National Retail Federation’s ‘Big Show’ almost a week away

Thousands of retail industry professionals will convene in New York City next week for the National Retail Federation’s Big Show expo, which runs from Jan. 13-16 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

The show will feature more than 50 keynote speakers and sessions led by 170-plus industry leaders and more than 100 exhibitor sessions with vendor case studies and product demonstrations. 

This year’s conference is also highlighting its Foodservice Tech Stage, which will focus on food and beverage innovations, operations, and digital technology. 

FedEx Corporation CEO Raj Subramaniam is the 2024 keynote speaker for the conference and will discuss the current state of shipping and logistics. 

“With more than three decades at FedEx, Raj Subramaniam is spearheading the organization’s growth and is revolutionizing the global transportation and logistics industry,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement. “We look forward to hearing from him about how FedEx is innovating and what that means for the sophisticated retail supply chain ecosystem.”

The show kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 13, with the daylong program “What’s in Store for Retail Media Networks” and will include hundreds of retailers, technology experts, and others to discuss “what’s widely considered the most important channel in the white-hot retail media network ecosystem – the physical store,” according to NRF.

Walmart U.S. President and CEO John Furner will open day two of the conference with a conversation with NRF CEO and Chairman John Furner.

Also on Jan. 14, Yael Cosset, chief information officer and senior vice president of The Kroger Co., will discuss market trends with Sucharita Kodali of Forrester Research.

And BJ’s Wholesale Club Chairman and CEO Bob Eddy will discuss how strategic partnerships bring value in a dynamic retail environment.