The NRF Foundation (Washington, D.C.), the non-profit arm of the National Retail Federation, has named its “List of People Shaping Retail’s Future.” The 25 individuals selected form a diverse group, from a United States senator (Richard Durbin, D-Ill.) to a teenage fashion designer (Isabella Rose Taylor) and “represent power players, disruptors, givers, influencers and dreamers in the retail industry,” says the organization.
Two merchandising executives, Margarita Arriagada, chief merchant, Sephora Inc. (San Francisco) and Jim Gold, president and chief merchandising officer, Neiman Marcus (Dallas) made the list and will be honored during the NRF Foundation’s Inaugural Gala next week in New York. Arriagada was chosen for innovative merchandising strategies that deliver “excitement and discovery” to the customer according to the foundation. Gold is being recognized for “navigating the 107-year-old [Neiman Marcus] through a retail landscape of ever-changing modern tastes and technologies.”