About the Retail: an Inside Look video blog series: At NRF’s 2010 and 2011 BIG Shows, NRF Foundation videotaped five-minute interviews with various attendees who work in all different facets of retail, from Directors of Sales to Vice President of Human Resources.  These interviewees discussed their climb up the retail career ladder and gave us insight into some of their favorite aspects of the industry.

You graduated from MIT with a double major in computer science and electrical engineering. Where did your interest in retailing come from? What led you to the world of online retail?

Yes, I did study engineering but not for the obvious reason most people would study it … I never wanted to be an engineer, I wanted to learn how to think critically and solve the most complex problems.

During my time at Goldman Sachs (my first job after MIT), I was in a group where I was one of the few women; as a result I was staffed on two types of deals refinancing tampon companies (literally worked on Tampax and Playtex) and the sale and financing of Neiman Marcus Group. When I worked on the NM deal and several other retail/luxury/fashion type of deals, I realized how inefficient the market was. This inspired me to create a new model. I love solving problems and the potential of making the world more flat through retail is very exciting to me.

Inspiration — and the idea of “being inspired” — seems to have influenced you throughout your career. How do you get inspired? What about the retail industry inspires you?

Inspiration or that “A-HA” [moment] comes from above…or I would refer to it as the universe. I live my live tapping into the global energy and potential we all have. Perhaps I am a bit “new age” but I think that inspiration is what leads to creation and if we don’t create… we don’t truly live.

Retail to me is not about “shopping,” but it’s the transfer of someone’s inspiration manifested into an object or experience that they want to share with others. My job is to simply tell that story and make the distribution more broad, reaching everyone in the world. It is a passion. I love being inspired every day by so many talented amazing people who are transferring their creations to make their customers inspired and live beautifully.

You have founded or co-founded a number of companies. How did you become such an entrepreneur?

I thrive in a world that’s open and where anything’s possible. I realized that being an entrepreneur is the best way to make that happen. I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I don’t like to “hop on the train” or go where is safe. Life is short. I love doing things that I can control, create and watch my efforts thrive and make a difference.

I read wellness has always been an important part of your life, and you are a competitive dancer. How do you balance work and life and other interests?

Life is life… in fact my work, AHAlife.com, is my passion. I get to meet talented inspired people creating amazing things across lifestyles, and help them make it happen and gain awareness and distribution. I don’t really separate “work” from “life”… it’s just all life to me.

What advice would you share with young people looking to get a start, or get ahead in retail?

My advice is simple. First discover your passion… if retail is your passion, you’re on your way. Most people don’t know what they are passionate about. Once you have that, just take any opportunity to open that up for you. Don’t be rigid — the best “job” I got was an unpaid job. Go for it and take every opportunity to magnify your passion.

Retail industry is intimidating with lots of people with tons of experience and old models. Embrace this… innovation is where really success happens. When you are intimidated, that means you’re onto something really fun and disruptive.

What is your dream job?

LOL….I believe in living the dream. But as I gain more experience, I would love to do more in philanthropy but more importantly, activate people to all contribute — not out of guilt, but out of passion.

Read more about the creation of AHAlife.com, Shauna’s background, and what’s next for her in the full NRF STORES interview.

About the Retail: an Inside Look video blog series: At NRF’s 2010 and 2011 BIG Shows, NRF Foundation videotaped five-minute interviews with various attendees who work in all different facets of retail, from Directors of Sales to Vice President of Human Resources.  These interviewees discussed their climb up the retail career ladder and gave us insight into some of their favorite aspects of the industry.

As director of the Jay H. Baker Retailing Center at  The Wharton School, you collaborate with more than 50 industry partners to expand resources available to faculty and students to support education, outreach and research. How have these partners contributed to the development of your students? Can you share an example?

Our partners have offered their expertise to our students in many different ways. They have been keynote speakers at our conferences; for example, last year Roger Farah (President and COO of Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation) spoke at our annual Penn Fashion Week and this year Vera Wang and William Fung (Group Managing Director of Li & Fung Limited) will speak.

Many of our partners have provided guest speakers from various areas in their organizations to come into our classrooms as a way of bringing relevant retailing experience into our courses. They have also worked with faculty and students to develop research and consulting projects.

For example, I am currently working with a group of students on a term project for Dress Barn and I have worked with Perry Ellis and student groups to develop brand strategies and social media concepts. Finally, many of our partners have hired our students for internships or full-time employment.

Why do you think retail provides attractive career opportunities for young people today?

Retailing is the largest industry in the United States, and it is a very diverse industry. It is an especially interesting time to get involved in retailing as the industry grapples with multi-channel opportunities. How will e-commerce, m-commerce or f-commerce affect traditional bricks-and-mortar stores?

While merchandising might be at the heart of a lot of retailing decision-making, there are also critical issues in supply chain management, in real estate decisions, in branding decisions, in human resources and in controlling operational efficiencies and costs. Many retailers are now developing global strategies as well.

Retailing provides a fascinating context for all of these critical business skills. Plus students who have an entrepreneurial bent usually gravitate towards some form of retailing.

You have an extensive background in higher education and academia (as a dean and professor of marketing at University of Miami and a published author in several industry journals, to name a few accomplishments). In a recent interview, you said “being an academic is the best job in the world.” What led you back to The Wharton School and the Retailing Center in particular?

For the last three and a half years I have been the dean of the School of Business Administration at the University of Miami. I am proud of the accomplishments that we achieved while I was dean there; we saw a big jump in our ratings, we made some very prestigious new faculty hires and we brought in better and better students to our programs. It was a very exciting time.

Although I really enjoyed being at University of Miami, it was not an ideal place for my family. Since I had spent 17 years at The Wharton School as a chaired professor of marketing and I was also vice dean of the Wharton Undergraduate Division before going to Miami, it was a natural place for me to return. I have very strong ties to the school and to the marketing department.

I also had very strong ties to Jay Baker. Many years ago, when he was president of Kohl’s, he helped me develop a creative term project for my consumer behavior classes. He came to the classroom several times with many of his top executives to make sure that the students had the most up-to-date information to work on their projects. The students loved him, and the projects were a huge success both for them and for Kohl’s. A few of those students ended up choosing a career in retailing once they graduated. I was delighted to have the opportunity to work with Jay again in this new role.

Any retail experience in your background? How did retail become an area of interest?

After graduating with an undergraduate degree I decided to work a few years before going back to graduate school. I worked in advertising and public relations, and many of my clients were in retailing businesses. I became interested in their problems and in creating effective marketing strategies for them.

When I went back to graduate school, I focused my research on understanding how consumers make decisions, why they buy what they buy. I studied brand loyalty, variety seeking and the design of product assortments — all issues that are very important in retailing. I also co-wrote a book on the supermarket industry called Grocery Revolution: The New Focus on the Consumer.

The Wharton School will graduate a new crop of undergraduates and MBA students in May. I’m sure many have come to you for advice and words of wisdom. What do you tell them?

This is a stressful time for students as the job market is more competitive than it has ever been. It is important when students are at Wharton to make sure that they take advantage of all of the opportunities that they have here, both in and out of the classroom. They have the chance to learn new and valuable skills and to form relationships that can last a lifetime.

When looking for a job, now is the time to try and follow one’s passion, to look for a job that can offer a lifetime career opportunity. While one does not have to stay in any job forever, finding a career path that makes sense for the long term is certainly an attractive option. I do think retailing offers that option to students.

Alumni can be great ambassadors for your program and retail. How do you keep them engaged in The Wharton School’s activities? Do you have any stellar graduates making a name in retailing you’d like to mention?

