National Retail Federation
Encyclopedia
The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail
trade association
. Its members include department store, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, and independent retailers, and chain restaurants and grocery stores. Members also include businesses that provide goods and services to retailers. NRF represents an industry that contains over 1.6 million U.S. retail establishments with more than 24 million employees and (2005) sales of $4.4 trillion. NRF is also an umbrella group that represents more than 100 associations of state, national and international retailers.
The NRF also has a research and education arm, The NRF Foundation (NRFF), a non-profit 501(c)3 organization created in 1981. It conducts industry research, develops education and workforce development programs, and promotes retailing as a career
(IFA), would become NRF's president and CEO on May 10, 2010, replacing Tracy Mullin, who was retiring. Mullin joined NRF in 1976 and became president in 1993. Shay joined the IFA in 1993 and was named president in 2004 and chief executive in 2007.
As of 2010, the NRF Board of Directors was chaired by Terry J. Lundgren
, the President and CEO of Macy's. His predecessor was Myron E. (Mike) Ullman III], the Chairman and CEO of J. C. Penney
. Members of the board include board chairs, CEOs, and/or presidents from Crate & Barrel, L.L.Bean, Liz Claiborne
, Petco
, Saks
, and other well-known retailers.
(RILA) announced that they would merge. NRF has about 100 employees; and has been based in Washington, D.C.
since it moved from New York City in 1993; it had been in New York for 81 years. RILA is based in Arlington
and has a staff of about 30.
The process was expected to be completed by summer 2009, after both NRF and RILA went through a due diligence process. The boards of directors of both associations had to recommend the merger, and members of both groups had to approve it. The combined association was be run during the transition by RILA President Sandy Kennedy. Kennedy said in May that she envisioned a smaller staff of about 75, down from 135 now employed by the existing associations.
In late June, the NRF and RILA announced that the merger had been called off.
The decision was by the boards; members had not yet been asked to vote on the matter. "NRF and RILA will devote all resources to continuing the work they are each doing to address the serious issues that America's consumers and retailers are facing in today's economic environment," the groups said in a joint statement.
releases figures on the sales for each Thanksgiving
weekend.
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
trade association
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
. Its members include department store, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, and independent retailers, and chain restaurants and grocery stores. Members also include businesses that provide goods and services to retailers. NRF represents an industry that contains over 1.6 million U.S. retail establishments with more than 24 million employees and (2005) sales of $4.4 trillion. NRF is also an umbrella group that represents more than 100 associations of state, national and international retailers.
Divisions
Major divisions of NRF include:- Association for Retail Technology StandardsAssociation for Retail Technology StandardsThe Association for Retail Technology Standards is an internationally reaching standards organization dedicated to reducing the costs of technology through standards. Since 1993, ARTS has been delivering application standards exclusively to the retail industry. ARTS has four standards: The...
(ARTS), an organization with international membership, which works to reduce the costs of technology by helping the implementation of technology standards. ARTS has four standards: The Standard Relational Data Model, UnifiedPOSUnifiedPOSUnifiedPOS or UPOS is a world wide vendor and retailer driven Open Standard's initiative under the National Retail Federation, Association of Retail Technology Standards to provide vendor...
, ARTS XML and the Standard RFPs. - The National Council of Chain Restaurants (NCCR), the leading trade association exclusively representing chain restaurant companies, which has existed since the early 1960s.
- Retail Advertising & Marketing Association (RAMA), a trade association of marketing and advertising professionals working at retail companies, and their counterparts who work at advertising agencies and media and service-providers.
- Shop.org, an association of retailers who sell online.
- International Retail Federation (IRF), which serves the needs of retailers based outside the United States through networking events, education, products, services and other resources.
The NRF also has a research and education arm, The NRF Foundation (NRFF), a non-profit 501(c)3 organization created in 1981. It conducts industry research, develops education and workforce development programs, and promotes retailing as a career
Activities
- Each of the divisions of NRF has one or more conferences annually. In addition, NRF has an annual conference/convention. The 97th, in New York City in January 2007, had more than 15,000 attendees and 500 vendors. Attendance in January 2008 was 18,500; in January 2009 it dropped by 8%, to a total of 17,000.
- The organization regularly does sales projections. For example, for the Thanksgiving weekend in 2005, the NRF projected that sales would be 22% above the prior year., based on a survey on Friday and Saturday of the weekend. A Wall Street Journal article after the weekend questioned that projection. By comparison, ShopperTrak RCT Corp., a Chicago market-research company with a different methodology, reported a sales decrease of 0.9% on Friday, and an increase for the weekend of just 0.4%.. In July 2006, NRF predicted a substantial increase in back-to-school sales, and in September 2006 it also predicted a large increase in Halloween spending.
- For the fourth quarter of 2009, NRF reported spending $460,000 to lobby on a variety of issues, from apparel tariffs to consumer product safety.
- NRF publishes STORES Magazine, monthly, covering the entire range of interests of NRF members, and LPinformation Magazine (formerly LP&Security Trends), bi-monthly, covering loss prevention. STORES also publishes, annually, its Retail Industry Buying Guide and its Software Sourcebook.
