Charles Johnston, director of the repair and liquidation center at The Home Depot, joined Good360 Vice President of donor Relations Doyle Delph to make the case for donating unused goods to nonprofits in local communities. And when you see the numbers, it’s not a tough case to make. Many retailers have merchandise they can’t sell. Props from store displays, merchandise used in photo shoots, or returned merchandise that has been damaged and can’t be resold are just a few examples. The nonprofit group Good360 does a job that most of these supply chain executives can appreciate – logistics, or getting the right goods to the right nonprofit at the right time – while retailers gain a solution for unused items that reduces their carbon footprint, saves the cost of shipping waste to landfills, and helps them give back to their communities.

Home Depot has taken this win-win concept to impressive heights. Five years ago, when some associates at company noticed how many building materials were being thrown out, they asked if they could instead put it to use in their own communities. That request led to the creation of the Framing Hope project at the Home Depot Foundation (their philanthropic arm), an initiative that uses unsold merchandise to build houses for veterans and others in need. Since 2008, the foundation has donated more than $150 million in merchandise and impacted over 1 million homes and families through this partnership with Good360.

Johnston said the program isn’t just the right thing to do. It also increases employee morale, builds up the community, reduces carbon emissions, and makes good financial sense. Watch the video to see how the program works below:

Kathy Doyle Thomas, Executive Vice President of Half Price Books, listens to one retailer’s story during her Main Street Retailing Forum presentation.

During the Main Street Retailing Forum held as part of NRF’s Washington Leadership Conference last week, Half Price Books Executive Vice President Kathy Doyle Thomas shared the story of how her brand – just like those above – started on Main Street and has grown to a $250 million company with more than 100 stores across the country. Thomas noted that regardless of size, all retailers struggle with the same issues, such as how to execute smart social media, leverage localization as a competitive advantage, meet customer expectations, keep up with fast-paced technology changes, implement sustainable retailing initiatives and juggle it all with the same amount of resources at the quickest pace possible.

And while the challenges are the same, so are the opportunities for increased sales, profits and share of wallet, enhanced customer loyalty, improved competitive position, and the ability to make the world a better place. But where should small businesses even begin?

Thomas suggested that retailers find out who their customers are by asking questions on Facebook, leveraging Google analytics and using other low-cost resources, then developing that audience through blogs or other creative content. “You are the expert. You have credibility,” she said, adding that Half Price Books could directly attribute spikes in sales to blog posts covering certain products.

Thomas also shared how experimentation and investment have paid off dividends when it comes to community initiatives. Half Price’s “Decline a Bag” initiative was designed to help customers make environmentally sustainable choices as they shopped, and executives set a lofty goal of 1 million declines over a year. Instead, the company met the goal in six months. At the end of the program, Half Price donated $50,000 to charity in response, letting employees decide on charity options and offering customers the chance to vote on final selection. Thomas said the initiative was a great opportunity to engage with customers and build employee morale – a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon.

As the source of new ideas, job creation and community growth, Thomas told retailers who packed the room that Main Street is “where the history of retail starts and where the future of retail begins.”

In advance of our Loss Prevention Conference next month, we’ve been exploring how many of today’s seasoned LP executives have played an integral part in this evolution throughout the course of their careers. To wrap up our series, we spoke with LP Advisory Council Chairman and Vitamin Shoppe Vice President of Loss Prevention Gary Johnson about his personal career journey.

Read on to find out how his first employers gave him a leg up in the business, how rewarding it is to help others and why retail business savvy is critical to success in LP.

Gary Johnson, Vice President of Loss Prevention for Vitamin Shoppe Industries

When were you first exposed to the loss prevention profession? What made you decide to pursue a career in loss prevention/asset protection?

I first heard about loss prevention while studying law enforcement at Western Illinois University. I decided to do my internship with a retailer named Osco Drug because the thought of catching shoplifters sounded fun — and it was one of the paid internships! After that, I became quite interested in it as a career. I always had an interest in business and law enforcement, and it paid more than a patrolman with the Chicago Police Department, so it was the best of both worlds.

How has your unique personal background helped you succeed in your LP career?

When I began in LP, my early mentors were really retail operators first and loss prevention professionals second. They taught me how to sell prevention concepts, how to show the dollars and cents of a particular initiative, and the importance of influencing people to want to play a role in reducing shrink. Certainly, I had to build experience and confidence with the core competences of loss prevention techniques, but looking back it was more important to gain proficiency with retail concepts and “soft” leadership skills.

Tell us about a particular moment, challenge or success that made you certain this was the right profession for you.