Many of our advisory board members are graduates of Wharton starting with Jay Baker himself! Also, Mohammed Alshaya (WG ‘84), CEO of M.H. Alshaya Company; Roger Farah (W ‘74), president and COO of Polo Ralph Lauren; Sam Haddad (W ‘93), president of Haddad Brands; Brendan Hoffman (WG ‘97), president and CEO of Lord & Taylor LLC; David Jaffe (W ‘81), president and CEO of Ascena Retail Group, Inc.; William Lauder (W ‘83), executive chairman, chairman of the board of The Estee Lauder Companies, Inc.; Pierre Yves Roussel (WG ‘93), CEO, fashion division of LVMH; Mark Schwartz (W ‘79), president, CEO of Palladin Capital Group, Inc.; Daniel Schwarzwalder (WG ‘72), senior managing director of Buckingham Capital Management; Steven Silverstein (WG ‘85), president and CEO of Spencer Gifts; and Robert Trone (W ‘81), founder of Total Wine & More …. Just to name a few!

In addition to serving as director of Wharton’s Retailing Center, you are a professor of marketing. What is your favorite course to teach, and why?

My favorite courses to teach are Consumer Behavior and Strategic Brand Management. These are courses that combine consumer psychology, customer analytics and strategic thinking in a creative fashion. They are so much fun to teach.

What else should retailers and others know about the Jay H. Baker Retailing Center and your programs and plans?

This is an exciting time for the Center and for the Retailing Industry. Changing technologies, consolidation in the industry and the move to a global marketplace presents tremendous opportunity for innovative solutions. We at the Center want to be right in the middle of it. We are looking to develop new curriculum for our courses, to create state-of-the-art new knowledge that will be relevant for the industry and to train our students to take leadership roles in the retailing world.

For more about the typical day-in-the-life of a marketing professor, read the full NRF STORES interview with Barbara Kahn.

We’re thrilled to expand on this interview because (a) we are in a bit of awe about his background, (b) we just love the story about him getting his “big break” after a visual merchandiser didn’t come to work during an epic snowstorm, and (c) we’re inspired by the number of retailers who’ve influenced his career.

What was your early work history and what were the lasting takeaways?

I had a paper route from about the third grade and that taught me about customer service and human nature — both positive and negative — and how the customer is always right. Simple lessons like always having enough change for the customer whose excuse was always that they “didn’t have change, so come back next week.”

How did you become interested in architecture and design?

I am quite sure when I became interested in architecture and design, I neither knew, nor understood, the words “design” or “architecture.” From early memories, I can remember constructing massive schemes from blocks, dirt, bricks or whatever material was at hand, and enjoying the transformation.

I read that you were a student at the University of Cincinnati when you participated in a cooperative education program that placed you at Federated Department Stores. Was this your first exposure to retail?

Yes, I participated in the co-op program, which today we would frame as internships. The program was quite innovative before, and remains innovative, with friends and students at the time co-oping for people such as Buckminster Fuller, Isamu Noguchi, or in my case, Federated Department Stores. Having had earlier co-op experience with traditional architects, the pace, combination of psychology, marketing and design, and the willingness to try, test, change and move on was quite appealing to an impatient 20-year-old.

My prior exposure to retail was as a clerk in a mall shop. I had the proverbial “big break” after the visual merchandiser didn’t come to work during a big snowstorm, and they enlisted me to pull the store’s show windows pre-Thanksgiving for the new Christmas installation to go in (those were the good old days when Christmas actually started a month, not months before the holiday). I was asked to create a temporary window display, and the owner not only approved it, but this led to a great opportunity to design three more of the company’s stores throughout my college years. This essentially gave me the opportunity to experiment and learn firsthand, concurrent with my more academic education.

NRF Foundation, the education and research arm of NRF, promotes retail as an exciting career destination. We think of the retail industry as a place where your passion can be your work. Can you share something about your pursuit of passions?

I agree that retail very much can be about passion, entrepreneurship and innovation. It is also an environment where failure is not always deemed as wrong. I am reminded of a quote from the creative head at the Anthropologie Group, who indicated that their mission is to “fail faster,” to be able to get to the right answer sooner, rather than stay in the middle safe ground and never fail.

I think the biggest challenge today is in finding retail companies that will make the investment in training, mentoring, and growing talent. The distinction between winners (Crate & Barrel, Urban Outfitters, Apple) and losers today is the difference in these companies’ ability to mentor and grow talent vs. other retail companies that may not be as successful, and who have not invested in this process.

What other advice can you share with young people looking to get a start, or get ahead in retail?

I would say it is probably to find ways to get both experience in the practical and education in the theoretical. I am thinking of the new reality show, “Undercover Boss,” where CEOs work at the jobs of their employees, which results in tremendous learning, empathy and perspective. There is no ivy tour route to retail, short of doing it, experiencing it and remaining a student every day in looking at things from a fresh perspective.

Who has been your biggest career influencer?

Earlier in my career I had a chance to work with a gentleman by the name of Charlie Hinson, who was key in the development and growth for concepts within the Limited Group, Abercrombie, Victoria Secret, Limited, Limited Express. I think the lesson was about listening and understanding; that you will learn much more with your eyes and ears than you will with your mouth. He had all of the authority, position and title to be the decision maker, but only exercised that power and right after he had a full understanding. Charlie conducted business with a quiet dignity, something that made a strong impression on me.

Want to know more about Mr. Nisch? His travel strategies? The latest and greatest places for shopping? A retail trend he sees on the horizon? Read the full NRF STORES interview.

Sandels Building, Florida State University’s Center for Retail Merchandising & Product Development

FSU’s Retail Center has a number of corporate partners such as Chico’s, Macy’s, Kohl’s and HSN.  What role do your partners play in the development of your students? What examples can you share that that demonstrate the value of these partnerships?

Our Center members play a very active role in our program. They speak in our classes on topics that are related to the course and share “real world” experiences with the students. They provide input for developing our curriculum so that our students are properly prepared to enter the workforce. Members give the students workshops and advice on resumes and interviewing techniques, as well as recruit our students for internships. Center members provide scholarships and speakers for our fall scholarship dinner as well as speakers and contacts for our annual spring Retail Summit.

Your center’s mission is to shape tomorrow’s retail leaders and advance retailing. Why do you think retail provides attractive career opportunities for young people today?

The students that choose our program here at FSU do so because they have already developed an interest in the retail industry. Once here, they soon discover they have made the right choice because of the exciting and abundant careers retail has to offer. What other industry will give them the opportunity to move up so quickly based on their performance and experience. This industry is so diverse and allows students to progress at a personal pace; there is no “glass ceiling” in retail!

You’ll have students graduating in May, what advice do you share with them as they apply and interview for jobs?

Throughout the students coursework we focus on “Executive Presence” working on proactive, professional and positive behavior so that they are properly prepared for their job search.  We make sure that our students understand the importance of a strong work ethic. Their first job may not be their dream job, but they can build on that experience. Two pieces of advice that we always pass on to our graduates is to “ABN” (Always be Networking) and never burn your bridges — the retail industry is surprisingly small!

There is a general misconception that retail is not a lifelong career.  What programs, classes or activities does FSU have in place that help dispel this myth, and communicate the multitude of diverse career paths available in the retail industry?

We begin at the sophomore level by acquainting our students with the many career opportunities to be had in the retail industry. Students become familiar with the numerous industry resources that are available and begin identifying and developing the skills that are necessary to succeed. Throughout their coursework they are exposed to the variety of careers to choose from in the retail industry and we encourage them to do summer internships to give them a chance to explore different types of professions. There has been a required internship in place for over 40 years and this gives the students an opportunity to research and find an internship in the retail arena that interests them and many lead to full time employment. During our annual Retail Summit, we invite our alumni back to give retail advice concerning their careers and successes and it gives the current students a chance to network and find out more about the careers of these young professionals. Right now we have four groups of students that are involved with the Florida Retail Federation Retail Masters Class in a team competition to determine the most effective, creative way to inform and excite a cross section of today’s university students about the enormous career opportunities in retail and we hope to make this an annual competition!

