friday, competing with Amazon and other issues, King painted a picture of a giant not just of retail, but also of innovation and transformation from the inside out.
Having a fully connected home today is realistic and available in the mass market, although still more of a luxury; 30 percent of consumers already own some sort of smart device and, according to Gartner Predicts, by 2022 a typical home could contain more than 500 smart devices. At Retail's Big Show, a panel on the advances that connect our world included Jonathan Hall, brand marketing director at Whirlpool, Sleep Number President and CEO Shelly Ibach, and Tim Woods, general manager of the Autonomous Vehicle Alliance. Each conveyed how their companies bring ease, convenience and anticipation to consumers’ lives.
Brian Cornell, chairman and CEO of Target Corp, has just four simple keys for success in future retail. But as he well knows, they aren’t easy. Speaking at Retail's Big Show to a packed house during “More in Store: Target Invests in its Guests and Its Future,” Cornell said whether in an up market or down market, whether a big or small company, these truths remain.
On Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, Retail's Big Show kicked off with dynamic panels, workshops and discussions pertaining to all different areas of retail. A panel on the process and results of digital native companies turning to physical locations included Drew Green, CEO of Indochino, Jen Braunschweiger, vice president of brand marketing at MM.LaFleur, and Eleanor Morgan, chief experience officer at Casper.
NRF is proud to provide our members with the online Retail Buying Guide to search for trusted vendors, products and services in the retail industry. Our guide is a user-friendly forum designed to bring suppliers and purchasers together. You can search by keyword, location, company name or category. Available whenever you need it, the Retail Buying Guide makes it easy to locate products and professional services geared to the retail industry. Click here to visit the online Retail Buying Guide! To advertise, please contact Sarah Allen for more information. Trends
Right in step with the female empowerment groundswell of recent years, tween girl clothing and accessories brand Justice recently released the first book in a graphic novel series from its new entertainment division, Justice Studios. “Ultra Squad” follows fours tween girls as they use their magical superpowers to save the universe.
The digital edition of STORES includes must-read pieces, including the articles featured here. Read the current issue and browse the archives for issues you may have missed. 
NRF News
When it launched in 2010, beauty company Birchbox pioneered the subscription box model. The beauty industry has changed, and so has Birchbox. In this episode of NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast, Birchbox co-founder and CEO Katia Beauchamp shares more about a newly announced partnership with Walgreens and the evolution of the disruptive beauty brand.
NRF’s 2019 economic forecast projects that U.S. retail sales will grow between 3.8 and 4.4 percent to more than $3.8 trillion. Despite threats from the ongoing trade war, the volatile stock market and the effects of the government shutdown, the “state of the economy is sound,” says NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay.
Today, retailers are investing in "intelligent automation" — a new combination of technology in which automation is driven by artificial intelligence. And it's an innovation that will change the shopping experience in even more impactful ways than the smartphone has — some obvious and some invisible. NRF's Mark Mathews outlines how.
Retail Deals
Sobeys Inc., a leading Canadian grocery retailer, has turned to Profitect and its prescriptive analytics to improve customer satisfaction and reduce shrink.
12 ReTech Corporation, a software company, has announced plans to acquire Rune NYC, a women's apparel brand that currently sells its activewear products through a variety of domestic sales and distribution channels.
MHW Ltd., a service provider for wine, spirits, beer and cider, has announced the expansion of its U.S. service offerings to include opt-in sales support following an acquisition of independent sales firm BevStrat. Wine, spirits, beer and cider producers of any size or origin will have open access to market entry, independent importation, distribution, back-office support and customized sales solutions in the United States on an a la carte basis through a single partner.
The Michaels Companies Inc. has announced a new partnership with Carnival Cruise Line as the exclusive arts and crafts provider, making crafting easier for guests on all of the line's 26 cruise ships.
Crocs Inc., a leader in innovative casual footwear for women, men and children, has announced it will relocate its corporate headquarters in 2020, from Niwot, Colo., to Broomfield, Colo. The move is part of the company’s strategy for long-term, sustainable growth, including employee retention and recruitment.
Birks Group has partnered with OTT Pay to become the first jewelry brand to launch the WeChat Mini-Program in Canada. The mini-program allows consumers to find their favorite brands and make purchases within the all-in-one application.
JOANN Stores, a leading fabric and craft specialty retailer, recently announced it has named Wade Miquelon as its president and CEO. |
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