Thousands of people from across the retail industry arrived in New York to focus on the future of retailing over the weekend at the National Retail Federation convention.
The retail trade association kicked off its 106th annual conference and exhibits, Retail’s Big Show 2017, in New York City on Sunday. Hardware Retailing editor Renee Changnon is at the event, looking for trends and takeaways for independent retailers.
The show, which runs Jan. 15-17, is expected to draw in more than 33,000 attendees. Those attendees will be able to visit booths of more than 500 exhibitors and listen to hundreds of speakers sharing insights on how to best connect with consumers.
On the first day of the show, attendees were given the opportunity to hear from executives of large retail corporations, including Walmart, Macy’s and Crate & Barrel, as well as astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Scott Kelly.
Additionally, people could explore the latest retail technologies and solutions on the show floor or by heading to the NRF Innovation Lab.
Watch for Renee’s insights from the show on the Hardware Retailing website.