Retail is racing ahead, but the smartest move right now isn’t a new platform or a shiny pilot. It’s building the people who can turn technology into results. Scott Benedict unpacks why AI, connected supply chains, and blended physical-digital experiences only pay off when leaders know how to align teams, serve customers, and execute with judgment. We spotlight the NRF Foundation as a force multiplier, connecting more than 80,000 people each year to education, scholarships, and career-launching experiences that translate classroom learning into real impact.
Scott draws on his years at Texas A&M’s Center for Retailing Studies to show how students evolve from curious learners into professionals shaping strategy at major retailers and brands. We walk through programs like customer service and sales training, supply chain and logistics education, University Challenge, the Emerging Leaders Summit, and the Next Generation Scholarship, all designed to deliver day-one readiness and long-term growth. These aren’t résumé lines; they’re live-fire opportunities to meet mentors, present to executives, and practice the art and science of retail decision-making.
Amid the noise about automation and data, we center the human side: retail’s greatest innovation has always been people helping people. That’s the thread tying together better merchandising, faster operations, and memorable service. If you lead a retail team or partner with brands, you’ll leave with a clear takeaway: invest in talent as deliberately as you invest in technology, because the future belongs to companies that do both.
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