Wow, there have been many. It’s very rewarding to help people, whether it’s developing a program that keeps people safe at work, helping advance someone’s career, or catching a criminal that has hurt others. For example, I still recall working at Pier 1 Imports and how gratifying it was to solve a case involving a string of robberies, one of which involved a sexual assault of an associate. Working the data from my office in Fort Worth, I was able to connect numerous dots and link the right law enforcement agencies. Back in the day, this sharing of data didn’t frequently happen between private sector and law enforcement. I’ll never forget the associate’s reaction when I informed her that the guy who assaulted her had been caught.

The role of LP is continuing to expand and grow. When it comes to hiring and promoting team members, what kind of talent and skill sets are you looking for to be successful now and in the future?

Yes, the role of LP continues to evolve — and that’s a great thing! The C-suite has recognized the value that a professionally led loss prevention program means for the business. LP impacts not only shortage reduction and shrink but also IT security, data security, product safety, workplace violence programs, brand reputation, social media and so many more parts of the business. When looking for talent, it’s critical to find LP people who have solid core competences, but just as important is retail business savvy. Understanding how all facets of the business work, the ability to identify gaps, and, of course, build remediation plans. Leadership skills are essential. Being able to coach, train, and be a catalyst of change is vital because today’s LP professional must be able to influence and motivate cross-functional teams at all levels.

White is the senior vice president of loss prevention at Gap Inc., vice chairman of the LP Advisory Council, and a speaker at our upcoming Loss Prevention Conference & EXPO. Read on to find out how he views the profession, how growing up in inner city Chicago gave him an edge in the industry, and what the LP profession needs today.

When were you first exposed to the loss prevention profession? What made you decide to pursue a career in loss prevention/asset protection?

Keith White, SVP, Loss Prevention, GAP Inc.

Like a number of people in the field, I discovered it by accident. After finishing college, I was looking at law enforcement opportunities. A friend told me about an loss prevention job interview he had and asked if I wanted to interview in his place. I said, “what’s loss prevention?” I knew about corporate security, but I wasn’t impressed with being limited to a uniformed guard. I had no idea that loss prevention would be so vast and sophisticated. For me it was the perfect intersection between the investigative training and business acumen I had developed at the collegiate level. I could carry a briefcase, manage a team, oversee a budget and manage business objectives, but I would also have the opportunity to testify in court and manage complex, interesting investigations — everything I like to do.

How has your unique personal background helped you succeed in your LP career?

When you live in the inner city, you have to be extremely perceptive and aware of your surroundings. You have to be able to sense when there is a change in the atmosphere, whether it’s in the personal relationships of those around you or the physical environment. If someone has to tell you something’s not right, then it’s too late—you’re robbed or worse. I think that being perceptive, understanding how to read people, understanding body language and being able to evaluate all kinds of situations has given me a distinct advantage in this role and in all my LP roles.

Tell us about a particular moment, challenge or success that made you certain this was the right profession for you.

I started my career in a distribution center environment, and I got a confidential tip that a receiving dock worker and truck driver were colluding to steal a truckload of swimming pools and fans. I connected with the local PD and we set up an elaborate sting operation to catch them in the act. I learned a lot from that. First, that people always think people steal things like electronics, but that was one of the hottest summers on record and pools and fans were selling like hotcakes, so you have to understand the full context of the environment you’re engaged in.

And second, in setting up that sting with the police, I gave up some control over the investigation. And because union members were involved, it was a political disaster that some of my superiors didn’t want me to pursue. But I told them that the sting is going down, and I’m going to be there – if I’m not here tomorrow, that’s on you. Well, the sting went down like in a textbook. The apprehensions went down perfectly. And then, my boss said, “look what Keith and I did.” It was a laughable moment, but I knew that I was in this career for the long-haul. I stand for what’s right, not what’s politically correct. Being an authority figure, we sometimes get involved in situations that don’t win popularity contests, but I knew I’d be OK doing that.

The role of LP is continuing to expand and grow. When it comes to hiring and promoting team members, what kind of talent and skill sets are you looking for to be successful now and in the future?

In the old days, there were two ways to look at LP. If you’re looking for a management candidate, you were looking for someone who had a law enforcement background with investigative experience. And for an hourly level employee, you were looking for physical presence, what we called the big dude in the door.

Now, for management candidates, I’m looking for someone who has an academic background in criminal justice or law and even an M.B.A. or business background because I want someone who can apply concepts and strategies within a business framework. For those hourly associates, physical presence is not what it used to be. I look for people who can outthink a shoplifter or a criminal, not out-wrestle them or outrun them. If there’s a 5’1” woman who can educate the staff, build awareness, create a shrink-reduction strategy for the store and understand all the technical tools at her disposal, she’ll do 20 times more than the big dude at the door ever could. So we’re looking for people with those ambitions and qualifications.

