Majors

The RealReal CEO to Be Honored by NRF as Retail Leader

MajorsSep 29, 2021

The RealReal CEO to Be Honored by NRF as Retail Leader

Julie Wainwright is on the National Retail Federation’s 2022 list of “People Shaping Retail’s Future.”

20210929_Julie Wainwright.jpg
The RealReal Founder and CEO Julie Wainwright has been named to the NRF’s 2022 list of “People Shaping Retail’s Future.”
Washington—The National Retail Federation will honor a group of retail leaders at a ceremony in New York City this January.

One of the honorees on the 2022 list of “People Shaping Retail’s Future” is The RealReal Founder and CEO Julie Wainwright, the woman behind the luxury consignment giant.

From high-priced handbags to high-end clothing, the retailer sells all types of luxury goods. Its watch and jewelry sales have been doing particularly well.

Wainwright founded The RealReal in 2011 at her kitchen table, visiting consignors at their homes with a U-Haul truck, the company’s website states. 

The RealReal now has 18 retail locations where customers can sell, consult with experts, and receive free valuations in person. 

 Related stories will be right here … 

The other honorees are Five Below President and CEO Joel Anderson, McDonald’s Corporation President and CEO Chris Kempczinsk, CVS Health Executive Vice President and CVS Pharmacy President Neela Montgomery, and Chewy CEO Sumit Singh.

“This year’s honorees have each led their companies through incredible changes,” said Jeff Gennette, chairman and CEO of Macy’s and chairman of the NRF Foundation Board of Directors, in a press release announcing the honorees.

Over the next several weeks, the NRF Foundation will feature the honorees in a series of videos for a behind-the-scenes look at how they built their careers and what their impact on the retail industry has been.

In Wainwright’s video, she gives a nod to gemologists around the 12-minute mark when highlighting careers in the retail industry some may not think of at first.

She noted the company helps employees receive gemology training and shows them how to authenticate luxury brands.

WATCH: The RealReal’s Julie Wainwright Shares Her Insights
“We look forward to celebrating the retail professionals who have dedicated their careers to building better lives and stronger communities,” said NRF Foundation Executive Director Bill Thorne. “These dynamic retail leaders are dedicated to sparking innovation and creating opportunities in the industry that impacts people in every community every single day.” 

The 2022 NRF Foundation Honors will be held Jan. 16 at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.

The event will be co-hosted by Gennette and National Retail Federation Board Chairman Mike George, who is set to retire this year as president and CEO of Qurate Retail.

For more information about the event, visit the NRF website.
Lenore Fedowis the senior editor, news at National Jeweler, covering the retail beat and the business side of jewelry.

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