Marijuana Venture has announced that former Nordstrom executive Loretta Soffe will speak at the Retail and Dispensary (RAD) Expo in October at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.
While Soffe might not be a household name in the cannabis industry, her retail bona fides are nothing short of remarkable, including several leadership positions at Nordstrom. As the executive vice president of women’s apparel, she oversaw a $2 billion department and grew the women’s online business from $150 million to $270 million by developing key product categories with national and private brands.
She also generated an additional $90 million in gross margin by restructuring inventory management and product assortment across eight functional departments, while simultaneously managing a $40 million marketing budget.
“With the Retail and Dispensary Expo, we wanted speakers from beyond the pot business to bring valuable, retail-focused information to attendees,” says Greg James, publisher of Marijuana Venture and organizer of the RAD Expo. “Loretta Soffe exemplifies that mission as somebody who is incredibly accomplished in her field and can help cannabis retailers take their business to the next level.”
Soffe is now the principal of Loretta Soffe Consulting, which combines her foundation in retail with a clear understanding of innovative technology to solve the challenges in today’s digital environment. She works with a broad spectrum of CEOs and equity investors, providing global perspectives, insights and strategic direction. She is known for her consumer-centric approach to decision-making and her ability to merge digital advances with traditional retail models.
The third RAD Expo is Oct. 23-24. Qualified retail store/dispensary owners, managers and employees will be admitted free with early registration. The show is business-only and closed to the general public.
The show will feature hundreds of exhibitors of retail-focused products for both cannabis retailers and dispensaries, as well as health food stores, head shops, pet stores and other retail categories that carry cannabis and hemp-derived products.
For more information about attending or exhibiting, visit www.TheRADExpo.com or call 425-656-3621.