NRF Student Program Highlights!

Warrington students attended the NRF Student Program and the NRF Big Show proudly representing the University of Florida. The programming attracted business students with intriguing topics and retail executives discussing retail issues with students seeking careers within the industry. Here are some of the comments about the experiences all submitted to encourage Gators to attend the event next January.

Tours and Talks

The Tours and Talks part of the NRF Student Program will be some of the most influential moments from the experience in New York City. I visited with Kohl’s and Macy’s to hear about various internship and full-time programs. These connections opened my eyes to the endless possibilities in retail. As a marketing major, my sights have been set on the specific field, however, as I attended Kohl’s evening networking event, I was able to connect with leaders in merchandising, production, and product development. The Kohl’s representatives shared their experiences of working in different departments and how they were able to transition between them. They emphasized the importance of being open to learning and trying new things. That night I went home researching Kohl’s internships and found one that really interests me. I was able to later reconnect with a leader in production at the career fair and express my interest and research in the Assistant Merchandising Internship. I am proud to say I received and accepted an interview offer for the position, and I am excited to see where things go. Similarly, at the Macy’s talk, I was able to learn about the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and how they were actively working to make their workforce more representative of the communities they serve. Overall, the Tours and Talks provided me with a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the retail industry and network with professionals in the field. It was inspiring to see the passionate individuals working toward the common goal of creating a positive shopping experience for customers. I left the program with a newfound appreciation for the retail industry and the diverse career paths it offers.

Hope Underwood

Student Program Conference

The NRF Student Program provided me with new insight into the retail industry and new goals. I was able to learn from different industry leaders and understand their paths to success. They each had a different story ranging from working at the same company since they were 18 years old to joining retail a decade after graduating college. Each session and speaker had their own, unique advice I will forever take with me, but one consistent message got from everyone was to never hide your authentic self. Authenticity is what makes you stand out and contribute the best version of yourself to the retail industry. I have also formed lifelong friendships with fellow NRF Student Program participants who share the same passion and enthusiasm for the retail industry. Together, we have learned about the latest trends and innovations in retail and have developed a deeper understanding of the industry’s impact on society and the global economy. Overall, the NRF Student Program has been an incredible experience that has opened doors for me that I never thought possible. It has given me the tools and knowledge to pursue my dreams and make a positive impact in the world of retail. I am grateful for the opportunities and relationships that have come from this program, and I look forward to continuing my journey in the industry with the skills and confidence I have gained through the NRF Student Program.

Hope Underwood

Throughout the conference, I had the privilege of listening to inspirational retail leaders like Kristin Shane of PetSmart, Julie Averill, CIO of Lululemon, and industry icons Libby Edelman & Fern Mallis. Their genuine personal and professional advice has shaped my perspective as I navigate my career path. The executive mentorship experience allowed me to absorb so much knowledge and create connections with leaders from Walmart, PetSmart, Ulta Beauty, Best Buy, and American Express. One of my favorite moments from the NRF program was attending the Big Show, where I sat in on multiple interviews with leaders such as Michelle Gass, President of Levis, and Raj Subramaniam, President of FedEx. Listening to their journeys and learning about the future of retail was very intriguing.

Nadia Matouka

Next Generation Scholarship

Applying to the NRF Foundation’s Next Generation Scholarship has been one of the best experiences of my college career. I decided to apply due to my personal & professional interests in the Retail industry but also to bring more exposure to career opportunities in the industry for fellow Gators. My goal always originated from motivating other students into pursuing a role there and showing them how the possibilities for growth and personal development are endless in the retail world.

Becoming a Top 5 Finalist for the scholarship was a surreal experience. As I moved through the phases of the process, I had the opportunity to learn from incredible professionals and C-suite executives, show them my own skills through the case studies and interviews, as well as network with other like-minded students. The Foundation also sent a camera crew to each of our respective schools to film a “Day in the Life” and other promotional marketing materials. On the last day of the Student Program, Top 5 Finalists were recognized on-stage at the Honors Gala, which was sponsored by American Express & PWC, in front of hundreds of significant executives in the industry like Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO, Lululemon’s CIO, Shopify’s CEO, Crocs’ CMO, and more. It was a night I will always remember and an experience I will forever hold very dear to my heart.