Stay tuned for the last post in our series, where  Gary Johnson, vice president for loss prevention at The Vitamin Shoppe Inc., will share his story.

This 40-hour interactive instructor-led course is designed to help instructors prepare participants for a career in retail.

STORES focused on this very topic a few weeks back. They hosted a webinar, “How to Hire Candidates with Superior Customer Service,” which demonstrated the importance of sales associates and in-store customer service. The event examined what roles an employee responsible for and pinpointed three of the company’s most valued assets: merchandise, cash, and customers. The webinar emphasized why it is crucial for associates to be trained early and well so they can take proper care of all three assets.

Many retailers are recognizing the urgency to train employees quickly and are adopting “just-in-time learning” – giving someone a skill they need at the time they need it. Or, in some instances, even before being hired. Macy’s recently partnered with the Urban League of Greater Atlanta on a workforce training initiative that helps match qualified candidates with open positions. Candidates who enroll in the Urban League’s program receive training that includes a “Magic of Macy’s” unit on customer service, which is coupled alongside the NRF Foundation’s Retail Operations curriculum. Together, the program presents qualified candidates the opportunity to receive the National Professional Certification in Customer Service, which is earned by nearly 15,000 candidates a year. The general retail operations training and certification, combined with the specialized Macy’s training, means potential hires can arrive at work on Day One with skills that allow them to contribute right away.

Other retailers such as Starbucks, Walmart, McDonald’s and Jiffy Lube are developing in-house training programs to sharpen their managers’ business and leadership skills with an added bonus: the training often qualifies for college credit. Managers and prospective managers taking part in a week-long training program at McDonald’s can earn up to 23 credits toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree at their Hamburger University. Starbucks’ Barista Basics and Barista 101 programs qualify for credits at the City University of Seattle.

We see retail companies invest in new technologies, website features, and in-store experiences all the time to try to get ahead. It only makes sense that employee training programs are following suit. At NRF, we’re fond of saying that in retail, “where you start isn’t where you’ll end up.” Giving employees and potential employees the skills they need to get ahead is a powerful way to emphasize the longevity and rewards of a career in retail.

According to Edelman’s Good Purpose survey, “at least monthly” purchases of cause-supporting brands increased by 47 percent from 2010 to 2012, showing that shoppers are more apt than ever to put their money where their values lie. While retailers are working every day to provide more sustainable products and business practices, we thought in honor of Earth Day, we’d highlight a few green things retailers are doing within communities across the country every day and in celebration of today.

• Eco-friendly packaging is just one part of Macy’s green mission to turn over a new leaf. The initiative also empowers shoppers to choose paperless statements and earn points for taking green actions every day through Macy’s partnership with Recyclebank.
• Patagonia Footwear and The Pedestrian Shops in Boulder, Colo. worked together to support Boulder’s Earth Day Shoe Drive. The campaign is part of a larger effort benefiting the Center for ReSource Conservation which aids conservation programs along the Front Range that focus on waste reduction and energy and water conservation. This is just the tip of the philanthropy iceberg for Patagonia Footwear, which regularly partners with Patagonia stores for Advocate Weeks.
• Over the weekend, the island of Oahu had several events for residents to celebrate Earth Day. Among them was an commuter cycling workshop hosted by Whole Foods in Kailua, which joined with the Hawaii Bicycling League which lead a beginner-paced group ride around Kailua later that afternoon.
• Los Angeles residents could get in the Earth Day spirit a day early thanks to Anthropologie and Wellgro Co., who put together pop-up farmers’ markets and potting workshops for everyone to enjoy on Sunday.
• The Container Store is one of many organizations that encourage their employees and customers to take part in National Volunteer Month, another example of the company’s ongoing commitment to the communities they serve.
• CVS/Pharmacy and several other Queen Creek, Ariz. community businesses turned out commemorate the town’s second annual Earth Day celebration. The event, held on Saturday, included a recycling drop-off that gave residents the opportunity to drop-off a recyclable item and enter to win a bistro set from CVS, among other “green” activities.

Can you think of any green retailing examples we’ve missed that really stand out this year? If so, share it with us via email or tweet using #thisisretail. The best examples will be featured on thisisretail.org as NRF seeks to display retail’s critical role in communities across the nation. After all, retail means more than shopping – it’s community building at its core.

To kick off the series, we started with one of our LP Advisory Council’s vice chairs, Dan Faketty, vice president for asset protection at BI-LO/Winn-Dixie. Read on to find out how he changed his mind about a career in retail, how his experience as a young store employee prepared him for leadership, and why today’s LP professional needs to have a head for data.

