WR had a strong presence at NRF’s Big Show this year. WR Director of Policy and Government Affairs, Crystal Leatherman, and Interim CEO, Alesha Shemwell, attended the NRF State Legislative Leadership Experience in New York from January 9–11 on behalf of WR. For the first time, Washington state was also represented by two state legislators – Rep. Kristine Reeves (D-30) and Rep. Mari Leavitt (D-28).
The experience began with the NRF University Challenge, which brought together more than 1,000 college students to compete and share innovative ideas. Participants were impressed by the students’ enthusiasm, creativity, and passion for the retail industry. That same day, the group visited Best Buy’s Teen Tech Center, where the Washington legislators saw firsthand how retailers invest in and positively impact their communities.
Day two focused on retailer store tours. Lowe’s, Walmart, Gap/Old Navy, and Brooks Brothers hosted the first round of visits. Shemwell and Rep. Leavitt attended the Brooks Brothers tour, learning about the company’s history as the oldest retailer in the United States and discussing key legislative issues, including tariffs and organized retail crime (ORC). Leatherman and Rep. Reeves toured Gap/Old Navy, where conversations centered on the impact of tariffs on the retail industry as well as sustainability and circularity efforts.
The entire group later gathered at Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street. Macy’s leadership shared the company’s top initiatives and provided a behind-the-scenes tour of both front- and back-of-house operations, highlighting the complexities of managing high-volume brick-and-mortar retail alongside online fulfillment and logistics. These store tours, combined with a lunch with retailer CEOs, gave legislators valuable opportunities to ask questions and gain deeper insight into the retail industry.
The final day coincided with the opening of NRF’s Big Show. Participants heard from Michael Rubin, Founder and CEO of Fanatics; Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet; and John Furner, President and CEO of Walmart U.S. The State Legislative Leadership Experience concluded with a tour of the Big Show exhibit floor, underscoring the critical role technology will continue to play in the future of retail.
The experience was highly valuable for all who attended, and WR hopes to expand participation by welcoming more legislators in the future.
