National Retail Federation
In 2017, facing a damaging “retail apocalypse” narrative, the National Retail Federation (NRF) enlisted Tusk Strategies to reposition the industry as one being transformed rather than dismantled. Tusk executed an 8+ year campaign centered on retail tech innovation—featuring global showcases, influential reports, and strategic media outreach—which boosted NRF’s revenue, event attendance, and industry influence.
Artificial intelligence, and the way it is changing how shoppers shop and how stores sell, is the main focus of this year’s National Retail Federation annual trade show, which drew 40,000 retail executives, tech companies and other vendors to the Javits convention center in New York this week.
The conference/expo is the world's largest retail industry gathering and a forum for learning, prognosticating, networking, coffee stops, and reuniting with friends and former colleagues.
Inside the massive Jacob J. Javits Center in midtown Manhattan, tens of thousands of retail professionals gathered for the NRF 2025, the Big Show, earlier this week to network with colleagues, shop vendors, and drink staggering quantities of free coffee.
In 2017, a national narrative about the “retail apocalypse” took hold of the industry. A series of store closures and bankruptcies from prominent retailers combined with the rise of e-commerce and shifting consumer habits created a perfect storm that hampered the world’s largest retail trade association, responsible for advocating for the policies and ideas that help the retail industry thrive. To reshape this narrative, the National Retail Federation (NRF) turned to Tusk Strategies.
Tusk Strategies developed a multi-layered approach to land and sustain a new story of how retail was not dying — but being transformed by technology. Using events, partnerships, earned media and thought leadership, Tusk helped make NRF the place for retailers, media and legislators to learn about retail technology and experience the tech transformation first hand. This ongoing 8+ year campaign features annual Innovators Showcases in New York City, Singapore and Paris, tri-annual Forrester Reports on NRF Innovators: Retail-Focused Tech Companies To Watch, a series of blog and social posts on tech trends, and new tech-focused speakers and sessions across annual NRF’s events.
These efforts have helped NRF grow its annual revenue, increase attendance at its events, and educate its membership, state and federal regulators. Tusk generated tremendous media coverage including Forbes, Axios, Women’s Wear Daily, Retail Brew, The Robin Report, and Retail Wire.
Susan Newman, SVP of Conferences, National Retail FederationTusk helped us reinvent the way we showcase and communicate how technology is transforming our industry. Their work has helped us better support our membership, drive attendance to our marquee events and enhance our brand and reputation.