Beautycounter founder and CEO Gregg Renfrew, Minted founder and CEO Mariam Naficy and theSkimm co-founders and co-CEOS Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin are all relatively new to the corner office — but don’t let their “new kid” status cloud your view. NRF’s Susan Reda reported from Shop.org on how this new class of female entrepreneurs is connecting with women while creating better products and customer experiences.

NBA All-Star Kobe Bryant took the stage at Shop.org to talk about his transition from professional athlete to businessman and how it relates to the changes many are facing in the retail industry. Bryant and actor Omar Miller both spoke of the importance of storytelling in evolving a brand.

Simon Sinek made asking “Why?” a popular launch point for innovation. As NRF’s Artemis Berry writes, after the Executive Afternoon at Shop.org last month, the new question could be “Why not?”

Retail executives are facing the challenge of working together to drive innovation across the entire organization. Ahead of his appearance at NRFtech this summer, leadership advisor and author Michael Anderson shared his approach to leadership in times of change and evolution.

STORES' annual Retail Industry Software Sourcebook, the retail industry's definitive buying guide, is now available! Take a look at the digital edition of this annual directory, designed to help retailers of all sizes and in all channels find the applications they need to run a successful enterprise.

Nike’s new Badge of Honor line of sports bandages is aimed at overprotective parents in the Chinese market; each includes a comic strip about “young athletes who played hard, fell down and then had the courage to get back up again.”

The digital edition of STORES includes must-read pieces, including the articles featured here. Browse the archives for issues you may have missed.

Dolls Kill CEO Bobby Farahi’s rebelliousness shines through when he talks about the alternative fashion brand he founded with his wife, former DJ Shoddy Lynn. Farahi visited NRF’s Retail Gets Real podcast to share three strategies that worked for the brand when it comes to developing customer loyalty.

An analysis of retail sales associate job postings from 2007 compared with the same role posted in the last year uncovered some important trends that highlight how the role is changing. Whether you’re a retailer, job seeker or industry follower, it’s worth taking note of these changes.

Nearly 100 job seekers who recently completed Retail Industry Fundamentals were invited to take part in a hiring fair in Baltimore held by the NRF Foundation in September. Retailers including Macy’s, BJ’s Wholesale Club and Under Armour conducted one-on-one interviews during the event.

Ribeiro, a well-known Argentinian hardware and electronics retailer, has selected Oracle Retail to structure its omnichannel operations and integrate physical stores with ecommerce and the back office. The goal of this partnership is to attract, retain and serve Ribeiro’s omnichannel customers through simplifying the reorganization of internal processes.

Wyevale Garden Centres has invested in the Oracle Retail Stores suite of solutions including the latest version of Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service, Oracle MICROS Hardware and Oracle Retail Customer Engagement with Oracle Retail Consulting.

Tommy Bahama has expanded its investment in the Aptos Singular Commerce platform, adding Aptos Enterprise Order Management and Analytics to support seamless omnichannel experiences and one version of the truth across its enterprise. 

Target is introducing GiftNow on Target.com. Through the “GiftNow” button, which is powered by Loop Commerce, shoppers can select, pay for and immediately deliver a thoughtful gift, making it possible to for every gift to be risk-free.

Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. announced a partnership with Team Dignitas, an internationally recognized e-sports organization. Through the partnership, Buffalo Wild Wings becomes the "Official Hangout for Team Dignitas" and receives prominent logo placement on the sleeve of Team Dignitas jerseys, player appearances at restaurants, exclusive content featuring players and branding on monthly Team Dignitas live streams on Twitch and Facebook.

The Body Shop, an international beauty business, is leveraging Axway, a catalyst for digital transformation, to improve the customer experience at retail stores throughout Switzerland. With Axway Appcelerator, The Body Shop has been able to rethink its customer loyalty program, integrate massive amounts of data and successfully implement an innovative new mobile application to increase in-store purchases.

Tinyclues, provider of a leading artificial intelligence-first marketing solution, announced Charles Tyrwhitt as a new customer. The British-owned global menswear retailer expects to run its first AI-driven email-marketing campaigns in November, extending later to other communication channels such as print.

Mall of America, the nation’s largest retail and entertainment destination located in Bloomington, Minn., announced the official launch of its mobile app to make navigating the 5.6-million-square-foot mall easier for its shoppers. Senion provides the backbone to the app.