Wendy future of retail top

National Retail Federation

Congress told overtime rule will hurt workers

Congress told overtime rule will hurt workers

WASHINGTON – New federal overtime regulations scheduled to go into effect on December 1 will hurt the very workers they are meant to help, the National Retail Federation told the House Small Business Committee on Thursday. “Proponents of this rule have touted the changes as a welcomed job creator,” NRF senior vice president for government

As new year unfolds, retail sales outlook encouraging

WASHINGTON — Retail sales increased for a third straight month in January. The 0.2% gain matched the previous month’s performance, which the Commerce Department initially reported as a decline but revised upward as more data came in. Economists at the National Retail Federation (NRF) predict retail industry sales this year will exceed their 10-year average

NRF forecasts retail sales uptick for 2016

NRF forecasts retail sales uptick for 2016

WASHINGTON — Economists at the National Retail Federation (NRF) predict retail industry sales this year will exceed their 10-year average as the economy continues to grow and consumers show more willingness to spend. The federation forecasts sales will rise 3.1% in 2016, topping the 2.7% average over the past decade. The report, released Wednesday, predicts

Walgreens honored by NRF

NEW YORK — Walgreen Co. was among the firms honored by the National Retail Federation at the trade association’s convention here last month. Walgreens was named Retail Innovator of the Year at the NRF’s convention and expo, dubbed Retail’s Big Show. According to NRF, the award is given annually to “a company that is well

Walgreens honored at NRF Retail’s Big Show

Walgreens honored at NRF Retail’s Big Show

NEW YORK — Walgreens was presented with the Retail Innovator of the Year award by the National Retail Federation at the NRF Retail’s Big Show in New York City. Alex Gourlay, president of Walgreens, accepted the award on behalf of the drug chain from Claudio Del Vecchio, chairman and chief executive officer of Brooks Brothers.

Drug chains end 2015 with modest sales gains

Drug chains end 2015 with modest sales gains

NEW YORK — Drug stores outpaced other mass retailers in December sales, even with modest increases in total and same-store sales for the month. Total drug store sales in December were up 4% compared with the same month last year, according to research by Chain Drug Review publisher Racher Press. Same-store sales increased 1.7%. And

Retail groups comment on EPA waste management rules

Retail groups comment on EPA waste management rules

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), Food Marketing Institute, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, National Grocers Association and National Retail Federation have submitted comments on proposals by the Environmental Protection Agency to update waste management regulations that may impact retailers’ handling of unsold consumer products and pharmaceuticals.​ RILA said Tuesday that

Drug chains post modest sales gains during holidays

NEW YORK — Drug chains were not immune to the shift in holiday shopping away from brick-and-mortar retailing, as sales growth barely exceeded 4%. That was down from last season’s 4.4% advance in holiday retail sales, and well off the 5.4% gain of five years ago. Same-store sales were up 1.8%, virtually unchanged from 2014.

Budget deal includes some setbacks for Obamacare

WASHINGTON — Republican opponents of President Obama’s health care law may do better by dismantling the Affordable Care Act piece by piece. Under the budget deal passed by Congress and signed by the president last month, a widely criticized tax on high-cost employer health insurance plans has been delayed and two taxes already being collected

Holiday retail sales edge up in 2015

Holiday retail sales edge up in 2015

NEW YORK — Drug chains were not immune to the shift in holiday shopping away from brick-and-mortar retailing. Holiday retail sales growth barely exceeded 4%, down from last season’s 4.4% advance and well off the 5.4% gain of five years ago, according to research by Racher Press, the publisher of Chain Drug Review. Same-store sales

U.S. retailers make switch to EMV technology

NEW YORK — Retailers this month became liable for credit card fraud if they did not upgrade point-of-sale equipment to accept chip-enabled cards. Chains had to be enabled for so-called EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) cards as of October 1 to avoid liability for fraud. The chip in the cards has a unique encryption code,

ACA survives Supreme Court challenge

WASHINGTON — The Affordable Care Act has survived its second Supreme Court challenge, with a divided court agreeing with the Obama administration that government subsidies that make health insurance affordable for millions of poor and middle-class Americans should be available ­nationwide. While there are more challenges to come, the organization representing the nation’s traditional drug

Walgreens’ Chawla sheds light on digital & retail

Walgreens’ Chawla sheds light on digital & retail

Sona Chawla, president of digital and chief marketing officer for Walgreens, spoke of her passion for retail and the ever-increasing role of technology in a recent interview with the National Retail Federation Foundation. Named as a “Power Player” on NRF’s List of People Shaping Retail’s Future 2015, Chawla said she embraces “the art and science

GOP makes bid to replace ACA

WASHINGTON — Three Republican lawmakers have proposed an alternative to the Affordable Care Act that would stop the expansion of Medicaid and reduce subsidies for middle-income people to buy ­insurance. The plan would give states more power to list “essential health benefits” of insurance. Coverage for maternity care would no longer be mandated. The proposal was

PP_1170x120_10-25-21