You recently held your Retail Summit and featured executives from JCPenney, Disney, Sports Authority and Cotton Incorporated.  Can you share some highlights of the event? What did the students learn from these retail professionals?

The Retail Summit is held in the spring and we have over 250 students attend. Our goal is to expose them to a variety of executives in an array of retail careers. One of the favorite speakers was from Disney who shared the product life cycle of Disney’s “Vinylmation” and then the students were given the actual product! The EVP from JCPenney shared her career path with the students and advised them to learn the business from the “ground up.” Sports Authority pointed out the power of the customer in this millennium; how you have to define and listen to your customer and how much social networking has affected the retail industry. Cotton Incorporated educated the students with their “dirt to shirt” concept and provided a grant that allowed the students to compete in recycling and reusing their cotton apparel. This is the second time that the students were able to participate in “speed networking” with the executives and FSU Alumni. One of the best pieces of advice an alumni shared was to always “dress and perform for the job you aspire to have.”

What else should retailers and others know about The Retail Center and your upcoming programs and plans?

HSN CEO Mindy Grossman at 17th Annual Scholarship Dinner

We will be holding our 17^th annual Scholarship Dinner in the fall. Last year Mindy Grossman, CEO and President of HSN, inspired our students with her “Eight Life Lessons.” This fall’s event will also include a special speaker and a ribbon cutting for our new labs and classrooms, featuring the Macy’s Merchandising Lab, The Office Depot Technology Lab and the yet-to-be-named Product Development Lab. We are always looking for new partners in the industry, and some of the benefits of joining the Retail Center include: providing input into a dynamic curriculum, creating an employer of choice strategy, and creating a visibility strategy for their companies.

Watch our Retail: an Inside Look video and learn more about what Jeffrey has to say about his experience in the retail industry.

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About Retail: an Inside Look video blog series: At NRF’s 2010 and 2011 BIG Shows, NRF Foundation videotaped five-minute interviews with various attendees who have worked in different facets of retail, from customer service insight managers to specialists in loss prevention. These interviewees discussed their climb up the retail career ladder and gave us insight into some of their favorite aspects of the industry.

It is no wonder that we wanted to continue the interview with the man, who runs a company that includes iconic shoe brands Keds, Stride Rite, Saucony and Sperry Top-Sider. Read on to find out more about his first retail job, his thoughts on pursuing passions and engaging customers.

Matthew Rubel, Chairman, CEO and President of Collective Brands, is active in industry and civic organizations, including the Jay H. Baker Retailing Initiative at The Wharton School.

Your resume includes a number of blue-chip retailers and brands — J.Crew, Cole Haan, Revlon and Tommy Hilfiger. What about your very first retail job? When did you first fall in love with retail?

My first retail job was at a very young age at my parents’ clothing store in South Florida. When they finally let me on to the selling floor, I knew I loved retail. It was all about the customers and making them happy. I knew immediately.

We [NRF Foundation] talk about retail being an industry where your passion — whether it be books, the outdoors, technology or shoes — can be your work. Can you talk about pursuing passions?

People are passionate about brands. And when you are the brand builder, creating great brands, it’s really fulfilling. We are working with such iconic brands where you can engage customers in great items to bring more vitality and fun in people’s lives.

What do you see as the biggest benefit of working in retail?

The direct connection with customers and seeing them enjoy your products.

What’s the biggest challenge?

Retail is truly dynamic and ever-changing — no one day is ever the same.

What do you look for when you hire?

People who know how to listen, want to win and know how to think.

In a previous interview when asked, “What would you say to anyone considering a career in retail,” you said, “Stay focused on the customer. They hold the key to any retailer or brand success. Be ready for dynamic action, pace and change. It’s a great place to be creative, work with teams and build. It’s also great because if you make a mistake you can mark it down, learn from it and move on.” What other advice could you share for young people looking to get a start, or get ahead, in retail?

It’s important that you do what you love. Work should be fun. If you love customers and exciting them with great product and a fun, engaging shopping experience, then retail is right for you.

Want to know more about Mr. Rubel? What’s his must-have technology, next on his reading list, or the role of social media in his company and their plans for international growth? Read the full STORES interview.

We continue the interview with “Smitty,” as he shares more about his life-changing (retail) job, why he thinks it is important to gain experience in as many areas as possible, and that it “all comes down to pleasing the customer.”

Smitty’s Founder Clyde B. “Smitty” Smith who got his start in retail as a grocery clerk before opening his own store.
At 92, he remains a retail icon and innovator in the supermarket industry for his fresh thinking.

Tell us about that first life-changing retail job.

Keith Rushing gave me a job at his grocery store in 1936 in Ames, Iowa, and I stayed with him for six years. He gave me an opportunity to work in each department. This basic experience was very important. Mr. Rushing helped me get into my first store in Roland, Iowa, in the fall of 1946 by guaranteeing my note at the local bank.

What happened next?

Beginning in 1954, we took a step up from our 3,200-sq.-ft. store to our first large store of 14,000 sq. ft. We tried to build each consecutive store bigger and better to impress the customer and give them the products and services they were looking for. I grew my company from one store to six before I moved our company to Phoenix and opened our first store there in 1961. It was 56,000 sq. ft. — twice the size of any supermarket in Phoenix. [The stores were acquired by Fred Meyer in 1999.]

You write that your life changed when you first stepped onto a sales floor. How did you move from the sales floor to the owner of a company of superstores?

I was so blessed, honored and so well-pleased that the owner of the first store I worked in was Mr. Rushing. He gave me opportunities to learn the grocery business, every department — from groceries, to meats and produce. To get experience in all areas is very necessary to achieve success in one’s business venture. Then as your business grows and you have good consistent profit and loss statements, share the profits with your management team. You search for other opportunities to grow your company – this encourages your management team to reach out, work hard, show leadership qualities and compete for the positions they are best qualified to operate. This helps them build a career for their future.

You’ve mentioned that although today’s retail environment seems complicated, it all comes back to the fundamentals, and with proper application, anyone with ambition and desire can be a success. Can you share more about this? What are some characteristics that you think are important for success in retail? What advice do you have for young people looking to get ahead in the industry?

Once again it’s in-depth experience, total commitment, ambition and desire that are the basis for future success. You must also include selection of the best employees, followed by training and then putting employees into responsible positions so that they can prove their ability and talent. But it all comes down to pleasing the customer; they’re always number one.

What do you see as the biggest benefit of working in retail?

In the supermarket food business I say people always need to eat. It is up to you and your staff to offer the consumer the very best place to shop. Again, it’s lead and don’t follow the competition.

In the book, “Pioneering the Superstore,” it outlines “Smitty’s Basics for Business.” How would you summarize  “Smitty’s Basics”?

Work hard; be fair; be truthful; and have honor and integrity. Provide excellent leadership; build a team of experts; train, train, train; give incentives; share the profits; and put the customer first.

The keys to success are: listening to customers, caring for employees and vendors and taking risks in marketing to make a vision a reality. Today’s retail environment seems complicated, but it all comes back to the basic fundamentals. With proper application, anyone with ambition and desire can be a success.

How would you like retailers to apply these lessons?

Apply them and watch the difference in sales and attitude of the employees and customers.

Want to know what is on Smitty’s wish list? His favorite place to visit? Read the full STORES interview with Clyde B. “Smitty” Smith.

