){kind=logo}
From left: LaTasia Burton, Natasha Sturdevant, Angel-Maryann Ntenyi, and Marcos Rodriguez from University of North Texas
The NRF Foundation University Retail Challenge isn’t an average business case competition. This unique experience gives undergraduate students the chance to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom in a real-world setting.
A handful of teams will earn the chance to present their pitch to leaders from retail’s biggest companies, with the top team earning $30,000 in tuition scholarships divided amongst team members.
The 2026-2027 NRF Foundation University Retail Challenge is now open with the deadline of Sept. 22, 2026.
The NRF Foundation University Retail Challenge application process consists of three phases. In the first phase, teams are required to submit a 25-slide pitch presentation deck and 90-second video presentation that addresses the business challenge. There will be a review period during which teams will be evaluated by retail judges at various companies.
A maximum of 10 teams will be selected to advance to Phase 2. During this phase, teams will refine their pitch decks and videos before participating in a live virtual presentation and Q&A session with a panel of retail executives. Teams will deliver a brief presentation of their case study followed by questions from the judges. The revised submissions and presentation performance will then be evaluated to determine the top three teams.
Three teams will be selected to advance to the third and final phase. In this phase, teams will present their pitches live to a panel of executive retail judges.
The first-place team will receive a $30,000 tuition scholarship per team, the second-place team will receive $20,000 per team and the third-place team will receive $20,000 per team.
In addition to scholarship awards, all students on the top three teams will receive travel stipends to attend NRF NXT in New York City.
Wayfair, a leading destination for all things home, is rapidly expanding its physical retail footprint while maintaining a strong e-commerce presence. With a commitment to sustainability, Wayfair has launched initiatives like the Shop Sustainably™ filter and set ambitious goals to achieve zero waste across global operations by 2030 and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.
As the home furnishings industry faces slower growth and increased pressure to adopt sustainable practices, Wayfair seeks innovative ways to reduce environmental impact and build a profitable, responsible business.
Large, bulky products, such as sofas and assembled furniture, pose unique sustainability challenges due to shipping costs, returns, and landfill waste. However, these challenges also present opportunities for leadership in the circular economy: keeping products and materials in use longer through refurbishment, resale, rental, repair, and responsible recycling.
This year’s University Retail Challenge invites student teams to design a new retail concept focused on sustainability and circularity that leverages Wayfair’s expanding network of physical stores. Teams are tasked with developing an end-to-end concept and launch plan for a circular retail initiative, such as a furniture rental program or a curated marketplace for refurbished items, that can become a meaningful, profitable part of Wayfair’s business over the next 3 - 5 years.
The goal of this case study is to help Wayfair deliver on its sustainability ambitions, respond to evolving customer expectations, and demonstrate how circularity can be both the right thing to do and a strategy for business growth.
Your pitch presentation deck should be submitted as a PowerPoint or PDF. It must include the sections below (you can move the order around and you are not limited to the items in each section).
There is a 25-slide limit, including appendices. In your slides, your team should assume that Wayfair is prepared to invest in this concept at pilot scale, and that senior leadership is looking for a clearly articulated business case, launch roadmap and proof of long-term potential.
NRF Foundation & Wayfair - NRF Foundation University Retail Challenge Case Competition
Team name, university name, team members’ names
Concept Design: Showcase a single, innovative retail concept that promotes sustainability in the home goods space. How does your concept help Wayfair progress toward its zero waste and sustainability goals?
Logistics & Operations: At a high level, outline the logistics of inventory flow in your circular model, including how Wayfair will manage the collection, repair, and redistribution of products.
What processes or partnerships are needed for refurbishment, repair, and/or recycling?
How would you use Wayfair’s large-format stores, outlet stores, and/or shop-in-store concepts to bring circularity to life in person (e.g., repair bars, “pre-loved” showrooms, design consultations, return kiosks)?
What parts of the customer journey should happen in-store vs. online, and how will those experiences connect?
Market Research: Which markets/demographics would this program be most attractive to? What are other retail companies doing in this space?
Based on your research, identify one metropolitan area where Wayfair should launch this concept first.
What product types or categories should the program cover? Your selection should consider the circularity potential of products.
Value Proposition: What makes your concept compelling compared to buying new, traditional resale platforms, or competitors’ rental/refurbished offerings?
