Sarah Leising, SPHR, SHRM-CP

Boston’s retail landscape is thriving, with significant growth and new developments reshaping the city. Despite an increase in remote work, retail activity remains robust, driven by rising tourism and consumer spending. Retailers are expanding in both suburban and urban areas, with new store openings and developments enhancing the city's commercial appeal. Key Highlights: Tourism and Consumer Spending: International travel and domestic tourism are fueling consumer spending, especially in residential neighborhoods like Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Mission Hill, where spending has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Retail Developments: Major projects like Samuels & Associates Lyrik Back Bay and New England Development Allston Yards are set to open, bringing new retail, office, and residential spaces to the city. New Retailers: Brands like Google, Rivian, UNIQLO, Savage X Fenty and Loewe are opening new stores, reflecting Boston’s appeal to major retailers. Experiential tenants like F1® Arcade and MUSEUM OF ICE CREAM Cream are also making a splash. Retail Investment: Investment in Boston's retail properties remains strong, with supermarket-anchored centers being particularly popular. Recent transactions include Crosspoint Associates, Inc. of Brookside Shops and DLC Management Corp.’s acquisition of Colony Place.

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What better time of year to raise awareness of the significance of kindness in the workplace? Although kindness is an intangible asset and challenging to quantify, it holds immense importance in shaping the dynamics of your team and an organization. Incorporating simple routines can promote kindness and cultivate a culture of compassion that fosters kindness, allowing individuals to not only produce innovative ideas but also feel secure enough to express and share them.

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Re-Sharing this interesting piece by Kristina Monllos, on my feed this afternoon from Matt Sharkey. I feel like I am seeing this in coaching as I watch job seekers in the more executive ranks having to very clearly define their segments of the greater marketing landscape and their personal brand for notice. Generalists or unlabeled marketers are struggling to find footing and attract roles. Someone I spoke to today called it not wanting to be considered "vanilla marketing" which was an interesting way of looking at it. I would also say, you can make a somewhat similar argument in HR/People Ops. This change hit hard during the pandemic, the evolving role there. But even before that the HR function became more complex in two different directions, it became more involved/embedded in business strategy and accountable to people metrics, and they took on more of the employee's expectations for supporting their personal life/wellbeing/health. Super interesting seeing how it all evolves over time and with increased capabilities, tech and changing expectations. I would also be curious if the increasing role of fractionals and consultants in the executive ranks has impact on or is impacted by this.

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We've just published the 7-Eleven 2023 Impact Report, showcasing our ESG efforts and progress - including highlights of our DE+I journey. Check it out! https://lnkd.in/gQaqyRBn #sustainability #goodmadeeasy #7Impact

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Today we published our 2024 Belonging, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Annual Report, which shares some of the ways we’re helping associates feel seen, supported, and connected through a culture of belonging. Some of the key findings include: *Global representation for women in officer positions steadily increased, and officer representation for U.S. women and People of Color is at its highest level since at least 2021.  *In the U.S., representation for People of Color in the total workforce made gains of over 1.4% year over year, driven by growth in LatinX representation. *People of Color hiring in the total U.S. workforce has increased year over year.   You can find the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gbTAcGnA

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It's quite ironic, but today's retailers are concentrating on creating a seamless returns process to sell more products. Not only can a better returns process improve store inventory, but it also gives customers more incentives to shop. Think about it. If every time you bought something from a specific store you had to endure a lengthy, frustrating returns process, why would you go back to that store? Easy returns = customer convenience and satisfaction. 😁👍🏻 #Returns #Retail #ConsumerTrust

