Media Center

NRF welcomed legislation introduced this week that would give small businesses new coronavirus pandemic assistance that could be used to pay expenses such as rent and taxes rather than just employee wages.

NRF, AAFA, FDRA, RILA and USFIA are working together to address the situation.

NRF and several prominent business organizations including the National Association of Manufacturers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, TechNet and Intrax filed a lawsuit in federal court opposing President Trump’s proclamation suspending new nonimmigrant visas.

NRF urged the Senate to approve legislation that would create a new tax credit intended to ease the cost of steps taken to make stores and other workplaces safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

NRF welcomed legislation introduced that would give businesses a tax credit intended to help defer the cost of employee testing, personal protective equipment, cleaning and other steps needed to make workplaces safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

Retail sales rose in June, seeing both a monthly increase and their first year-over-year gain since February as more retailers and other businesses closed by the coronavirus pandemic reopened, but continued COVID-19 outbreaks remain a threat, according to NRF.

It is critically important that we have a national mask standard implemented locally. Retailers are protecting the health and safety of communities they serve. Our elected leaders need to set politics aside and follow their example.

Consumers tentatively plan to spend a record amount to prepare students for school and college this year as they buy more laptops and computer accessories in anticipation that at least some classes will take place online because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the annual survey from NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

Theft, fraud and losses from other retail “shrink” totaled $61.7 billion in 2019, up from $50.6 billion the year before as industry security executives reported increases in the number of shoplifting, organized retail crime and employee theft incidents, according to NRF's annual National Retail Security Survey.

NRF welcomed a report calling for a federal backstop for trade credit insurance, saying the proposal could help provide liquidity badly needed by retailers as they recover from the recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.