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.”

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.
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
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.
The Latest

The Swiss government announced the deal, which cuts the tax on Swiss imports by more than half, on social media Friday morning.

A buyer paid $4.4 million for the piece, which Napoleon wore on his hat for special occasions and left behind when he fled Waterloo.

Plus, how tariffs and the rising price of gold are affecting its watch and jewelry brands.

Roseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.

Furmanovich designed the box to hold Mellerio’s “Color Queen,” a high jewelry collection consisting of 10 rings.


Jennifer Hopf, who has been with JCK since 2022, will lead the execution of the long-running jewelry trade show.

Adler’s Jewelry is set to close its two stores as 82-year-old owner Coleman E. Adler II retires.

From educational programs, advocacy, and recent MJSA affiliation, Jewelers of America drives progress that elevates businesses of all sizes.

Founder Jim Tuttle shared how a dedication to craftsmanship and meaningful custom jewelry fueled the retailer’s double-digit growth.

JSA and Cook County Crime Stoppers are both offering rewards for information leading to the arrest of the suspect or suspects involved.

A buyer paid $25.6 million for the diamond at Christie’s on Tuesday. In 2014, Sotheby’s sold the same stone for $32.6 million.

Mercedes Gleitze famously wore the watch in her 1927 swim across the English Channel, a pivotal credibility moment for the watchmaker.

GIA is offering next-day services for natural, colorless diamonds submitted to its labs in New York and Carlsbad.

The National Retail Federation is bullish on the holidays, forecasting retail sales to exceed $1 trillion this year.

Late collector Eddy Elzas assembled “The Rainbow Collection,” which is offered as a single lot and estimated to fetch up to $3 million.

At the 2025 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto sported a custom necklace made by California retailer Happy Jewelers.

The brand’s seventh location combines Foundrae’s symbolic vocabulary with motifs from Florida’s natural surroundings.

The retailer also shared an update on the impact of tariffs on watch customers.

Pink and purple stones were popular in the AGTA’s design competition this year, as were cameos and ocean themes.

All proceeds from the G. St x Jewel Boxing raffle will go to City Harvest, which works to end hunger in New York City.

Courtney Cornell is part of the third generation to lead the Rochester, New York-based jeweler.

De Beers also announced more changes in its upper ranks ahead of parent company Anglo American’s pending sale of the company.

Former Signet CEO Mark Light will remain president of Shinola until a replacement for Ulrich Wohn is found.

Kindred Lubeck of Artifex has three rings she designed with Anup Jogani in Sotheby’s upcoming Gem Drop sale.

The company focused on marketing in the third quarter and introduced two new charm collections, “Pandora Talisman” and “Pandora Minis.”

The jewelry retailer raised its full-year guidance, with CFO Jeff Kuo describing the company as “very well positioned” for the holidays.

Ahead of the hearing, two industry organizations co-signed an amicus brief urging the court to declare Trump’s tariffs unlawful.



















