There are nearly 100 college students in attendance at NRF’s Annual Convention in New York City. We’ve enlisted a few of them to help us recap the educational sessions, share convention experiences, and provide a glimpse of the conference from a student’s (and future retailer’s!) perspective.
We’re thrilled to introduce the following students, who you’ll be hearing from over the next few days.
Elisabeth Greenberg
Fashion Institute of Technology
Graduation Year: 2013
Major/Degree: Fashion Merchandising Management with a specialization in Buying; Minor in English.
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Why are you attending NRF’s BIG Show?
I was chosen to blog for my NRFSA chapter at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
What are you most looking forward to?
After looking over the agenda, I’m looking forward to attending the breakout sessions. I plan to gather new information about the retail industry and take advantage of every suggestion offered. I am also excited to network with retail professionals.
What retailers do you admire? Why?
I admire retailers who take pride in their employees and their customers. Those retailers who strive to keep their employees happy and meet their target customer’s needs and wants; are the retailers who I plan to dedicate my time to.
What’s your dream retail job?
My dream job is to became a CEO of a acclaimed retailer. I plan to start my career in planning, buying, or merchandising to prepare myself for my future.
Name: Kimberly Steinberg
Fashion Institute of Technology
Graduation Year: 2013
Major/Degree: Fashion Merchandising and Management
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Why are you attending NRF’s BIG Show?
To get a new perspective on the retail world and learn more about the industry and what improvements/changes are being made.
What are you most looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to hearing some great speakers give their insight and share their industry stories. I’m also excited to make new connections and meet people from the industry.
What retailers do you admire? Why?
I really admire retailers such as Uniqlo because of their devotion to creating affordable, high quality merchandise that can be incorporated into ones everyday wardrobe. I also admire Ralph Lauren for creating a lifestyle brand that keeps it’s original style and feel while still being coherent with modern trends.
What’s your dream retail job?
My dream retail job would be an editor for a fashion magazine such as Vogue or to be in an important position within a well known retail corporation such as Bloomingdale’s.
John Tylko
Santa Clara University
Graduation Year: 2012
Major/Degree: Marketing, with minors in Retail Studies, Entrepreneurship, Communication
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Why are you attending NRF’s BIG Show?
I have a passion for the intersection of retailing and internet technology, so I’m hoping to gain an understanding of where the retail industry is headed in that regard over the next few years. Mobile and social continue to define new areas of focus for these retailers, so the strategies that each company has used will be incredibly interesting to hear about.
What are you most looking forward to?
I’m particularly excited to see the exhibit hall and the many companies that will be exhibiting. I love hearing about new products and solutions for the industry, so I expect to get a lot from that.
What retailers do you admire? Why?
I admire Amazon for the way that they have focused on customer loyalty and improving the online shopping experience. The engineering driven workforce and programs/products like Prime and Kindle have made an unforgettable impact on the world of online shopping, and I think they will continue to outperform traditional retailers as the world of e-commerce continues to evolve.
What’s your dream retail job?
I’d love to work for a company that puts customers first and cares about the experience those customers have with their brand above all else. As traditional and online retailers continue to evolve in a world of new technology, they have to keep an eye on what the experience is like for customers who are shopping and interacting with their store and always maintain that perspective.