Dan Faketty, VP, Asset Protection, BI-LO/Winn-Dixie

When were you first exposed to the loss prevention profession? What made you decide to pursue a career in loss prevention/asset protection?

I had completed my two-year associate’s degree and had just gone through the regional police academy. I was back in school, and at the same time looking for employment as a police officer. That’s when I received a call from a district LP manager who worked for Shopko Stores, Inc. He saw my resume and wanted to know if I would be interested in applying for a single-store loss prevention manager position. I responded immediately with “no” and proceeded to tell him I was a certified police officer and had no interest in a career in retail! Fortunately for me he said “before you say ‘no’, don’t you think you should understand what you’re saying no to?” Based off his statement, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to meet and listen. The following day we met at a local store and after a couple of hours he convinced me that a career in loss prevention was at least worth a shot. He then hired me, on the spot, contingent on me relocating. The rest is history!

How has your unique personal background helped you succeed in your LP career?

I worked at a Ben Franklin store all through high school, so I learned a lot about store operations and merchandising. When I went to college I was a full-time student, working and managing a restaurant. When I left college, I went to work in stores for a couple of years before being promoted to a district manager. When I think about it now, I had eight years of retail experience before going to work at Shopko. I think the time I spent in stores along with what I learned in school gave me unique insight into how things worked from a practical application standpoint. Even today, every process, every control, every system that our department implements is meticulously scrutinized and tested from an end-user standpoint. These programs must be simple to execute and user friendly to store personnel. If not, they will never achieve the desired result. This thought process has enabled me to gain credibility as we drive organizational change in all parts of the business, not just asset protection.

Tell us about a particular moment, challenge or success that made you certain this was the right profession for you.

After only two years of working stores a promotional opportunity for district manager presented itself. I never thought I had a real opportunity to land the job because so many internal candidates had applied, some of whom had more than 10 years of experience. After going through a series of interviews and testing, I learned I was one of two final candidates. A few days later the director of loss prevention showed up at my store. I thought he was there to tell me I didn’t get the job but instead he said, “I am going to hire you over a lot of other candidates with much more experience.” When I asked why, he said, “Because you can’t take a Missouri mule to the Kentucky Derby and expect to win!” It was at that moment that I realized this was my profession. If for no other reason than because someone had noticed me and my accomplishments.

The role of LP is continuing to expand and grow. When it comes to hiring and promoting team members, what kind of talent and skill sets are you looking for to be successful now and in the future?

Rather than skill sets, I tend to focus on competencies because if someone has a strong base of core competencies, they should be able to learn the skill sets necessary to be successful. I have identified 10 competencies that are important to me. Some of the most important are the ability to champion change, lead courageously, be results-driven and work cross-functionally. The interview process, for new and existing promotional opportunities, is behavioral in the form of questioning designed to solicit responses to measure if a candidate poses these competencies or not. Additionally, anyone entering high-level loss prevention management positions must be technologically savvy and data-centric. If you have the competencies, love technology, are data-centric and can work cross-functionally, then you are going to be very successful in this line of work.

Faketty will be presenting at NRF’s Loss Prevention Conference in San Diego, June 12 – 14. For more about the conference, visit www.nrf.com/lp13.

Stay tuned for the next installments of our series, where we’ll talk to LP leaders from Gap Inc. and The Vitamin Shoppe.

Dream BIG compliment cards

At the NRF Foundation, NRF’s nonprofit arm, one of our top priorities is promoting retail careers and showing the diverse roles – and rewarding opportunities – that exist within the industry. And we aim to deliver big on that. That’s why we named our new initiative Dream BIG  – a program which will award 10 full-tuition scholarships to current retail employees.

We’ve been sharing information about the scholarship with retailers, the media and retail employees for months now and we’re doing everything we can to make sure as many retail workers as possible know about this fantastic opportunity to further their careers with higher education from the University of Phoenix.

One way we’ve been getting the word out is by sharing these compliment cards with retail workers. And we know that many of the retailers we work with (IKEA, Macy’s, HSN Inc., Saks Fifth Avenue, The Container Store, Sur La Table, Crate & Barrel, Express and Applebee’s to name just a few) have been telling their employees about Dream BIG on their intranets, notice boards, Facebook pages, newsletters and by email. The Container Store shared this opportunity with more than 189,000 of their Facebook fans.

The deadline for applications is April 9, and only the first 1,000 applications will be considered. Hundreds of people have already started the application process, so get the message out to your colleagues, friends and family soon. Make sure everyone you know who works in retail knows about the scholarship. In the final weeks, use the video below to share information about the scholarship and deliver the message: seize this opportunity to pair education and retail experience to fulfill your ambitions.

