From left: NRF's Jason Straczewski, MinkeeBlue founder and CEO Sherrill Mosee, Queen City Creamery & Deli owner Rhiannon Brown, Out There Outfitters owner Sarah McDonald and NRF's Erica Aquilina on capitol hill.
NRF hosted the inaugural Retail Innovation & Impact Conference on April 2-3 in Washington, D.C. This event brought together over 70 retailers, including 45 small businesses, to discuss retail’s economic impact with lawmakers and advance pro-growth policies that benefit the industry.
Contact Congress today and encourage them to collaborate with the White House to scale back tariffs.
The conference took place in conjunction with NRF’s annual State of Retail & the Consumer virtual event, which forecasted that retail sales in 2025 will grow between 2.7% to 3.7% as consumer uncertainty around tariffs lingers. Attendees gathered in Washington to advocate for solutions for strong economy and consumer including thoughtfully engaging with the White House on trade policy, extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and passing the Credit Card Competition Act.
The timing of the fly-in was significant as the Trump administration announced reciprocal tariffs on nearly all imports on April 2. That shifted much of the focus to addressing the challenges posed by increased tariffs, particularly for small businesses.
In response, NRF hosted a press briefing with five small retailers from around the country to discuss the impacts of tariffs on the industry and consumers. Additionally, a group of small businesses met with Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler to discuss support for extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and their concerns over uncertainty regarding proposed tariffs that will raise prices for their customers.
Conference attendees participated in 85 meetings with congressional offices including Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., to discuss tariffs and the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, a bill that promotes fairness in the U.S. credit card market. “Today, I sat down with Illinois small business owners and members of the National Retail Federation,” Durbin said after the meeting. “As President Trump’s tariffs cause uncertainty for Illinois business owners, consumers, and workers, I will continue to push back against harmful economic policies coming from the White House, including continuing to advocate for my Credit Card Competition Act, which would lower prices for small businesses and consumers.”
During the Retail Innovation & Impact Conference, attendees also had the opportunity to build connections and network at receptions. NRF hosted a congressional reception on April 2 for policymakers, congressional staff and members of the media in recognition of the State of Retail & the Consumer event. And, to close out the conference, attendees enjoyed a reception hosted by Google that featured a panel discussion on the future of retail and artificial intelligence featuring Google experts, small retailers and other retail leaders.