Mr. Gaede has an extensive retail background. Read on to hear what he has to say about: why he loves the industry, what he looks for when he hires, and his advice to others looking to get ahead in retail.

Sven Gaede, CEO, Radley + Co., Ltd., credits his father as his biggest career influencer

You have an extensive retail background, holding positions in merchandising, finance, business development and product development. Can you share more about your previous positions and how you got where you are today?
I joined leading U.K. High Street retailer Marks & Spencer as a trainee merchandiser. I stayed there four years and left as a merchandiser. I then studied and earned an MBA … and from there joined Booz Allen Hamilton, consulting in consumer goods and retail. … What followed was a series of top-level management positions in retail. I have been lucky for the most part. I managed my CV carefully to build a rounded career, but was lucky that people believed in me and took a chance on me.

What are the two most important skills you’ve learned and used on your climb up the career ladder?
Integrity in dealings and clarity of thought and communication.

Who’s been your biggest career influencer?
My Dad. He instilled a sense of hard work, confidence and the goal of leading by example.

Finish this sentence: I love working in retail because … It is immediate, fast and dynamic.

NRF Foundation promotes retail as an exciting career destination. What do you see as the biggest benefit of working in retail?
It’s fun (most of the time), every day is different and you can move quickly up and across positions.

What do you look for when you hire?
Enthusiasm, intelligence and ambition — in that order.

What other advice can you share with young people looking to get a start, or get ahead, in retail?
Try different areas of the business if you can. Even if you can’t work them yourself, get to know how the whole value chain works. It is really interesting to know product and the sales process.

Want to know Mr. Gaede’s best shopping experience, person he’d like to meet, and how he unwinds? Read the full STORES magazine interview with Sven Gaede.

“Hmmm. I bet most folks don’t know that our very first employee that we ever hired
still works here. Her name is Barbara Anderson and she started more than 30 years
ago as our first salesperson and today is one of our fabulous Vice Presidents of Stores.”

When The Container Store joined as an NRF Employer Partner, we were thrilled at the opportunity to interview Barbara Anderson and feature her on our Retail Career’s Blog. Barbara has recently retired, but after her years of experience — and working with a lot of  people — she has great advice on the skills needed to get ahead. And, she has some great stories! Wait until you hear how she answered: “Tell us something about The Container Store that most people don’t know.”

When did you first fall in love with retail?

Very early in my life – when, as a child, I would play store for days on end and my toy cash register was a favorite toy. I always loved to go into stores, look at how things were displayed and watch the staff do their jobs. It was not until as an adult, when I had my first garage sale, that I realized I missed my calling. It took several years before I found The Container Store, and once I found it, I never looked back.

You started at The Container Store more than 30 years ago as a salesperson. You’re retiring as a Vice President of Stores. How did you get where you are today?

Oh gosh, over the years my career has taken many different and fascinating paths. All within a year and a half, I went from a customer to a part-time employee to full-time to store manager of our first store. After 11 years of store management, I became involved with building the community service aspect of our business; I ran the call center in its earlier days; developed new employee training and our first handbook; worked to ensure that every employee, in every store truly understood the culture that makes our company so great; was a regional manager and for the last six years of my career was one of our Vice Presidents of Stores. I have always been one to act if I see something that needs to be done or changed. I love interacting with people – employees and customers. I am willing to do what needs to be done to move things forward. These were great attributes to help me grow my career in an entrepreneurial company and to help guide The Container Store through the 30+ years of the tremendous growth we have experienced.

Can you talk about how an on-the-job experience or training program helped prepare you?

Obviously, I had no background in retail; however, so much of it came very naturally to me. Plus I really understood how I needed to be responsible for my own education if I was going to quickly learn the world of retail. I watched and listened to Kip Tindell (Chairman and CEO) and Garrett Boone (Chairman Emeritus), hanging on every word they said and display that they touched. I constantly challenged myself to be the best I could be and to be bold in trying new things. I quickly learned to read my customers and adjust my approach to their specific, individual needs. Retail became a fascinating laboratory for me – one in which I would constantly try new ways of displaying products and approaching customers and then tweaking the results.

What are the two most important skills you’ve learned and used throughout your career at The Container Store?

First, when dealing with personnel issues, I learned early on not to jump to conclusions. Good people really want to do their job well and if one assumes the employee is trying to do the right thing, but the results of their efforts were not what they or we expected, then the outcome of the conversation is much different than if I had immediately assumed the worst of that employee. This means I had to learn to really listen to what other people were saying and to not be too busy to ask questions in order to ensure that I fully understand the situation before I made a decision. I also learned the importance of regular follow up with clear and compassionate communication. Clearly spelling out for the employee what they did well and developing an action plan for the areas of opportunities they had for career growth.

Second, retail at The Container Store is all about true customer service. I learned how to quickly build a rapport with each of my customers that included more than just finding the product they were looking for. Instead I realized it was about truly caring enough to ask the right questions so that I could find the right and complete solution for each customer’s particular organization needs.

There are many misconceptions about working in retail (low pay, long hours, little career advancement, etc.). Which myth can you debunk for us?

At The Container Store, low pay is not an issue as we pay over industry average and employees are compensated according to their contribution. Long hours? Yes, I must say, some days are long days, especially during the busy seasons, however the hours literally fly by because it is so easy to get caught up in the positive energy in the store.

Finish this sentence, I loved working in retail because ………… each day was unique because of the people – our employees and our customers, the products and the opportunities that come with being a part of the service industry.

What was the biggest benefit of working in retail? What did you love most?

I could write a whole book about the benefits of working in retail. One of the many benefits I have always appreciated is the constant interaction with the people, whether it is employees or customers. It gave me a chance to be creative and truly feel as if I had been able to make a positive impact in another person’s life.

What was the biggest challenge?

At times, because of our passion for knowledge and belief that “Communication is Leadership,” keeping up with all the product information, training, and the large amounts of company communication can be challenging, but I would never have wanted it any other way.

What advice can you share about how to advance in the industry?

Some of the qualities one needs to advance in retail are self motivation; the ability to learn from all the opportunities and resources around you; lots of positive energy; love of people and a passion for sales and helping others. It’s also important to have an interest and understanding of all the different dynamics and metrics that explain the business and know how to put them into action to drive sales.

Tell us something about The Container Store that most people don’t know.

In the early days when we only had the 1600 sq. ft. store and no warehouse, Garrett would sleep in his car in the alley behind the store to guard the newest shipment of merchandise that would not fit into the store. As we gained more product and needed more storage space, Kip and Garrett rented regular storage units to store the extra merchandise. Since they had no way of keeping track of what product was where, they would have to go by memory and drive from storage unit to storage unit until they found it. In the beginning we did not have a safe, after the store closed we would hide the daily revenues above the ceiling tiles or under fixtures throughout the store and leave a note for the person opening the next day describing where the money was hidden. If the closing person forgot to leave the note, the next morning there would be a mad scramble throughout the store looking for the money. Times have certainly changed with armored car pick ups, 49 stores and a 1.1 million square foot, state of the art distribution center.

When The Container Store recruits, what are the most important traits you look for in a candidate?

Some of the qualities we look for are integrity and transparency; high, positive energy levels; exceptional communication skills; leadership skills; good time management skills; a passion for selling; and love of people. In addition, we also try to determine through conversation if the applicant has the same core values as the company values and culture.

What do you think will be the biggest change in the industry over the next decade? What should the next generation of retailers be prepared for?

The economy will be slow to recover as the country readjusts to the post recession economic climate. Many people will be managing lower disposable incomes which will change their shopping habits and retailers will be constantly adjusting to these changing patterns. To sustain success, retailers will need to be able to keep up with the rapid changes in technology. This will include understanding how to successfully communicate with their customers through all the consistently evolving channels.

