The Retail Experience 2022

Demonstrating retail’s impact to policymakers

Not your typical D.C. fly-in.
It’s an experience.

An interactive journey through the retail industry

The Retail Experience at the NRF Retail Advocates Summit
Thursday, July 28, 2022 | 9 AM – 1 PM | InterContinental at the Wharf

NRF has created an original program called The Retail Experience that brings together leading retail brands, retail technology innovators and Main Street small businesses to demonstrate the depth and breadth of the retail industry to policymakers and congressional staff through immersive exhibitions.

The Retail Experience features six exhibits that demonstrate retail’s role in driving the economy, providing jobs and impacting lives and communities across the country.

Technology demonstration

Our Impact

Learn how retail powers the economy. As the nation’s largest private-sector employer, the retail industry contributes $3.9 trillion to the annual GDP and supports one in four American jobs. Learn more.

Our Opportunities

Presented by the NRF Foundation, this exhibit showcases the RISE Up training and credentialing program, which provides foundational employability skills and opportunities for careers in retail and beyond. Learn more.

Our Innovations

Learn how retailers are using cutting-edge technology to meet constantly changing customer demand featuring four innovative companies: Afresh, PopCom, Shelf Engine and Spacee. Learn more.

Our Retail Partners

Leading retailers are sharing unique sides of their brands stories and the pivotal roles they play in the communities they serve.

America’s Retail Champions Product Display

This exhibit, presented by Affirm, features a mini-Main Street with product displays from 34 small retailers selected to attend the Retail Advocates Summit through NRF’s America’s Retail Champions Program. Stop by to celebrate small business, which makes up 98 percent of the retail industry. Learn more.

Our Champions

NRF is proud to present over 200 lawmakers with our Hero of Main Street and Champions of Main Street awards. Winners are selected for their continued support for the U.S. retail industry through legislative actions and leadership.

Retail’s Policy Priorities

Easing Record Inflation

Record inflation continues to impact consumers and retailers, slowing economic recovery and growth. Repealing the Section 301 tariffs on imports from China would help relieve inflationary pressures.

Reforming a Broken Payments System

Retailers face gratuitous and non-negotiable swipe fees, the highest in the industrialized world that raise costs for retailers which leads to higher prices for consumers. Reforms that bring competition and transparency to the payments system are desperately needed.

Addressing the Ongoing Labor Shortage

Retailers and restaurants continue to face a severe labor shortage despite efforts to attract workers with higher pay, expanded benefits and more. An effective way to address the shortage would be to advance immigration policies that replenish the worker pool.

The Retail Experience is proud to feature four retail technology innovators:

RAS is sponsored by:

Engage with us

The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association. Every day, we stand up for the people, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. Connect with us at govtrelations@nrf.com.