Photos courtesy of The National Retail Federation
The National Retail Federation’s Big Show 2022 might be over but the insights we gathered from the event will carry us throughout the year. Here are just a few of the best sessions from this year’s roundup of remarkable retail speakers.
Lessons learned from CPG to accelerate growth for future success:
A conversation with PepsiCo Foods CEO Steven Williams
If one person knows how to run a successful CPG brand, that person is PepsiCo CEO Steven Williams. Leader of the $21 billion snack and convenient foods empire, Williams is leveraging his 24 years of experience to catapult the time-honored brand into the next era of retail.
Drawing on lessons from the past and insights from the present, Williams’ NRF session identified five essential consumer trends that food retailers and CPG brands must embrace to succeed in the new normal.
Balancing growth and a customer-centric culture:
A conversation with Chewy CEO Sumit Singh
When it comes to scaling a business, few have seen more successful growth than pet e-commerce leader Chewy. Since its unicorn IPO in 2019, the company has tripled its revenue, expecting $9B in earnings this year.
But success has not changed Chewy’s commitment to its customers: it remains steadfast in its mission to satisfy customer needs. With 20.4 million active customers, Chewy is an expert in customer acquisition and retaining customers–delivering an increase of 15.4% in sales per active customer in 2021.
Leading a culture that values innovation, Singh revealed in his NRF session how Chewy is overcoming e-commerce challenges in the new normal to be the most trusted, convenient destination for pet parents and partners everywhere.
The Visionary 2022: A conversation with Target CEO Brian Cornell
As the world feared a retail apocalypse was looming with brick-and-mortar stores closing at alarming rates, Target offered a different vision of the future. Under the leadership of CEO Brian Cornell, Target is redefining the role of the traditional retail store.
A first in its efforts to launch a true omnichannel approach to retail, Cornell was celebrated by the NRF for his vision to repurpose stores as fulfillment hubs during the pandemic. As a result, Target has experienced spectacular growth and established itself as a same-day digital fulfillment leader.
The company is now focusing on a new target–achieving bold sustainability goals for a better future than today.
Reshaping retail with technology:
A conversation with IBM chairman & CEO Arvind Krishna
Facing unprecedented challenges in an uncertain world, the retail industry is solving new problems with innovative digital solutions. The dramatic acceleration of digital transformation requires retailers to disrupt traditional thinking and establish new strategies for delivering value to customers.
Laying the foundation for a new era of technology, IBM is pioneering integrated solutions for the next generation of retail growth. Renowned CEO Arvind Krishna delivers critical expertise to retailers to reimage the future and build resilient, sustainable businesses.
Metaverse and NFT: Creative catalysts for new experiences in beauty
with Esteé Lauder Executive Director of Global Tech Innovation Liz Bacelar
Haven’t heard of the metaverse? It’s time to learn—the metaverse is taking shape, and it’s going to be the next massive disruptive technology revolution. This virtual universe will redefine the way humans interact, transact, and behave in the real world.
The metaverse is poised to evolve customer relationships for brands and retailers, manifesting the next generation of digital engagement.
And beauty companies like Esteé Lauder are already positioning themselves as early players in the virtual world. According to Bacelar, the international beauty leader has recently launched three editions of a non-fungible token called MetaOptimist.
If there is one thing to take away from this NRF session, it’s that to remain relevant in our rapidly expanding world(s), even legacy brands will need to adopt a future-forward outlook on the metaverse.
