Retail Gets Real

What started as a rugged utility product built for workers and outdoor enthusiasts has evolved into one of the most recognizable lifestyle brands in retail: Stanley 1913, part of PMI WW Brands LLC. Matt Navarro, global brand president, PMI WW Brands LLC (Stanley 1913), joins Retail Gets Real to discuss how Stanley balanced explosive viral growth with long-term brand building, global expansion and product innovation.

(00:00:00) Building a career through mentorship and growth
(00:03:59) Reinventing Stanley for a new generation
(00:08:09) Understanding Stanley’s evolving consumer
(00:10:21) The partnerships driving Stanley’s cultural relevance
(00:14:29) Balancing Stanley’s heritage with innovation
(00:16:05) The innovation history behind Stanley’s products
(00:18:09) What leadership looks like inside Stanley 1913
(00:22:01) What’s next for Stanley

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.
Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.

Resources:
• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association
• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org
• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy
• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com

Related:
• 413: Leading Carhartt through growth, culture and change
• 350: Comfort, collaboration and imaginative innovation at Crocs

Retail sales remain strong, consumers are still spending and yet economic anxiety continues to dominate headlines. NRF Chief Economist Mark Mathews joins Retail Gets Real to unpack the contradictions shaping today’s economy, from record-low consumer sentiment to resilient retail performance.

(00:00:00) Why consumers keep spending despite economic anxiety
(00:05:17) Why family spending stays strong during economic pressure
(00:07:03) What the K-shaped economy actually means
(00:09:15) How retailers are adapting to a new generation of consumers
(00:11:11) Why retail remains one of the most misunderstood industries
(00:15:23) What makes a great economist

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.
Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.

Resources:
• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association
• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org
• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy
• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com

Related:
• 387: Behind the data: Insights from NRF’s top economists
• 400: How retail navigated uncertainty and transformation in 2025
• 397: What’s driving holiday shopping in 2025

Digital transformation in retail is no longer optional, and few leaders have had a front-row seat to its evolution quite like Joseph Cano, senior vice president of digital commerce at Lowe’s. With technology evolving daily and customer expectations rising just as fast, success comes down to one thing — staying relentlessly focused on the customer. That mindset has shaped every step of Cano’s career, with each experience reinforcing the same lesson: When the customer is at the center, navigating new business models and constant disruption becomes easier.

(00:00:00) From retail stores to digital leadership
(00:07:19) Launching Lowe’s Marketplace at speed
(00:10:13) How AI is reshaping the customer experience
(00:16:00) A leadership style built on trust and transparency
(00:18:59) Inside the culture driving Lowe’s forward
(00:21:25) Staying ahead in a constantly evolving retail landscape
(00:23:51) A 10-year prediction for the future of retail

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.
Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.

Resources:
• Lowe’s Mylo AI Shopping Assistant
• Lowe’s Marketplace
• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association
• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org
• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy
• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com

Related:
• 413: Leading Carhartt through growth, culture and change
• 395: Adapting to the rise of AI shoppers

From a wholesale-only business to a multi-channel global brand, Carhartt has expanded its reach without losing sight of who it serves: hardworking people. Linda Hubbard, president and CEO of Carhartt Inc., shares how one of America’s most iconic brands has grown while staying grounded in its original purpose.

(00:00:00) Growing Carhartt beyond wholesale
(00:05:50) Leading change inside a legacy family business
(00:10:08) Career growth, mentorship, and asking for more
(00:14:22) How the Carhartt customer has evolved
(00:17:52) Carhartt’s strategy for opening stores
(00:20:12) Inside the Carhartt and Ford collaboration
(00:23:38) The future of retail: AI, resale and direct growth

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.
Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.

Resources:
• Forged In Detroit: Carhartt And Ford Announce Partnership To Strengthen Essential Economy
• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association
• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org
• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy
• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com

Related:
• 393: How Bealls is shaping the next era of value shopping
• 349: How Arc’teryx is reaching new heights while staying loyal to its core customers

Brieane Olson has spent nearly two decades helping reshape Pacsun. She joins Retail Gets Real to share what it takes to evolve a legacy retail brand without losing sight of the customer. With a retail career that began at age 15, her foundation in fashion still shapes how she leads today. The connection point between product and consumer remains an energizing part of her career journey, and influences how she leads people, sets strategy and guides the business through constant change.

(00:00:00) Olson’s path to CEO
(00:07:40) Pacsun’s evolution from retailer to brand
(00:12:58) Inside Olson’s new book, “Co-Created”
(00:15:16) Leading through change and uncertainty
(00:20:20) Why leading mission-first is essential for the future of retail
(00:24:10) What Gen Z and Gen Alpha are saying now

The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association.
Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.

Resources:
• Preorder “Co-Created” by Brieane Olson
• Become an NRF member and join the world’s largest retail trade association
• Learn about our retail education platform, NRF Foundation, at nrffoundation.org
• Learn about retail advocacy at nrf.com/advocacy
• Find more episodes at retailgetsreal.com

Related:
• 411: Redefining JCPenney for today’s customer
• 401: How Old Navy is building opportunity at scale