In addition to the two skills that you’ve learned and used throughout your career, what other characteristics are important for success in a retail career?

Having good time management skills and the ability to keep multiple projects moving forward at the same time is a very important skill to have in a busy retail environment. Through trial and error I learned so much about all the different things that makes a product sell, such as lighting, placement with other products, shelf height, signage, staff embracement, etc. I also cannot emphasize enough the importance of loving to interact with people and the art of selling. The Container Store environment is a team oriented environment where we all understand that great accomplishments can be achieved if individuals do not worry about who is going to get the credit – which is a philosophy I have carried with me throughout my whole career. I also learned the importance of making sure all of our employees feel valued, respected and are able to see the progress they are making in their job performance. If the employees are treated well they will make sure the customers are well served and this of course makes for a strong and healthy company.

30+ Years at The Container Store – can you sum it up in one word?

Rewarding!

“The constant change. You can’t stand still in retailing. You must always be innovating
and pushing the envelope. The competitive landscape is always changing. The customer
is always changing and evolving, and so must we. I like being challenged in this way. I
just love this business. It’s a privilege to come to work every day and do something I
absolutely love to do, even in this very difficult economic environment…”

Terry Lundgren, President, Chairman and CEO of Macy’s Inc.

Mr. Lundgren has been interviewed once again, and his insights are no less fascinating. On NRF’s BIG Blog, the CEO — of one of the most famous retailers in the world — discusses a range of topics from Macy’s annual parade, emerging holiday trends, and the company’s focus on localization. One particular part of the interview that struck us was Mr. Lundgren’s thoughts on how seasonal employees can turn a part-time holiday position into a full-time career. He goes on to share:

In September, Macy’s announced that it was hiring 65,000 seasonal employees during the holiday season. Some of these seasonal hires may hope that their temporary positions become permanent. As someone who spent part of his career as a store manager, what advice would you offer a seasonal employee on ways to stand out to management in the hopes of transitioning from part-time holiday help to full-time company superstar?

There will always be room at Macy’s for someone who is energetic, knowledgeable and focused on the customer. Selling skills are key. Many of the people who start with Macy’s as a seasonal store associate will end up with the company full-time. Some of them have risen through the ranks to be senior executives at Macy’s today. When I was just starting out in the company after college, I received some great advice from the manager who recruited me to the company. He said that to succeed, you need to “bloom where you are planted.” That advice has stayed with me to this day. It means that no matter what your job, do it to the very best of your ability. Really care. Go the extra mile. Show initiative and creativity to achieve your goals and go beyond them. If you really pour 100% of yourself into your job, people will notice. You will create your own opportunities for advancement.

Tell me something about yourself that most people don’t know.

When I started out in college, I planned to be a veterinarian. Then I learned what a veterinarian does for a living and what it was like to artificially inseminate a cow. So I switched to business. My first exposure to retailing was a high school job delivering clothing from a tailoring shop to local menswear stores in southern California. But I never really aspired to a career in retailing until I graduated college and interviewed with Bullock’s department store in southern California to be an executive trainee in the buying organization. At Bullock’s, I saw what an interesting, fast-paced business retailing was, and what good opportunities there were to advance my career without having to move from one company to another. I went from trainee to CEO of Bullocks Wilshire in 13 years and never stopped learning or loving my job.

To read the full interview with Terry Lundgren, visit the NRF BIG Blog.

Read our interview to find out more about Mr. Ullman’s thoughts on retail as a “team sport,” the importance of mentors, and how JCPenney builds “careers” for high potential employees.

Do you recognize your employees for excellent customer service? If so, how?

As a key principle of our WINNING TOGETHER culture, we encourage recognition in every aspect of our business. This is manifested by special awards at the store level as well as, when appropriate, through cash bonuses. Last year, in fact, we recognized more than 125,000 associates with a special bonus for their contributions to our overall customer satisfaction scores and, ultimately, our profitability.  We have a similar program in place this year to continue to recognize Associates for delivering on the key pillars of our CustomerFIRST initiative.

What characteristics are most important for a successful career in retail?

Retail is a team sport and developing the leadership skills to effectively lead others while continually executing in a fast-paced environment is fundamental to a successful retail career.

A person seeking a career in retail needs to have a passion for interacting with people – both in how they serve customers as well as in how they work with their colleagues to foster an environment of teamwork and innovation.  At JCPenney, we’re focused on becoming the preferred choice for a retail career and our best leaders are committed to seeking out opportunities to help their teams continually learn and improve.  In fact, I – along with several members of my team – lead internal training courses throughout the year to demonstrate our commitment to making JCPenney a great place to build a career.

What advice can you share with students and young professionals on how to be successful in the retail industry?

After college, I had the opportunity to work in a broad range of organizations, including IBM, the University of Cincinnati, and serving as a White House Fellow.  My first job in retail was at Sanger Harris in Dallas working in the supply chain organization — I literally went from the White House to the warehouse.  You can imagine the differences in each of those work experiences, and they each provided me with an opportunity to learn a whole new set of skills. Given the constantly changing consumer landscape, retail provides a significant opportunity to continually learn and grow, and having a broad perspective will serve as a strong foundation for a retail career.

I’d also suggest that young professionals find a strong, committed mentor.  I’ve been fortunate to have exceptional mentors, and they’ve each made a meaningful, positive impact on my career.

Why do you like working in retail?

With more than 150,000 associates serving the more than half of America’s families that shop JCPenney each year, there’s a level of energy that goes into continually innovating around the merchandise and the customer experience while still executing our day-to-day business that keeps this business interesting.

We vigilantly monitor all of the key metrics around our business, and we know where we’ve won and where we need to improve.  The prospect of having an opportunity to beat our competitors and win with customers is what make me excited to come to work each day.

Do you think retail provides attractive career opportunities for young people today?

Retail is probably one of the most attractive industries for young people because it provides more meaningful leadership and development opportunities than other industries. For example, with more than 1,100 stores and 150,000 associates, JCPenney associates often have the opportunity to lead teams and manage entire businesses earlier than their peers in other industries.  In fact, we have several younger associates running multi-million dollar businesses.

Given this, leadership development is one of our top priorities at JCPenney.  In fact, when other companies were recently decreasing their development budgets, we accelerated our training and leadership programs to ensure our associates are have the tools they need to lead their teams and inspire customers to shop with us time and time again.

JCPenney is one of NRF Foundation’s Employer Partners. Mr. Ullman was also interviewed on NRF’s BIG Blog about his company’s best practices in customer service.

With more than 25 years of experience, in merchandising and marketing, at companies such as Levi’s, Dockers, and Banana Republic, Mr. Coe knows what it takes to succeed in the retail industry.

Read on as he shares his thoughts about why he was drawn to retail, why you shouldn’t take any experience for granted, and why Lands’ End is a good place to work.

Nick Coe, President of Lands’ End, in the new Lands’ End Canvas store

What characteristics are most important for a successful career in retail?

I think it’s about curiosity, passion for product, a deep understanding of the customer and an ability to pull stories together whether online, in a catalog, on a shop floor or in a store window that inspire a customer to engage with the brand.

What advice can you share with students and young professionals on how to be successful in the retail industry?

Take nothing for granted; even the most junior level product/merchandising role can offer you valuable insight into how a specialty retailer works and what is required to succeed.  Moreover, you should be constantly studying the industry to understand the competitive landscape and what customers are being inspired by.

Will you share a bit about your own career path? Have you always been interested in retail as a career? If not, what led you to retail?