Marketing Strategy: Develop a marketing plan that highlights the environmental benefits and value proposition of your concept, targeting environmentally conscious consumers.
Timeline for campaign: 1 month pre-launch through first 6 months post launch
Campaign budget should be 4-5% of your projected revenue for year 1 of this program
Financial Plan: Create a 5-year financial plan, aiming for breakeven in the first year and profitability within year 2, driving a gross margin of 50%+.
How will Wayfair make money (e.g., subscription fees, rental fees, resale margins, service fees)? How much revenue do we expect to generate through this program?
What is the cost of acquiring inventory (e.g. trade-in offer to customers)?
What additional costs need to be considered (e.g. transportation, refurbishment, operations, customer service, marketing, etc.)?
How does the quality and condition of a product impact margin (assume acceptable re-sale quality tiers are “Like New” (no scratches), “Slightly Used” (minor scratches), “Used” (several scratches)? How does your model reflect this?
What is the downstream benefit for Wayfair.com by running this program on the broader business?
Key Success Metrics: Outline the key metrics you will use to measure success of the program. How do we define success (other than profitability)?
Your team’s task is to imagine how Wayfair can help customers furnish the homes they love while also protecting the one home we all share - our planet - and to build a business case that shows how circularity can be both the right thing to do and a winning growth strategy. Please make your final conclusions / showcase your final pitch for why Wayfair should implement your new retail concept.
These will count towards slide count.
These do not count towards slide count.
Time Limit: The video must be a maximum of 90 seconds.
Goal: The video should serve as an "elevator pitch" to Wayfair leadership, convincing them to fund the concept. It should focus on the innovative nature of the concept, its environmental impact, and the strong financial case (i.e., hitting the 50%+ margin target).
In this case study, we encourage you to use AI as a sophisticated 'thought partner.' You may use generative tools to brainstorm initial structures, simulate various stakeholder perspectives, or refine your script/deck. However, the strategic synthesis, financial modeling, and final business judgment must be yours.
Your team is responsible for the accuracy of all data and for ensuring that your innovative retail concept provides a genuine, logical solution to Wayfair’s sustainability goals.
Download the Challenge Prompt for a full-list of supplemental resources, including: Wayfair's earnings report, CSR report, competitor leveraging, analyst reports, and consumer behavior surveys.
Gather your team of 3-4 undergraduate students and start familiarizing yourself with the case study. Be sure to talk with your advisor about how to get selected as the team(s) to represent your school. Team members must be sophomores, juniors or seniors enrolled full-time at a U.S. College or University at the time when the scholarship is presented in January 2027.
The NRF Foundation will host an information session open to all students and educators to learn more about the requirements, the timeline, etc. The overview of the Macy's case, and the core elements of the case study will be discussed.
First checkpoint for schools to notify us regarding their participation by completing this form. Schools can still join in at any point after this date.
Pitch presentations and pitch videos must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET.
The NRF Foundation will announce the semi-finalists who have made it through to the second round. Up to ten teams will advance to this round. All teams will receive their overall score and feedback on their pitch. Semi-finalists will have a chance to revise their pitch decks pitch videos based on feedback from round one judges.
During this time period, each Round 2 team will take part in a virtual Q&A session with retail judges, who will ask questions about their pitch presentations.
We’ll announce which three teams have made it to the final round. Teams will have a final chance to revise their pitch presentations and videos.
Revised pitch presentations and pitch videos will be due.
The final three teams will pitch their concepts live to a panel of retail executives as a part of NRF NXT.
The top team will be announced at the NRF Foundation Honors event.
The NRF Foundation University Retail Challenge is exclusively open to undergraduate university students. Each team will consist of three to four students each; interested applicants must check with their school’s NRF Advisor to see how they are selecting teams to enter. Participating students must be sophomores or above at the time the scholarship is awarded in January 2027.
To find your advisor, or for more information, contact scholarships@nrf.com.
Your Submission: Your team must submit a pitch presentation and pitch video; there are formatting and content requirements for entry materials. Please review the 2026-27 requirements for specific details.
Round One: During the first round of judging, your pitch presentation and pitch video will be evaluated for content, presentation and delivery.
Semifinal and Final Rounds: The judging criteria vary for the final two rounds. Teams who advance beyond round one will receive the judging criteria for the next round via email.