Among those named to that executive team was Vicki Cantrell, chosen to lead NRF’s communities group and to head our Shop.org division as executive director. Before NRF, Cantrell served as COO and CIO of Tory Burch. During her career, Cantrell also worked as CIO of Giorgio Armani Corporation and held positions with Gucci Group, Party City and J.C. Penney.

In the very large but very tight-knit world of retail, you could say she has made a name for herself. Apparently we aren’t the only ones who have noticed.

RIS News‘ recently released list of 2013 Influentials features our very own Vicki Cantrell. Executives from Moosejaw, Canadian Tire and Build-A-Bear Workshop were also recognized.

“These Influentials have learned it is critical to develop partnerships and collaborations with key members of both the executive team and division heads,” the magazine wrote. “They also spearhead major initiatives, deliver strong performance results, guide the creation of new strategies, and help create the culture that nurtures employees and rewards their work.”

In addition to countless hours spent behind the scenes at well-known retail brands, Cantrell has also been heavily involved in the Retail Orphan Initiative charity and was one of several retailers who visited a school in Honduras last year.

Whether it’s through acts of philanthropy or showcasing her industry savvy, there’s no question one of retail’s brightest is right here under our own roof.

To explore what’s next for the retail supply chain executive after a tense few months of port strike talk, we consulted with Larry Bergman, senior vice president of supply chain and operations for Boscov’s Department Stores. Bergman is chairman of the NRF Strategic Supply Chain Council, and will be opening the NRF Global Supply Chain Summit in Dallas, May 19-21.

Read on for Bergman’s take on the three biggest concerns for retail supply chains, the impact of emerging technologies, and how the retail supply chain business is evolving.

As we move further into 2013, what do you feel are the two or three top-of-mind issues for retail supply chain leaders right now?

While it appears that work issues at the nation’s ports have finally been resolved, volatile container fees and the overall security of the international supply chain continue to be concerns. Revised hours of service regulations for truck drivers will require many companies to reassess their turns, their staffing requirements and the expenses associated with the new rules. Lastly, appropriate funding to sustain the nation’s transportation infrastructure, particularly in light of sequestration, must be assured.

While customers have come to expect a seamless experience across all channels, delivering on that promise can be very complex. How has the role of a supply chain executive evolved in this new “omnichannel” world, and what are the keys to being successful?

Larry Bergman, SVP of Supply Chain and Operations, Boscov’s Department Stores

Virtually all of our companies, regardless of their size, geographic location or customer base, are evolving into global entities. Supply chain executives must act globally as well. They’ve got to think outside of the norms of their company, considering the impact of such issues as supply chain traceability, social responsibility and sustainability in their decision making processes. These are factors many individuals would not have considered just a few years ago.

With the continuing potential for labor disruption at the ports, disruptions from natural disasters (Superstorm Sandy, etc.) and delays as a result from sequestration’s federal spending cuts, how important is contingency planning within your supply chain operation? What are the keys to an effective contingency plan?

Business continuity plans are critical and, of course, must be accessible outside of the office. They must not only address supply chain functions, but also encompass the impact which those plans have on other divisions within the company. Identifying critical employee and supplier contact numbers, alternate carriers and building sites, initiation of back-up systems and site recovery timeframes are basic requirements. Names and numbers should be verified semi-annually, and plans updated as new business challenges arise during the course of the year.

Emerging technologies are changing retail in both subtle and transformative ways. What technologies do you see advancing the retail supply chain in the next two to three years?

The systems which today monitor the progress of our import orders, consolidate and transit our domestic merchandise, and that expedite the movement of shipments through our facilities are becoming more cloud-based and fully integrated. Mobile technology linking many of the other retail systems which drive our stores and e-commerce will provide a portable and virtually seamless view of all components of a retailer’s operations.

What do you enjoy about working in the retail industry, and what advice do you have for those starting out in the retail supply chain field?

The retail industry is dynamic. Most retail supply chain executives work closely with their store, merchandising, operations, and finance counterparts on a daily basis – with timely communication an essential element. While a solid education has always established the most critical career base, additional exposures to accounting, industrial engineering and international trade would best prepare an individual for today’s supply chain demands.

You’ll be speaking at NRF’s Global Supply Chain Summit in May. What are you looking forward to about this event?

The supply chain summits have always featured a diverse group of industry leaders in their sessions. Equally important, our guest speakers have also remained accessible for one-on-one conversations after their presentations. I most look forward to the informal discussions among our attendees and speakers, which the summit’s format so easily accommodates.