UPDATE: Due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, the Charlotte Sports Executives Panel and visit to Milliken and Company have been postponed and will not happen this week. These events will be rescheduled, and details will be shared as they become available.
The University of South Carolina's Department of Retailing is hosting its third annual Retail Week over Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, with events scheduled each day for students, alumni, faculty and staff.
Things get started Monday with the Charlotte Sports Executives Panel. Leaders from the Panthers, Hornets and FC Charlotte will discuss brand marketing and retail from 3-4 p.m. in the Lumpkin Auditorium on the eighth floor of the Close-Hipp Building. After that, students are invited to meet young alumni and local businesspeople at the Industry Insights networking event, starting at 5 p.m. in the Corner Suite in the Close-Hipp Building.
Tuesday, retailing students are invited to join faculty and staff for a visit to Milliken and Company in Spartanburg. The group will tour Milliken's innovative sustainability facilities and meet with their team for a networking luncheon. Milliken is a leading manufacturing company specializing in flooring, textiles, chemicals & healthcare solutions.
An effort in progress now will culminate on Wednesday of Retail Week. The Department of Retailing, in collaboration with Delivering Good, is hosting a clothing drive to support Epworth Children’s Home. Toddler and adolescent-sized shoes, socks and other clothing items can be brought to the Department of Retailing (Close-Hipp Building, Room 716 or 718) through Monday, Sept. 30. Monetary donations will also be accepted, and the collection will be donated to Epworth representatives on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
On Thursday at 4, all are invited to Close-Hipp’s Lumpkin Auditorium to hear Impact Analytics Founder and CEO Prashant Agrawal give the Retail Week Keynote Address. An Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award finalist in 2023 and 2024, Prashant also has experience with McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group. He has been a columnist and contributing editor for GQ India, a columnist for Mint-WSJ, and has contributed op-eds to the NYT, FT, WSJ, and CNBC. An alum of Columbia University, Prashant's commitment to nurturing future leaders led him back to his alma mater as a professor. He spearheads the university's pioneering course on AI and advanced analytics in retail, imparting his wealth of knowledge and passion to inspire the next generation of innovators. Through his dual role as an entrepreneur and educator, Prashant continues to drive positive change, shaping the future of retail and beyond.
Fortune recognized Impact Analytics as one of the Most Innovative Companies in America, and the company has made the Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing companies list for seven consecutive years. Additionally, it has been recognized by the Financial Times as one of America’s Fastest Growing Companies in 2024, for the fifth consecutive year. top brands including Coach, Dollar General, Ralph Lauren, BJ's Wholesale Club, Calvin Klein, and Pet Supplies Plus rely on Impact Analytics to make data- and machine-learning-driven supply chain, forecasting, planning, and pricing decisions.
Friday, students, faculty and staff are invited to the Campus Room at Capstone Residence Hall at 8:30 a.m. for breakfast and a round table discussion with the Department of Retailing Advisory Board.
The University of South Carolina's Department of Retailing is preparing the next generation of retail management and fashion merchandising leaders in an exciting and evolving industry.