Leadership
In mid-March 2010, the NRF announced that Matt Shay, who had headed the International Franchise AssociationInternational Franchise Association
The International Franchise Association is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising. Founded in 1960, it is a Washington, DC based trade group and non-profit association that represents a growing membership of more than 1,300 franchise systems, 10,000-plus franchisees...
(IFA), would become NRF's president and CEO on May 10, 2010, replacing Tracy Mullin, who was retiring. Mullin joined NRF in 1976 and became president in 1993. Shay joined the IFA in 1993 and was named president in 2004 and chief executive in 2007.
As of 2010, the NRF Board of Directors was chaired by Terry J. Lundgren
Terry J. Lundgren
Terry J. Lundgren is the CEO, Chairman of the Board, President, and Director at Macy's, Inc., the parent company of Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores....
, the President and CEO of Macy's. His predecessor was Myron E. (Mike) Ullman III], the Chairman and CEO of J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
. Members of the board include board chairs, CEOs, and/or presidents from Crate & Barrel, L.L.Bean, Liz Claiborne
Liz Claiborne
Anne Elisabeth Jane "Liz" Claiborne was a Belgian-born American fashion designer and entrepreneur. Claiborne is best known for founding Liz Claiborne Inc. which in 1986 became the first company founded by a woman to make the Fortune 500...
, Petco
PETCO
PETCO is a chain of retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Delaware, it is headquartered in San Diego, California...
, Saks
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
, and other well-known retailers.
2009 merger with RILA
In April 2009, NRF and the Retail Industry Leaders AssociationRetail Industry Leaders Association
The Retail Industry Leaders Association is American trade association headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. RILA promotes consumer choice and economic freedom through public policy and industry operational excellence...
(RILA) announced that they would merge. NRF has about 100 employees; and has been based in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
since it moved from New York City in 1993; it had been in New York for 81 years. RILA is based in Arlington
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
and has a staff of about 30.
The process was expected to be completed by summer 2009, after both NRF and RILA went through a due diligence process. The boards of directors of both associations had to recommend the merger, and members of both groups had to approve it. The combined association was be run during the transition by RILA President Sandy Kennedy. Kennedy said in May that she envisioned a smaller staff of about 75, down from 135 now employed by the existing associations.
In late June, the NRF and RILA announced that the merger had been called off.
The decision was by the boards; members had not yet been asked to vote on the matter. "NRF and RILA will devote all resources to continuing the work they are each doing to address the serious issues that America's consumers and retailers are facing in today's economic environment," the groups said in a joint statement.
Retail Sales
The National Retail FederationNational Retail Federation
The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association. Its members include department store, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, and independent retailers, and chain restaurants and grocery stores. Members also include businesses that provide goods and services to...
releases figures on the sales for each Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
weekend.
| Year | Date | Survey Published | Shoppers, millions | Average Spend | Total Spend | Consumers Polled | Margin for Error |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 24 Nov | 27 Nov | 226m | $398.62 | $52.5 billion | 3,826 | 1.6% |
| 2010 | 25 Nov | 28 Nov | 212m | $365.34 | $45.0 billion | 4,306 | 1.5% |
| 2009 | 26 Nov | 29 Nov | 195m | $343.31 | $41.2 billion | 4,985 | 1.4% |
| 2008 | 27 Nov | 30 Nov | 172m | $372.57 | $41.0 billion | 3,370 | 1.7% |
| 2007 | 22 Nov | 25 Nov | 147m | $347.55 | n/a | 2,395 | 1.5% |
| 2006 | 23 Nov | 26 Nov | 140m | $360.15 | n/a | 3,090 | 1.5% |
| 2005 | 24 Nov | 27 Nov | n/a | $302.81 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
National associations and members represented
The NRF has about 2,500 members, including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores. Among the notable associations that are members of the NRF in its role as an umbrella organization are:- American Booksellers AssociationAmerican Booksellers AssociationThe American Booksellers Association is a non-profit industryassociation founded in 1900 that promotes independent bookstores in the United States and Canada. The ABA and its members support freedom of speech, literacy, and programs that encourage reading...
- Direct Selling AssociationDirect Selling AssociationThe Direct Selling Association is the name of several similar trade associations in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and New Zealand that represent direct selling companies, including those that use multi-level marketing compensation plans or party plan product...
- Food Marketing InstituteFood Marketing InstituteThe Food Marketing Institute is an organization that conducts food safety, public affairs, education, research, and industry relations programs for food retailers and wholesalers. FMI's membership consists of approximately 1,500 companies in 50 countries, ranging from large multi-chain stores to...
- International Franchise AssociationInternational Franchise AssociationThe International Franchise Association is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising. Founded in 1960, it is a Washington, DC based trade group and non-profit association that represents a growing membership of more than 1,300 franchise systems, 10,000-plus franchisees...
- National Association of Convenience StoresNational Association of Convenience StoresNACS is an international trade association representing the convenience and fuel retailing industry.-Background:NACS was founded August 14, 1961, as the National Association of Convenience Stores. It is an international trade association representing more than 2,100 retail and 1,500 supplier...