I became intrigued by the industry because I was naturally drawn to product that I couldn’t afford— enticed by beautiful tailoring or a perfect pair of jeans.  I was seduced by the notion that great quality could and should be available at a price the average customer can afford. Once I learned the basics of merchandising, I wanted to go beyond building product to building a brand. And I wanted to do it in concert with the customer, rather than to the customer. That means listening to the customer, merchandising to meet their real needs and occasions for wear, and ultimately, telling great stories.

Why do you like working for Lands’ End and why should others want to join you?

I think we have built an environment that cultivates and recognizes a passion for creativity for products, people and business solutions. At Lands’ End, creativity does not stop with design, but rather permeates the entire organization.

Lands’ End is an authentic brand with deep roots in quality, customer service and value that is more relevant for today’s customer than ever before. The opportunity to mine that history, leverage the knowledge of long-term employees and harness the loyalty of the core customer base to help chart a course for the future is invaluable.

What advice would you offer someone interested in a retail career or currently working in an entry level position?

I would say there are four things they need to do.

First, be prepared to face and drive change. This industry is all about change and it needs to constantly move forward to stay buoyant.

Secondly, you must take educated risks.  Recognize that what worked yesterday won’t always work tomorrow, so plan for that.

Thirdly, trust your gut. There is a fine balance between the art and science of design, merchandising and marketing, which is why a strong instinct is invaluable.

Finally, it is imperative that you clearly define and understand your customer and never stop looking for ways to surprise and delight them.

Nick Coe, President of Lands’ End, was also interviewed on NRF’s BIG Blog about his company’s best practices in customer service.

Chris McCormick was first drawn to L.L. Bean because it was a family-owned business and built on a love of the outdoors. Mr. McCormick became the company’s Assistant Advertising Manager in 1983. In the 18 years that followed, he earned a succession of promotions: in 1991, he became Vice President of Advertising and Direct Marketing; in 2000, he became Chief Marketing Officer; and, as of May 2001 — upon Leon Gorman’s move to Chairman of the Board — he became the first non-family member to take on the title of President and CEO at L.L. Bean, Inc.

What incentives, if any, do you offer employees who provide exceptional service? What qualities do you look for in assessing and hiring candidates?

We look for friendly, positive people who are down-to-earth, share a love for the outdoors, and have a sincere interest in helping customers.

Do you believe that retail in general, and L.L. Bean in particular, provide attractive career opportunities for young people today? How can you — or any other retailer, for that matter — ensure that your employees are consistently good ambassadors for your company?

At L.L. Bean, we have the advantage of a legendary brand that is admired far and wide. We encourage our employees to use our products and participate in outdoor activities. In addition to vacation time off, we offer employees “outdoor experience days,” and have an employee use room so they have firsthand knowledge of our products. We are very fortunate to have a brand that makes people want to be part of it themselves.

You started your career in marketing, and you’ve worked for L.L. Bean since 1983. Have you held any other positions in retail? How did you get where you are today?

I have held a variety of jobs in marketing and administration in other companies, but all of my retail and multi-channel experience came while at L.L. Bean. My own professional growth has come from a desire and ability to see and take advantage of opportunities to grow the business. This is a valuable skill and is something we continue to look for in new talent.

It has been said that attitude is more important than an education in the fundamentals of retailing to drive success in one’s career. Do you agree? Why or why not?

To be good in retail you have to be good with people, so yes, attitude is critically important in maintaining a positive friendly relationship with customers. Yet, one cannot underestimate the importance of education. Retail is getting increasingly sophisticated and complex. The demands of the multi-channel environment require bright people to manage the challenges of so many disciplines: operations and fulfillment, information systems, marketing, product development, and sourcing, to name only a few.

What characteristic is most important for success in a retail career?

In addition to attitude and education, flexibility and adaptability are also very important. In my time at L.L. Bean, we have gone from being an expert cataloguer with one store in Maine, to a multi-channel international enterprise. The competition in retail is fierce and if you don’t adapt to what’s going on in the marketplace you’re done. New media, social media, and the world of the Internet in general, have been huge game changers. Everybody has a voice and this puts even greater pressure on us as we compete while still trying to maintain a compelling value proposition through relevant products, price, quality, convenience, and service. To come out on top you will need to experiment, take some risks, and experience failure. The sooner a person can get comfortable with that the better off he or she will be.

What advice can you share with students and young professionals on how to advance in the industry?

Build a portfolio of experience, starting with the customer experience, and obtain as much cross-functional exposure as possible in order to understand the breadth and depth of the multi-channel retail environment. You won’t succeed if you don’t know all the appropriate touch points of the customer experience. But once you gain that knowledge, you will start to understand why a customer is or is not returning to you for his or her future needs.

To read more about L.L. Bean, and their award-winning customer service strategies, visit the NRF Retail’s BIG Blog.

When I heard that DECA was competing in the Pepsi Refresh Project, I reached out to Mike Marchetti for more details. Mike is the current chairman of DECA’s National Advisory Board, and also Executive Vice President of Store Operations for Finish Line. He has always been an enthusiastic supporter of DECA — not just because he personally believes in their mission, but also because of how the relationship impacts Finish Line’s bottom line.

Mike Marchetti, chairman of DECA's National Advisory Board, and Executive VP of Store Operations for Finish Line, with two DECA members.

You’ve worked in the retail industry for 30 years. Can you tell me about some of the previous positions you’ve held in retail? How did you get where you are today?

I started as a shoe salesman while working my way through college. After a few years in the Navy and completing my education, I decided to make retail a career. I was a natural salesman and so it was a good fit. I started my management career by managing stores for Kinney Shoes in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois. From there I was promoted to District Manager in Houston, Texas, and then to Regional Vice President in Chicago.

Kinney acquired Champs Sports and Robby’s Sports. Both were based in Florida, with stores in the southeast. Having a passion for sports, I inquired about opportunities with the new company. When they started expanding to the Midwest, I joined as District Manager in Chicago, opening up stores across the Midwest. About a year later, I was promoted to Regional Vice President responsible for everything from Puerto Rico to Seattle, as well as all the Going to Game stores across the country.

In 1995, I met Larry Sablosky, one of the Finish Line founders. In talking to Larry, I found an opportunity of a lifetime. That’s when I joined Finish Line. And I have never looked back.

What are the two most important skills you’ve learned and used on your climb up the career ladder?

Being in management, I think the #1 skill you have to have is being able to coach a team. I have always compared it to being a good parent. As a parent, you want the best for your kids. It’s the same in being a good coach.

And I guess #2 would be hard work. Nothing replaces hard work. I think you can get anything you want in life if you are willing to work hard enough for it.

Finish Line has had a long partnership with DECA. Your company sponsors an Employment Partnership Program and the Sports & Entertainment Marketing Competitive Event. Finish Line also provides a number of scholarships, and you serve as Chairman of the National Advisory Board. Tell me more how the relationship started and the benefits of partnering with a student organization like DECA. Do you have a favorite DECA/Finish Line activity?

I was first introduced to DECA when I worked for Kinney Shoes. They’d had a long partnership with DECA and I knew that it was valuable to Kinney’s. I took that information with me when I went to Finish Line. When we were ready, I reached out to DECA to get our partnership started.

The Finish Line/DECA Partnership has many benefits – on both sides of the ball – but we are specifically focused on hiring DECA students in our stores. Their schools are a good overlay to our stores and the tie to the classroom provides a reliable source of semi-trained, career-focused employees.

As an Ops guy, my favorite part of the partnership, of course, is the bottom line. DECA students make up about 10% of our overall workforce and consistently outperform all other hiring sources for our company. We also gain valuable market information through our working relationship with DECA classes because the students are our core customer group.

