“Should we believe the hype?” was the first question posed by moderator Lydia Schulz, American Express’ VP & GM, Retail Industry, to the panel during the “Showrooming: An Opportunity or a Threat,” breakout session. Jerry O’Brien, Director of Kohl’s Center for Retailing Excellence, University of Wisconsin-Madison, responded with a confident “no.” O’Brien, who spent 27 [...]
Although NRF’s Annual Retail Industry Awards have existed for years, the three brands honored at Monday’s awards luncheon are quite young. As a result, each recipient is a living example of the constant revolution and evolution of the industry and the facets which continue to change the face of retail. Brooks Brothers Chairman and CEO [...]
“Walk the EXPO Hall.” That was BJ’s Wholesale Club President and CEO Laura Sen’s response to a student question about how to maximize her learning experience at Retail’s BIG Show. I’d add to Laura’s advice: bring some comfortable shoes. With 500 exhibitors spread across 162,000 square feet within two expansive halls, the EXPO lives up to [...]
Today’s top supply chain leaders define the retail supply chain beyond just trucks and distribution centers. Supply chain leaders focus on the end-to-end enterprise of the value chain within their companies. During a breakout session, Gartner Inc. Research Directors Kevin Sterneckert and Janet Suleski discussed the best practices and initiatives that put companies on Gartner’s “Supply Chain Top 25″ [...]
During a members-only luncheon on Tuesday at Retail’s BIG Show, the National Retail Federation took time to honor John C. Mahaney Jr., president and CEO of the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, for leadership to the retail industry spanning more than 60 years. Mahaney was awarded NRF’s J. Thomas Weyant Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to the industry [...]
“I have come to the conclusion that stable, dynamic and democratic societies have to be built on three pillars: peace and stability, development, and rule of law and respect for human rights.” In a much-anticipated keynote speech at Retail’s BIG Show, Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the United Nations, spoke to a packed room about [...]
When it comes to iconic brands, Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable in the world. Coca-Cola is not just a drink; it’s an experience. And most importantly, it’s one that’s shared by billions of people around the world. In a keynote session at Retail’s BIG Show, Coca-Cola Refreshments Chief Retail Sales Officer Melvin Landis [...]
To build and retain a loyal following, Metro, Inc., a leading Canadian grocery chain operating 830 retail locations across Ontario and Quebec, makes customer-centricity its mantra. The company, leveraging customer insights of its joint-venture partner dunnhumby, launched a customer-centric strategy that goes beyond a marketing campaign and into the fabric of the organization. Before his presentation [...]
If you’re doing an awesome job inside your stores, why would you spend money outside on marketing? According to breakout session speaker and marketing guru, Tom Feltenstein, in retail “your front line is your bottom-line.” If you center your marketing efforts within your walls and within close proximity to your stores, your sales will surge. [...]
A group of merchants, including Lowe’s, Gap, Wal-Mart, Wawa and Dunkin Brands, have partnered to create a merchant-owned mobile application: MCX. This afternoon at Retail’s BIG Show, some of the stakeholders in this initiative offered a look at the thought process behind the development of this jointly owned mobile payment company and some of the [...]