Stores Weekly

First Edition

At NRF 2019: Retail's Big Show, Rodney McMullen, chairman and CEO of The Kroger Co., discussed his company’s innovations and plans for staying relevant in the future. Sara Eisen, co-anchor of CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” and “Power Lunch,” moderated the session.

Visit https://stores.org/2019/01/14/restocking-the-future/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=NRF2019&utm_content=Kroger to view the full article online.

Apocalypse to relevance

During a well-attended session at NRF 2019: Retail's Big Show, Lee Peterson, executive vice president of brand, strategy and design for customer experience specialists WD Partners, discussed the ongoing transformation of bricks-and-mortar stores. He began with a quote from Jeff Bezos: “You can explain things to people, but you can’t understand things to people.”

Visit https://stores.org/2019/01/14/apocalypse-to-relevance/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=NRF2019&utm_content=WD%20Partners to view the full article online.

Impact at scale

Steve Liesman, senior economics editor for CNBC, moderated a discussion at NRF 2019: Retail's Big Show between Janet L. Yellen, former chair of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System, and Kara Swisher, a contributor to the New York Times, host of the Recode Decode podcast and co-founder and editor-at-large of Recode.

Visit https://stores.org/2019/01/15/impact-at-scale/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=NRF2019&utm_content=Yellen%20Swisher to view the full article online.

Why is there a robot in my store?

During a lively session on the Innovation Stage at NRF 2019: Retail's Big Show, Joe Skorupa, editorial director of RIS News, moderated a discussion of the present and future status of front-of-store robotics in the retail industry.

Visit https://stores.org/2019/01/15/why-is-there-a-robot-in-my-store/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=NRF2019&utm_content=Giant%20Foods%20Marty to view the full article online.

Stand up and say something — or others will

It is, perhaps, one of the most divisive issues of our time. And yet, when Amy Smith, chief giving officer of TOMS, brought up her company’s nascent efforts to reduce gun violence, she was met with applause at NRF 2019: Retail's Big Show. It wasn’t so much the issue at hand: It was that TOMS, as a mission-driven organization, had already proven its willingness to enter humbly into a space, be willing to make mistakes and own up and learn from them when it happens.

Visit https://stores.org/2019/02/26/stand-up-and-say-something-or-others-will/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=NRF2019&utm_content=mission-driven%20org to view the full article online.

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.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/nrf-nwl/articles/index.asp?aid=546833&issueID=64443 to view the full article online.

Scooter Braun tunes in people, successes

Scooter Braun, founder of SB Projects — though likely most recognized as the manager of performers such as Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Ariana Grande — remembers being told early in his career to never mix business and pleasure. He sees that, however, as a cowardly way to live — and much prefers to get personal, to get involved, to be a friend and to surround himself with people who know who he really is.

Visit https://stores.org/2019/02/26/scooter-braun-tunes-in-people-successes/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Feb-March%20&utm_content=People%20Success to view the full article online.

Experimentation and innovative agility

Entrepreneurial spirit was in full display at NRF 2019: Retail’s Big Show, and “Startup ecosystem: Building brands that break the mold” was no exception. Emily Heyward, co-founder and chief strategist of Red Antler, moderated the session, which featured Rachel Cohen, co-founder and co-CEO of SNOWE, Stephen Kuhl, co-founder and CEO of Burrow, and Steve Gutentag, co-founder of Keeps, discussing how to build successful brands.

Visit https://stores.org/2019/02/26/experimentation-and-innovative-agility/?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=STORES%20Feb-March%20&utm_content=Agility to view the full article online.

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.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/nrf-nwl/articles/index.asp?aid=546832&issueID=64443 to view the full article online.

NRF News

How Zulily uses technology to build a better experience

Zulily isn’t just an online retailer — it’s a technology company. On this episode of NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast, Zulily Vice President of Technology Bindu Thota talks about how the online retailer uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive personalization and create a seamless shopping experience.

Visit https://nrf.com/blog/art-and-science-personalization-zulily?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=Retail%20Gets%20Real&utm_content=Ep%20107%20Zulily to view the full article online.

Members only: NRF On Demand video from NRF 2019

Exclusive to NRF members, NRF On Demand offers the latest content from NRF conferences and events at any time, anywhere. Members can now view the most popular sessions from NRF 2019: Retail’s Big Show on retail technology, customer experience and talent, culture and leadership.

Visit https://nrf.com/resources/nrf-demand?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=NRFOnDemand&utm_content=launch to view the full article online.

Consumers are using tax refunds to save

More Americans than ever plan to put their tax refunds into savings this year rather than spending the money, according to NRF’s annual survey. Of the 65 percent of taxpayers expecting a refund, 50 percent say they will put it into savings. Additionally, 34 percent plan to use their refunds to pay down debt.

Visit https://nrf.com/insights/holiday-and-seasonal-trends/tax-returns?utm_medium=STORES%20Weekly&utm_source=Email&utm_campaign=NRF%20Research&utm_content=Tax%20Returns to view the full article online.

National Retail Federation