Retail Gets Real

Consumers have been gobbling up Butterball turkey for decades, and they’re thankful for the company’s connection to its customers. Al Jansen, Butterball’s executive vice president of sales and marketing, joins us to talk about Thanksgiving traditions, the famous Turkey Talk-Line and sharing holiday stories. Food brings people together — and this episode brings together the best of retail, family and fun.

(00:00:00) Introductions

(00:02:45) The Butterball Team

(00:04:06) Butterball’s core value of togetherness

(00:08:33) Talking about the Turkey Talk-Line

(00:14:17) The joys & challenges of marketing

(00:16:50) Al’s best career advice

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.

Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.

Resources:

• butterball.com

• storycorps.org

• Get ready for Retail’s Big Show in NYC

• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association

• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org

• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy

• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com

Related:

• Inside the 2024 holiday trends that will impact retail in 2025

Produced by Crate Media.

Javier Quiñones, CEO and chief sustainability officer at IKEA U.S., shares his 25-year career journey at the company, what he loves most about his job and how he stays current in the ever-evolving retail industry. We also talk about IKEA’s commitment to sustainability and how it’s good business to be a good business.

(00:00:00) Introductions

(00:01:42) Quiñones’ career journey

(00:05:06) IKEA’s commitment to sustainability

(00:14:46) What Quiñones loves most about his job

(00:20:59) Creating a core IKEA experience across the globe

(00:23:26) Staying current in an ever-evolving industry

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.

Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.

Resources:

• ikea.com/us/en

• NRF2025: Retail’s Big Show: nrfbigshow.nrf.com

• Get ready for Retail’s Big Show in NYC

• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association

• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org

• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy

• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com

Related:

• NRF Foundation Announces The List Of People Shaping Retail’s Future 2025

• Goldman Sachs Chairman & CEO to Speak at Retail’s Big Show

• Creating a circular retail economy

Cory Onell, executive vice president and chief omnichannel sales and Asian emerging markets officer at Kraft Heinz, talks about how his company adapts and innovates omnichannel strategies for different global markets. He also shares his four-pronged leadership approach, his perspective on work-life balance and the advice that shaped his career.

(00:00:00) Introductions

(00:01:46) Cory’s Career Journey

(00:05:06) The Omnichannel Approach In Emerging Markets

(00:09:46) Kraft Heinz’s Online Presence

(00:13:28) The Essential Impact Of The Food Industry

(00:15:27) Cory’s Approach To Leadership

(00:18:15) Finding Work-Life Balance

(00:22:38) Cory’s Career Advice

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.

Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.

Resources:

• kraftheinzcompany.com

• Get ready for Retail’s Big Show in NYC

• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association

• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org

• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy

• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com

Related:

• Top 3 retail trends driving industry transformation in 2024

• A snapshot into the latest retail tech breakthroughs

Produced by Crate Media.

Organized retail crime is an issue that plagues retailers — and offenders are only getting more sophisticated. Representative Glenn Ivey, D-Md., and Angela Hofmann, head of government relations for JCPenney, explain what organized retail crime really means and how it’s evolved over the years. Plus, we discuss the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act and how it's counteracting this insidious trend.

(00:00:00) Introductions

(00:01:25) What Is Organized Retail Crime?

(00:06:02) The Evolution Of Organized Retail Crime

(00:09:30) Introducing The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act

(00:12:46) Social Media Awareness Of ORC

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.

Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.

Resources:

• ivey.house.gov

• jcpenney.com

• Get ready for Retail’s Big Show in NYC

• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association

• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy

• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com

Related:

• Join the movement to combat retail crime

• Thank You, Retail Crime Fighters

It’s spooky season, and here’s the real treat — Halloween spending is projected to hit nearly $12 billion. Katherine Cullen, NRF's vice president of industry and consumer insights, talks about Halloween spending trends, popular costumes, why consumers are shopping early and who is most excited to celebrate this October. Plus, a look at expected winter holiday consumer spending.

(00:00:38) Introductions

(00:02:45) Why People Shop Early

(00:04:39) Halloween Spending Projections

(00:07:28) The Year’s Most Popular Costumes

(00:09:21) Where Consumers Are Shopping

(00:10:49) Who Is Halloween For?

(00:12:31) Early Predictions For The Holiday Season

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.

Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.

Resources:

• Get ready for Retail’s Big Show in NYC

• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association

• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com

Related:

• Consumer Trends in Halloween Shopping and Celebration

• Halloween Spending to Reach Record $12.2 Billion As Participation Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Levels

• Nearly Half of Halloween Shoppers to Start Purchasing Items Before October

Anjana Harve serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer of BJ’s Wholesale Club, where she leads technology innovation at the high-frequency club store. In this episode, Harve joins us to talk about the BJ’s member experience, how the company is leveraging AI, her personal career journey and what’s on the horizon for tech and retail.

(00:00:00) Introductions

(00:01:28) Anjana’s Career Journey

(00:05:45) The Membership Model

(00:08:27) How BJ’s Is Leveraging AI

(00:16:10) Women’s Representation In STEM Leadership Roles

(00:21:00) What’s Next For BJ’s?

(00:25:04) Anjana’s Career Advice

(00:26:44) The Exciting Future Of Tech And Retail

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.

Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.

Resources:

• BJ’s Wholesale Club

• Get ready for Retail’s Big Show in NYC

• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association

• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org

• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy

• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com

Related:

• BJ’s Chris Baldwin on what keeps this CEO up at night

• NRF Retail Leadership Series: Chris Baldwin, Executive Chairman, BJ's Wholesale Club

• Value, partnership and peanut M&M’s: BJ’s Wholesale Club aligns with Mars

Produced by Crate Media.

Embracing technology and innovation is key for global active lifestyle brand Fabletics. Chief Operating Officer Meera Bhatia shares how she is driving digital advances at Fabletics, her extraordinary career journey in tech and how AI can be used across functions.

Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Homefield is a collegiate apparel company specializing in vintage-inspired designs that offers licensed t-shirts, fleece, jackets and headwear from more than 200 universities. We talk to Co-founder and CEO Connor Hitchcock about how he started Homefield at age 23, why he doesn’t follow the usual marketing playbook, how the company creates unique customer experiences and his plans for future growth.

Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Born between 1998 and 2012, Generation Z is estimated to encompass more than 2 billion people worldwide and are the first group of consumers to be born entirely within the digital age. Rachel Bonsignore, vice president of NIQ Consumer Life, answers our questions about Gen Z consumers: how they differ from other generations and what retailers can do to connect with this group.

Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.

Replay from Retail Gets Real episode 346: Kendra Scott started her eponymous jewelry company in Austin, Texas, 22 years ago with a clear vision in place: to create a fashion-for-philanthropy business. In this episode, Kendra Scott CEO Tom Nolan talks about his first Kendra Cares event, his extraordinary career journey and why he took a role in leading the business.

Learn more at retailgetsreal.com.