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10 years at Amazon [queue coveted red badge picture]! Let’s ignore the recent RTO news for a second, if possible. Reflecting on the last 10 years, here are a few of the career lessons I wish I could tell younger me back then! 1️⃣ The people you work with matter…the most. More than the category you run, the job title you have. When assessing a new opportunity, place importance on if you jive with and respect the people you interact with. 2️⃣ Have an interest? Say it out loud. Managers can’t read your mind. Voice any small inkling of interest or way future aspirations. Often they can see things you can’t and can help bring more relevant opportunities to you. When I half-jokingly told my manager I wanted to have a Ted Talk and Netflix special like Brené Brown, it shaped how my manager helped me get the right experiences and exposure. 3️⃣ Get the most out of the jobs you don’t like. Not every career step is a home run. But it’s a step. Be deliberate about what you can get out of it and how it can help you to your next move. 4️⃣ Schedule the random coffee chat. Send the random catch-up email to previous managers. Foster your mentor and mentee relationships to get more perspective. This takes very little effort with huge payoff and yet, even as I write this, it feels hard to do. Your network is your capital and it’s what will help you through more challenging times. Speaking of network, I have to shout out Ganesh Rao who hired me to Amazon and 10 years later is still providing me wisdom and an open ear. To Lauren Passero - my manager of 6 years 😱 for your support, transparency, leadership, and mutual love of gummy bears. To my work friends turned life friends who celebrate the small wins, commiserate the shitty times, and share the best excel/doc writing/meeting etiquette memes to keep us going. What are some of your fave career lessons? Throw ‘em in the comments and save the RTO gripes. I’m avoiding that news for a few weeks. 🙃 #amazon #amaversary #careerlessons #careeradvice #10years

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In the rush to meet deadlines and hit targets, it’s easy to lose touch with our humanity. When we replace empathy with efficiency, get curt instead of curious, or prioritize tasks over people, we create a path to stagnation—not progress. 💡 This article reminded me of the importance of slowing down and putting empathy at the forefront of everything we do. ✨ Take the time to genuinely ask people how they’re doing. Pause, listen, and respond—don’t change the subject when someone is trying to open up. ✨ Be emotionally aware: if your employee skips lunch or seems off, step in. Sometimes, we have to create space for them to recharge, even when they’re too overwhelmed to ask for it themselves. When expectations are high, people can push themselves to burnout just to meet them—or worse, to meet what they think we’ll say or not say. It’s a harsh truth, but the demands of working life often force us to put on armor, hiding our own humanity. 💛 As leaders, we must break that cycle. We’re in the people business. Let’s lead with empathy, curiosity, and intention—and remind ourselves and others that we’re human first. #LeadershipMatters #EmpathyInAction #PeopleFirst #HumanConnection #WorkplaceWellness #SlowDown #EmotionalIntelligence #LeadWithHeart #BestBuy

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Very interesting article. #1 reason employees feel employers want RTO - "most workers believe return-to-office (RTO) policies are about employers wanting more ‘control’ and that it exhibits (so employees say), a lack of ‘trust’." Survey also indicates that - "82% of workers have gotten used to it, (WFH) and instead say working remotely is now better for their mental health than working on-site. Will talent have the final say on where work is done?

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Nice refresh and also update on what is changing in the workplace!  #employeelearningdevelopment #humanresources #diversityequityinclusionandbelonging

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Great Bloomberg op-ed on why investing in retail store leaders is good for business. I love Andrea’s callout that big investments can raise eyebrows with analysts – like increasing our average Walmart store manager salary to $128,000/year with a new bonus program that gives store managers the potential to earn up to 200% of their base salary. But in the long run, she shows how these types of investments support retention, career growth, better run stores, strong stock value, and our ability to attract a broader range of customers.   Here are a couple of studies that stood out to me in Andrea’s piece: 💠 A 2012 study by Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at the London Business School (then at Wharton School), found that firms on Fortune’s list of “100 Best Companies to Work for in America,” which have superior employee satisfaction scores on factors including pay and benefits, outperformed peers by 2.3-3.8% per year from 1984 through 2011. 💠 A follow-up study by Hamid Boustanifar, associate professor at the EDHEC Business School, and Young Dae Kang of the Bank of Korea found that the relationship still held: companies on the publication’s list earned an excess return of 2-2.7% per year through 2020, with particular outperformance during tough times.   At the end of the day, these investments also support the ability to build a pipeline of strong talent that stays and grows with a company. We want Walmart to be seen as an employer of choice and pay plays a big part in how we attract and retain talented people. #Compensation #TeamWalmart https://lnkd.in/gPVdAYG4

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Today is National Voter Registration Day! ✅ Register (or check your registration!) It takes about a minute to double check. Start here: https://lnkd.in/eCuyK4Nc. ✅ Make a plan to vote Federal law doesn't require employers to give you time off to vote, but a majority of states and some localities mandate paid or unpaid voting leave - a quick google will tell you your rights. Visit Vote411.org for details about early voting, absentee voting, and poll / drop box locations. ✅ Get informed Find out everything you need to know about the candidates on your ballot. Remember - you're voting for more than a President in 2024. 33 Senate seats and all 435 House seats are on the ballot, plus state and local seats! Your voice matters. Make your vote count.