That said, probably the most rewarding part of our partnership, for me is, our scholarship program and participating in DECA’s Executive Mentor Program. The thrill I get from encouraging and interacting with these young people is just incredible.

Your company holds an annual DECA Day with store managers. Why does Finish Line want to hire DECA members for its stores?

As I mentioned, DECA students represent 10% of our store employees – and we want more. DECA students are already trained in marketing, sales and service – and it shows. They routinely outperform our other hiring sources in every measurable category.

What advice can you share with students and young professionals on how to advance in the industry?

Retail is an incredibly dynamic industry. It also allows you to work just about anywhere you want to live. Those are VERY big benefits to consider when thinking about a career. As far as advancing, retail is very similar to other industries. You need to find the sector of the industry that inspires you to excel, work hard – and you will.

Finish this sentence, I love working in retail today because….

I am a very competitive person and I think retail is a very competitive industry. Change is a constant. It requires you to lead versus follow, to be successful.

NRF Foundation encourages you to vote for DECA in the Pepsi Refresh Project every day until April 30. The Pepsi Refresh Grant will help DECA expand on the development and delivery of their Competitive Events Program, of which a number are retail-focused.

As Director of the Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing at the University of Arizona, you collaborate with 30 industry corporate partners to expand resources available to faculty and students to support education, outreach and research. How have these partners contributed to the development of your students? Can you share an example?

The partners in the Lundgren Center are essential to our success. We strive to build a bridge from the classroom to industry and we do this by involving our partners. In this past year we have hosted executives in the classroom, sponsored professional development workshops, coordinated field trips and study tours. The Lundgren Center provides an entry point for our partners to reach out to students, build relationships and hopefully successfully recruit tomorrow’s retail stars.

PetSmart is an excellent example of a partner who contributes a great deal through the Lundgren Center, and in return reaps numerous benefits. We offer a career development class we call the “Career Wise Cats” where students develop a resume, perfect their interviewing skills and identify a career path that interests them. Petsmart executives regularly present in class and offer interviewing tips and career guidance. The students in the class are also eligible to interview for Petsmart summer internships, academic scholarships or part time peer-to-peer mentoring positions.  Both PetSmart and the Lundgren Center consider the program a great success – students develop their professional skills and PetSmart identifies talent for internships and training programs.

Your center is named after Macy’s President & CEO. What roles does Mr. Lundgren play in the center? How has he helped retail careers?

Mr. Lundgren is a 1975 graduate of the University of Arizona and as an alumnus of this great university he is a role model for our students and resource for faculty. He has been invaluable in helping us shape our vision for the Lundgren Center for Retailing. He visits campus once a year and provides our students with a strong perspective on what it takes to lead a successful organization like Macy’s. He supports our belief that centers like the Lundgren Center for Retailing are critical in highlighting opportunity and building interest among students in retailing careers.

Tell us why internships are important and how they shape a student’s professional development and career.

Our academic program encourages all Retailing and Consumer Sciences students to complete an internship between the junior and senior year. We structure the internship so students can earn up to nine units of academic credit with a 10 – 12 week internship. The experience is an important balance to the classroom. We know that students hoping for placement in an executive development program with a retailer when they graduate must demonstrate some level of real world knowledge about the industry. The internship provides this exposure and builds knowledge of the company. Students who graduate with our academic major and a structured internship are in high demand by the retailing industry. Many already have a job offer waiting for them when they graduate.

Do you have any stellar graduates making a name in retailing you’d like to mention?

We are very proud of the accomplishments of our graduates. We have many working today for department, discount and specialty retailers in buying, planning, visual merchandising, marketing and human resources. Many have also chosen to work in manufacturing as sales managers. It is rewarding to see where how the careers of our alums unfold, many stay in the industry while some have returned to get law degrees, MBA’s or PhD’s.

What does the Lundgren Center offer retailers and related employers that is different from other schools? Tell us about the program’s collaboration with the Eller College of Management and why that is significant.

The University of Arizona has an enrollment of 38,000 students and an excellent Career Center that serves the needs of several hundred employers who recruit on our campus. What is often difficult for recruiters is finding the connection with the right student groups, clubs or classrooms in order to meet candidates. The Lundgren Center offers the opportunity for partnership and a place to connect with outstanding students and faculty. Every partner in the Lundgren Center has a student ambassador to assist with recruiting. Our faculty invite retailers into class and we sponsor an award winning SIFE Team. The Lundgren Center represents all retailers and promotes retailing careers to all students at the University of Arizona.

The McClelland Park Building, a 72,000 square foot new building, is the home for John and Doris School of Family and Consumer Sciences and your center. Talk more about this building, the classes you offer and how it benefits efforts to recruit more students to retail programs.

Our building has brought excellent visibility on campus to the retailing program. In our bright, light-filled building students can enroll in over 14 courses that focus on all elements of the retailing industry such as retail strategy, brand management, marketing strategy, global retailing and consumer behavior. With this new visibility has come significant growth in our retailing program – over 500 students are now majoring in Retailing and Consumer Sciences. To manage this growth and improve the overall quality of our graduates there are rigorous academic and GPA requirements. Our students must complete accounting, statistics, business math, economics and research methods courses before they can declare themselves retailing majors. In this way we are assured that incoming students have the strong quantitative skills our companies are seeking.

There are some star retailers headlining the Global Retailing Conference this year – executives from Macy’s, The Home Depot, Walmart, Kohl’s, JCPenney and fashion designer Rachel Roy to name a few. What or who are you looking forward to the most? What do your students gain from attending the conference?

Our conference this year is at the new Dove Mountain Ritz Carlton and offers a very strong lineup – an unbeatable combination. Personally I am looking forward to learning more about the innovative strategies in place among all the successful companies represented. I can’t say there is one speaker I am looking forward to over another, I usually get at least one good piece of information from every speaker. We make a point of opening the conference to our retailing students, and they turn out in high numbers. The students get exposure to some of the brightest minds in the industry today and they are offered an unparalleled networking opportunity.

What else should retailers know about the Terry J. Lundgren Center and your programs and plans?

I am always looking for partners who share our enthusiasm and commitment to the development of tomorrow’s retail stars. If you would like more information about partnering opportunities please contact me at mburke@ag.arizona.edu. You can also find the Center on Facebook and Twitter.

University of Arizona’s Lundgren Center for Retailing is one of NRF Foundation’s College Partners. Melinda Burke also serves on NRF Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Katie Loftus and Abby Kessler, co-owners of Smak Parlour

I read that over the past 5 years, Philadelphia has developed its own fashion community, marketing the city’s potential for an even bigger fashion scene.  How is your store contributing to this new focus of retail and design?  What do you think of the Philadelphia fashion scene?

Old City, Philadelphia is an awesome location to have an independently owned business. All of our neighbors do creative things, Philadelphia has a very DIY (do it yourself) feel and we’re proud to be a part of it. We contribute to this by designing and making our clothing in Philadelphia, thus creating jobs and being able to offer special, limited-edition items to our customers who love looking unique. We also support local artists by selling their jewelry and accessories.

The store design of Smak Parlour includes pinks, reds, blacks, stripes, polka dots a dozen chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. And, you design clothing based on what you want to wear. From where do you draw your inspiration?

We’re actually up to 16 chandeliers at this point!  We really draw inspiration from each other. We love looking back at different eras of fashion and getting inspired (pin- ups, 80’s, old Hollywood and more)! We love bouncing ideas off each other, we can get very imaginative!

You design clothing based on what you want to wear, so obviously you wear a lot of things from your own line. What are some of your favorite items? And, where are some other places you like to shop?

