
Retail Gets Real · 2026-04-21 · 28 min
From a wholesale-only business to a multi-channel global brand, Carhartt has expanded its reach without losing sight of who it serves: hardworking people. Linda Hubbard, president and CEO of Carhartt Inc., shares how one of America’s most iconic brands has grown while staying grounded in its original purpose. (00:00:00) Growing Carhartt beyond wholesale (00:05:50) Leading change inside a legacy family business (00:10:08) Career growth, mentorship, and asking for more (00:14:22) How the Carhartt customer has evolved (00:17:52) Carhartt’s strategy for opening stores (00:20:12) Inside the Carhartt and Ford collaboration (00:23:38) The future of retail: AI, resale and direct growth The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association. Every day, we passionately stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail succeed.