Behind the Scenes of NRF Europe with Jill Dvorak and Ryf Quail

In this special episode of The Retail Podcast, Alex Rezvan sits down with Jill Dvorak (SVP Content, NRF) and Ryf Quail (Managing Director, NRF APAC) for a behind-the-scenes look at NRF Europe’s inaugural show in Paris.

From global connectivity to the future of retail leadership, the conversation spans:

• Why Europe needed its own NRF “Big Show”

• The pace of retail innovation and technology adoption

• Retail as a people and emotional business

• What’s ahead for NRF New York and NRF Asia-Pacific

• How regional shows are reshaping global retail growth

Retailers from more than 40 countries gathered in Paris, and this episode captures the energy, insights, and optimism driving the industry forward.

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Now, this is a moment that we never thought it would happen.
The three shows in, oh, sorry, two shows.
You can say, count me, You're the really big show.
Yeah, I can't say that this is the big show.

(00:25):
I am really privileged to be here with, as I always say, the
behind the scenes look. You know, it's very rare that
you come to a conference and youmeet the people that are
actually creating the content, creating the structure, creating
that environment. But what I would love to start
with is just getting your top one thing.
What has NRF Europe, it's inaugural show in Paris meant to

(00:48):
you? Maybe we start with you.
Well, honestly, I mean, expectations have just been
blown away. Really.
The hope was that this was an international gathering of
retailers and partners, much like we do it in the APEC region
and in New York. You know, we want this to be a
global event. You know, we've done the big
show in New York for more than 100 years and really used to
need one time a year to shop, content to shop, you know,

(01:11):
technology to walk the floor. But things are moving so fast
right now. You really can't wait till, you
know, January rolls around everyyear.
So the thought and the reasoningbehind a lot of this is let's
let everybody have three times ayear, maybe 4, maybe five times
to get together, to connect, to talk about the challenges
they're facing. How are they handling them?

(01:32):
What new technologies coming up?I mean, my Lord, there's new
technology here that was not here three months ago.
So the scale and the breadth andthe depth is just, it's moving
faster than ever, ever. And we had more than 40
countries here. That was, you know, we hit our
goal, but always want more. You know, we had lots of
languages being spoken on the floor, which is so exciting.

(01:52):
I could understand a few of them.
But ultimately, it's about bringing Europe together and
ensuring that they have a place to share and that they have a
place to always kind of anchor them.
Yeah. And hopefully this spurs more of
a global conversation on the European continent.
Perfect. Thank you, Reef To you, my
friend. What what's what's the sort of
thing that stood out for you? This is my first European show.

(02:16):
I've been to shows obviously in the US, I've been to shows in
Asia and Asia Pacific. But the thing that stood out for
me is how universal retail is. And for me, the, the warmth, the
connectivity between the people,the enthusiasm not just of the
retailers to share and be connected, but also of the of
the exhibitors who want to solveproblems.

(02:36):
The problems that we're seeing are not dissimilar around the
world. But I think for me, you know,
the energy and the positivity ofthe group has been awesome.
So for me, you know, unlike the US show, this is a regional show
more similar to our show in, in in Singapore.
And I think for me that as Jill said, it's, it's, it's, it's,

(02:56):
it's really will become a reallygreat meeting point for the
region because people love people.
They love sharing, they love their challenges, they love
their people. People in retail love retail and
they love to talk about it. One last thing I'd love to add
is that, you know, we talk a lotat NRF about, you know, inside
the company about how retail is a people business.
Retail is an emotional business,you know, you can't think of

(03:20):
maybe, you know, everyone has a story of a brand that was
important to them, shopping withtheir parents, their
grandparents, maybe their first job.
Like there's something there that draws you either to brands
or to an experience. And it's a people business.
So exactly to your point, you'rewalking around the floor,
everyone has teams, everyone haspotentially global teams.
How do you manage them? How do you handle it?

(03:41):
How are you upskilling on AI forthem?
But all of these issues around the globe can be helped by, you
know, kind of this more regionalor global conversation.
So just thrilled to be here and thrilled to have the chance to
gather all of these, all of these somewhat new to me brands.
It's just exciting to be able tokind of keep learning.
I want to. I want to keep that energy and
just look forward. We're in almost the end of

(04:04):
September, October really two months before the big show,
right? December, in my mind, we're in
the golden quarter. So if you're a retailer, you're
like could come talk to me in January, right?
Because yeah, everything's locked down.
What is? And I'll be curious from you
going from here and thinking about your obviously big show,
New York NRFA pack. What's the what?