Gators should apply for the Next Gen scholarship and any of the NRF Foundation scholarships if they are eager to leave a meaningful impact on the industry and be around Retail professionals who are receptive to students’ ideas.

Rosinella D’Ostilio

Rising Star Scholarship Recipient

As a freshman at the University of Florida, the NRF Student Program was a one of-a-kind and eye-opening experience. Being able to hear from so many supply-chain executives, CIOs, CEOS, and other experienced retailers in just a few days was a huge privilege. The first day, we heard from nine speakers including the CIO of Lululemon, Julie Averill and the co-founder of Sam Edelman shoes, Libby Edelman. Before attending the conference, I assumed we would just be learning about different retailers and their experiences, but we were also given so many tips and advice on how to be a better student, entrepreneur and person. The second day started with a live podcast and later our speakers went in detail about the ins and outs of internships and starting your career. Instead of attending the huge career fair provided by NRF, freshmen and sophomores were able to attend a workshop, practicing and learning about the skills and techniques it takes to be a great candidate for an internship. We were able to practice elevator pitches, confident introductions and networking with fellow students creating such a hands-on and one-of-a-kind experience that I hadn’t found anywhere else. The time I had at the NRF Foundation Student Program was extremely helpful when it comes to developing myself for my future career.

Isabella Toby

Belk Executives Discuss Experiential Retailing and Localization

Mike Sablowski, Senior Vice President of Planning and Allocation and Kym Hammer, GVP of Planning and Allocation visited UF to educate students about experiential retailing is and why localization is so important to Belk.

After watching online sales escalate then moderate, Belk was in a position to reinvent department store retailing to interest shoppers who enjoy online shopping as well brick and mortar shopping. To do so, they needed to create shopping as an experience by (for example) prioritizing customer engagement, inspiring new approaches, defying the customer’s expectations yet still addressing the customer’s needs.

As Belk was investigating the experience for their customers, they decided that they have stores in a variety of locations that serve a variety of customers. They realized that they need to address the shopping experience and assortments and build them around their local customers. Belk analyzed and filtered store data and broke their stores down into five different segments as part of their localization framework. The executives talked about their different segments, beginning with the Sunshine segment which are stores mostly in Florida or Texas as those customers shop similarly. The other segments were developed as well, also by analyzing the data to develop appropriate assortments for their locations. The purpose was to treat each store as unique whereas before, the same assortments were sent to each of them.

Macy’s Product Director Speaks about Product Development

Stephanie Weiss, Product Director for Inc RTW, began her presentation by helping students understand the three main principles of product development: Vendor principles, country and regional principles and product cost principles. When sourcing for a vendor, there are a number of factors to consider to help narrow down and focus in finding vendors that are right for the business. Part of this entails what a vendor is capable of and where they are located. Weiss also considers the other retailers that the vendors servs as well as the minimum orders they require.

When sourcing a country or a region, she strongly considers the lead times a vendor can provide, the types of costs needed to develop a product and finally, the quantities needed for production as the larger quantities yield lower costs.

Weiss stressed the importance of vendor relationships. She commented that having a strong relationship with your vendors is mutually beneficial. There are many benefits to keeping partnerships strong with your vendor base. Strong relationships with vendors allow you to have more flexibility, increased reliability and partnership when there are roadblocks or issues. Since Covid, and to help maintain the relationships, she physically visits vendors to assist them in the development of the merchandise.

She discussed how fabric is the leading driver of cost. For example, fabric is 64% of the breakdown cost of ready-to-wear knit tops. There is no other change than can provide a cost savings as easily as the material. With fabric, fiber content and yarn type can affect a final cost. Additionally, the complexity of a garment’s construction can increase the costs as well as the washes, colors and source of the material to create it.

So how does a vendor build a cost? Weiss deconstructed a garment for students to see how the type fabric used and its construction mattered in the cost plus how the finishing, trims, details and labor added to the cost. Then she discussed the intricacies of shipping. An example is the price difference on whether an item is boxed or hung for shipping and of course whether an item is shipped quickly by air or slowly by cargo ship.