NXTLVL Experience Design

Ep.5 Retail Is Not Dead - It's Right-Sizing with Jill Dvorak - VP Content and Retail Strategy, NRF

Episode Summary

Jill Dvorak - VP Content and Retail Strategy at the National Retail Federation (NRF) talks with host David Kepron about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the retail industry, shopping behavior, what is necessary now to engage and retain customers and how the industry is shifting to meet new consumer needs.

Episode Notes

INFO ON JILL DVORAK:

Website: https://nrf.com

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillsalomon/

Twitter: @JillDvorak

JILL'S BIO:

• Jill Dvorak is Vice President of Content and Retail Strategy at the National Retail Federation.
• In this role, she manages the strategic development and delivery of relevant content for all NRF platforms.
• She oversees the team responsible for bringing the retail content to life.
• She also leads the executive level NRF Digital and NRF Marketing Executives Councils.
• Before joining NRF, Dvorak helped lead e-commerce at National Geographic where she consistently achieved revenue growth.
• She was also responsible for partner relations with Fox TV Network and other groups to increase product sales.
• Prior to that, Dvorak worked as a senior retail consultant at the consulting firm FitForCommerce.
• Dvorak’s previous roles include leading North American consumer e-commerce for Encyclopedia Britannica.
• Before joining Britannica, she worked at Discovery Channel in the commerce department.
• In addition to merchandising for Discovery Channel online and retail stores, she also led the branded merchandise department.
• She has significant expertise in e-commerce, mobile, merchandising, UX and marketing.
• Dvorak holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland with specializations in strategy and marketing, and a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University.

INTRO TO THE SHOW:
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the shut down of industries like the hotel and hospitality business including food and beverage - restaurants bars, entertainment – movie theaters – and sports venues, and of course one of Americas past-times – shopping at retail stores.

Mom and pop shops or international mega brands it doesn’t matter, they all closed their doors. They may now be slowly beginning to reopen depending on geography or the company’s position on how to maintain a safe shopping environment. In some cases only to shut down again as COVID cases surge.

With occupancy rates in the hotel industry still hovering around to 40% is equally true that shoppers are choosing to stay home and buy more online and limit, or simply forgo, trips to Main Street or the mall.

Some retailers like those whose businesses were fundamentally online have thrived some retailers have barely survived another large name brands have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

None of this is particularly good news if you are an organization like the National Retail Federation whose mission is: “to advance the interests of the retail industry through advocacy, communications, and education. “ 

For over a century the National Retail Federation has represented the retail sector ‘standing up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail thrive.”And within those more than 100 years, there has probably never been a time when standing up for retail in the face of an invisible foe - the COVID-19 virus - has been so difficult. 

So for someone like Jill Dvorak - the Vice President ofContent and Retail Strategy at the National Retail Federation, “managing the strategic development and delivery of relevantcontent for all NRF platforms” has undoubtedly beenthe challenge of a career. 

Jill oversees the team responsible for bringing the retail content to life – but in the current crisis it may just be keeping retail alive is a key focus.

She probably has had to develop some Wonder Women-like powers of the past few months. And so I have invited Jill to talk with us about retail – the COVID crisis and leading into a changed retail future... welcome Jill Dvorak…

INFO ON DAVID KEPRON:

Website: https://www.davidkepron.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kepron-9a1582b/

Instagram: davidkepron and NXTLVL_experience_design

Twitter: @davidkepron