(04:25):
Where's your focus at? What's driving?
That, yeah, I mean, 26 is going to be here in, you know, 1/4 and
1/2, you know, and it's it's incredible.
But really, the line of speakerswe've chosen for New York,
January 2026, a lot has to do with the theme, which is the
next now and really the meaning on that.
It's a little bit of word play. It's the next is now, meaning

(04:46):
the next is coming. I thought it was tomorrow and
it's already here. It's just kind of this almost
fast forwarding of how quickly things are changing and
happening. And it's also about the next
generation, the next now that's that generation that, you know,
I don't think any of us are in anymore, but we can, we can
understand it. It's really they shop

(05:07):
differently, they think differently, they interact with
brands and loyalty in a just a much more global in a totally
different way than a lot of consumers that we've come to
think we understand. So I think switching our lens
from a content perspective, it'snot just only, you know, the
giants that we want to hear fromand all the amazing things

(05:29):
they're doing. It's a lot of these, they're not
even, you can't even say they'restartups, but a lot of these
brands that just pop that go viral and they're huge
immediately and they might sell one or two skews.
It's not a, you know, depth and breadth assortment anymore.
But why does that happen? How does that happen?
And there's a lot that kind of more of the legacy retailers or

(05:49):
some of the D2C, you know, retailers can learn from.
So we're focusing on, you know, keeping your house in order,
ensuring your structure is greatand turn your data is clean and
all of the really, really important things.
But also what are some of those Nuggets that you can look at and
think they did it? Maybe I can try to emulate
something like that. So looking into 26, you know,

(06:10):
fingers crossed that, you know, everything, everything goes
according to plan. But it's looking really, really
good right now, and I'm excited to watch it all come to life.
Yeah. Touch wood.
Brick, how about you, my friend?I think, I think for me, I mean,
we've gone on a really big journey over the last couple of
years and in a way for as an, and I hope, I hope you doesn't

(06:30):
mind me saying this, but I thinkit's we've redefined a little
bit about what N refs about N ref.
The Big Show has always been about leadership in retail and,
and that sets the Big Show and where it is in in Paris or
Singapore or in New York away from the other shows.
But I think what's now really important is that the shows

(06:51):
aren't just gathering of buyers and sellers in those regions.
What we're developing and what'scoming together for me from
Singapore and for this show is if I'm a retailer that doesn't
operate in Europe, I come to theBig Show in Europe to not only
to see what it's like to be a retailer in Europe, I come to
from Asia. We're building obviously a

(07:13):
community around our show, whichis all about retailers in Asia
Pacific. But now we're turning the
world's head and retailers around the world to go, okay,
I'm going to come to Big Show inSingapore.
So I can understand what it's like to be a retailer in this
region and maybe I should consider coming.
So we're redefining our role andthen global expansion.
So we're not just serving the retailers in that region, we're

(07:37):
serving retailers from around the world to come and consider
that region, which I think is really neat.
Yeah. Well, I think from, as I said,
I've been a fanboy. I've been going to NRF for 15
years. For me, NRF sets the, if you
like the, the dictionary, the pace for the year.
And in my mind, Asia does represent growth.

(07:59):
And as a retailer in Europe or the US, if you're lucky and you
haven't popped on social media, you'll get 2 to 10% of growth,
right? The regions that are growing
double digits are in Southeast Asia or Asia or the Middle East.
So for me it's 100% what you're saying, get the community,
understand the trends and then look forward to that.

(08:19):
With that, thank you so much. We'll probably do a post NRF
rundown when you go back to yourregional aspects we've.
Spent three days together. Alex, I'm sure you're sick of me
now, OK? I will never be sick of any of
these people. Yeah, we're gonna keep.
You know what? I'm looking forward to doing
this in New York. Well, so you say that I might.

(08:41):
You, you. You might end up with your own
vlogging cameras. That's a bit dangerous, right?
OK on that bombshell. Thank you.