You might spot at least one of us wearing our signature ruffle hoodie. It is a long zip-up sweatshirt made of the softest baby french terry with luxurious gathered ruffles around the hood. We also love our over-sized sparkly turtlenecks that are sewn on to tanks, tees and tunics. We order styles from other vendors that we want to wear in addition to our own line, and ordering all of those items is a total shopping spree for us. Since we have such a broad range of items from jackets to shoes, for the most part, we really do only shop here!

Who is your typical customer?  Describe the “girl” who shops at Smak Parlour.

Our customers love fun, rock ’n roll, retro, girly, glam, 80’s, pin-up, vintage-inspired styles! It’s a lifestyle, not an age.

Smak Parlour’s store design.

Not too long ago, you doubled the size of your store and included other items such as housewares. Where do you see Smak Parlour business 5 years from now?

Five years is a long time so you never know! We are driven and open to whatever opportunities come our way! We know one thing for sure, we’re going to continue to design & produce our clothing locally and seek out even more unique things to keep getting fuller and fuller… with more and more to offer.

You started your business 5 years ago and have survived one of the most challenging economic times in retail history.  How did you prepare and overcome these challenges?

With our expansion, we brought in more brands of clothing, jewelry, lingerie, accessories, gifts and most OF ALL DIFFERENT PRICE POINTS! In troubled times like these, people always need a pick-me-up (some shopping therapy)! There’s something here everyone can afford.

Can you give us specific examples of items you’re selling at specific price points?

We have dangling chain earrings, carved lucite rose rings, heart compact mirrors, undies, picture frames, gloves, books, and retro oven mitts for $12 or less. For $25 or less, we have sunglasses, hair accessories, scarves, hats, many styles of earrings and bracelets, tank tops, tees, leggings, wallets, piggy banks, umbrellas, candles, baby onesies, ice cube trays, coaster sets, and eyemasks. In the $45-$100 range, we have dresses, jackets, cardigans, skirts, tunics, tops, blouses, lingerie, shoes, curtain sets and vases.

How is your business doing? What makes it most successful?

Overall, our business is doing great. Of course, we feel the economic challenges but we are offering affordable price points and we get new things almost every day. We genuinely enjoy what we do and are truly happy to be “at work.” We are often told that our shop has an uplifting, friendly, upbeat vibe… we love that our customers leave smiling and in a good mood. Perhaps that’s part of why they keep coming back.

Jewelry and accessories were an important component to Smak Parlour’s expansion.

Tell us about the wholesale business you created while at Drexel University.

Our line was SMAK by Abby & Katie, deconstructed, embellished, silkscreened t- shirts. It was in hip, cool boutiques across the country.

Drexel awarded you the Entrepreneurial Award recognizing your use of education, initiative and innovation to create a new business.  Tell us how they’ve supported you through your venture.

Drexel’s been so supportive of our shop! They awarded us an Entrepreneurial Award and continue to send students our way. Many professors bring their classes into our shop for a meet and greet. We love speaking to eager students and answering their questions.

What role does e-commerce play in your business?

We have a website with gifts, house-wares, baby clothes, jewelry, and accessories for sale. Stay tuned for more!

What’s currently the best selling item in your store?

Our new burn-out tees are hot sellers! They’re great… they come in all different colors, they are $22 and you can layer them on top of each other. They’re long enough to wear with leggings!

Starting a retail boutique business with your best friend (since the age of 15) sounds like something of a dream, but also something that could turn out to be a nightmare.  Tell us how you make the partnership (and friendship) work and how you share decision-making.

Katie – It’s absolutely a dream come true to work with Abby! I can’t imagine doing this without her. We always want to make sure the other one is happy, no matter what, so sharing decisions and getting along effortlessly comes easy to us.

Abby – We never fight. It sounds like a lie, but it’s true.

As store owners, you’re in charge of design, inventory, finance, and hiring. What criteria do you look for when hiring an employee?

Experience, personality and drive are important but, most of all, they should have an interest.

What advice do you have for a student looking toward a career in retail?

You must be passionate about fashion – it’s a lot of hard work and long hours so it requires dedication. It is absolutely worth it if you love what you do!

We continue the Q&A with Kip Tindell, to learn more about his first start in retail, what he looks for in new hires, and what it takes to advance in the industry.

You began your retail career in high school working in the paint department of Montgomery Ward. How did that experience lead you to open your own store, and how did it shape your view of retail?

I’ve always loved the excitement of retail. The theater of it. The smile on the customer’s face when you’ve helped her find the exactly right solution for what ever she is working on that particular day. We really wanted to create a niche in the industry – and at the time it was putting together a collection of products that helped solve myriad challenges – it was all left up the to the creativity of the salesperson and the customer working together.

What do you love most about the retail industry?

That it’s ever-changing and that we must continue to provide added value for our customers, while staying true to our core brand and business. And the people!

On the flip side…what’s the biggest challenge?

Of course, in this economy the challenge is making sure that we’re providing the experience and value that customers are looking for, while staying true to your brand. Day in day out…it’s ensuring that we hire and keep great employees in retail…it’s all about the people.

You’ve been at the helm of The Container Store since 1978 when the first store opened. Since then, you’ve undoubtedly hired hundreds, if not thousands, of people. What are the most important traits you look for when someone comes in for an interview?

We love to hire a peer to our customer. Someone with great life experience, say sending a child off to college or organizing a business. Great energy, attitude and interpersonal skills. People who love to sell and problem solve solutions for our customers.

Tell me something about your company that most people don’t know.

Hmmm. I bet most folks don’t know that our very first employee that we ever hired still works here. Her name is Barbara Anderson and she started more than 30 years ago as our first salesperson and today is one of our fabulous Vice Presidents of Stores.

Also, I don’t know how many people know that we have an unofficial, internal mascot – Gumby. He represents for us the flexibility you have to have in retail.

What advice can you share with students and young professionals on how to advance in the industry?

Be bold and brave in taking ownership of your training and education – don’t wait for formal training to come your way. Speak up and speak often. Become a true merchant – read, read, read about what’s going on in the business pages and in the retail industry.

Kip Tindell was elected as the Chairman of the NRF Foundation Board of Directors in January. Read the full interview with Kip on NRF’s BIG Blog.

Here are a few of their tips:

Going abroad. Many companies will be looking to expand into new international markets as the economy starts to turn.  If you’re interested in going overseas, companies will be more inclined to send a young person rather than a senior executive for cost purposes says Jim Viola, strategic HR and talent management consultant.  However, as Robert Diee, senior manager – learning design at The Home Depot pointed out, there is a transition period that college grads experience when entering into the workforce.  It will serve you better to tackle this transition first by putting a few years of retail experience on your resume then combining your effort with a cultural transition.

The power of networking. Kira Martin, a student from Florida State University explained to the panel that while she is in excellent academic standing, has lived in China, has retail experience;  she has applied to numerous internships and has yet to hear from ANY she’s applied to!  Rick Philips, Ph.D, chief technology officer and VP of Business Development for Castle Worldwide explained that the lack of response from employers is more a sign of the economy then it is her resume.  In which case all three panelists agreed that you’ve got to try even harder to market yourself with networking – not just online such as Facebook and Linkedin but by making face-to-face connections with employment opportunities.  Moderator Christopher Hollins, VP, retail industry strategic relationship group, American Express adds that getting a job in today’s economy is 5% talent and 95% effort.

Developing your skill set. When you secure an internship, make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck.  If you’re not able to work for your dream company, you still should be developing a skill set that you can offer to your future employer.  Internships are a great way to get your foot in the door and many companies will be more likely to hire you after you’ve been exposed to their culture and environment.

Note: You can read a full recap of of the students’ presentation over at NRF’s BIG Blog.