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Effective career pathing truly requires intentional cross-functional collaboration within HR and with every business function where all the TALENTed individuals and leaders are looking for help to identify skill adjacent roles as well as the skill gap(s) individuals must close to be successful in a new position. It’s definitely a shared commitment and responsibility.

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Walmart has removed degree requirements from most of our jobs, with over 75% of our U.S. roles now not requiring a degree.    We are collaborating with The Burning Glass Institute and other leading companies in the Skills-First Workforce Initiative, such as Bank of America, Blackstone, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, PepsiCo and Verizon. Our skills-first approach aims to open up career opportunities, meet employer talent needs and strengthen the economy. The framework will be open source and available to all U.S. employers by September 2025.    Our initial focus is on the nine most prevalent job roles across various sectors, which collectively account for over 11 million American jobs. By creating a shared language, or taxonomy, for assessing and valuing skills, we can promote the widespread adoption of this hiring approach.    Read more here: 

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TLDR - I'm #Hiring a Director of Retail Learning and Development! https://smrtr.io/p8GQH We've been busy building our learning team with intention here at Vuori. Six months in and we just launched a set of competencies that are weaving their way into our everyday and I've hired some awesome team members who have started/are starting very soon to help build capability in these areas. Up next - providing more resources and learning opportunities for our Retail team. Our incredible crew of retail trainers has set us up for success and will continue to be our cultural ambassadors and champions. To help multiply their work, I'm hiring a Director of Retail Learning. We'll have 76 U.S. stores by the end of the year with the most engaged and invested teams in the biz. Sound interesting? A few callouts if you're interested: ✅ You definitely need experience in a retail setting - we need to hit the ground running so this isn't the role for someone that hasn't spent time in the retail space (yes, this is a deal breaker, and no, we likely won't make exceptions on this one) ✅ We are looking for someone open to relocating (assistance provided!) or based in North County San Diego at our HQ (.5 miles from the beach...how can you top that?).  ✅ Partnership should be your middle name - this is going to take an agile and collaborative individual who can help us make sense of the multitude of content hitting our stores across product, people and community fronts and leverage the amazing work our retail learning team has already built ✅ You should be ready to work high/low - this is a mix of strategic work + getting your hands dirty while we pace the growth of the team ✅ I'm always eager to add curious, fun, doers to the team who are ready to share their POV. As your manager I'll be direct, push us to think creatively, care about you as a human and will always pitch in to help on tasks big and small. ✅ Unfortunately, I won't have time for separate meetings outside of the interview process; you can stand out by tailoring your resume to our JD. Thanks for understanding!    Come join us as we help employees grow and develop! P.s. Separately - if you're based in NYC we have some great roles supporting our Business Partners and ER team - visit our careers site to learn more! 

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I appreciate the caution around "learning in the flow of work," but let's not confuse it with "teaching in the flow of work." Learning happens all the time, whether or not there's someone handing out PowerPoints. People do learn by doing, but not necessarily when they’re being taught. Training is vital, yet we often undervalue it because we don’t allocate enough time away from daily tasks for real learning. We need to step back and let people experiment and absorb new skills. Balancing immediate performance support with dedicated learning time is essential for meaningful development.

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Step into the world of Adrian Butler, Foot Locker's Chief Technology Officer. Discover his insightful perspectives on our game-changing Lace Up Strategy, building a tech culture, and how technology enhances the employee and customer experience. #cto #tech #retail #footlocker #sneakers #transformation

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Discover how #Walmart has stayed ahead of the curve and evolved with the times in this insightful article.

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