September 12, 2016

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Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services kicked off "Reimagine Retail" on Friday in Monticello. The program aims to develop the retail workforce across 11 counties in Minnesota and is supported by the Walmart Foundation.


Annual Meeting

Find Out What The Future Of Local Workplace Regulation Looks Like At MnRA's Annual Meeting
 
From mandated sick leave and minimum wage, to product regulation and plastic bans, local government is venturing into areas historically left to state & federal government.

Join us for a panel of perspectives on what's next in local government regulation and its impact on retail.

Event Details:
2016 MnRA Annual Meeting
Minneapolis Marriott West - St. Louis Park
Thursday, October 13, 2016
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Investment (includes lunch):
Members & Invited Guests: $35
Member & Invited Guests Table: eight seats, $325
Elected officials: Contact MnRA to register.

RSVP:
Pre-registration required. Call (651) 227-6631 or register online now. Cancelations must be made before noon on October 7 for a refund. Substitutions accepted.

This event is open to members and invited guests. For information on attending contact MnRA at (651) 227-6631.  
 
Special Session
Little Progress As Mark Dayton, Kurt Daudt Discuss Special Session   
 
From the Pioneer Press, David Montgomery, September 9, 2016

"Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and House Speaker Kurt Daudt talked about a possible special legislative session Friday but didn't resolve any of the issues still preventing it.

Political leaders talked on and off all summer about a special session after lawmakers adjourned their regular legislative session in May without passing a bill to borrow money for infrastructure projects. Talks accelerated after Dayton vetoed the Legislature's $300 million tax cut bill over a drafting error.

Talks finally broke down last month over the issue of funding for the Southwest Light Rail line. But Dayton subsequently directed the Metropolitan Council to pursue a backup plan to fund the controversial project. That led to suggestions that a special session could happen after all, with the biggest roadblock resolved.

Dayton, a Democrat, and Daudt, a Republican, met Friday morning for a previously scheduled breakfast. Their discussion of a special session didn't result in any breakthroughs.

Dayton's deputy chief of staff, Linden Zakula, said the governor told Daudt he "did not want to go through another round of... impasses" and suggested that staff for all parties discuss the issue."
    
 

Legislative Agenda for 2017
Legislative Policy Summit This Thursday  
 
Mark your calendars now for the Minnesota Retailers Association's annual Legislative Policy Summit to be held at the MnRA offices in St. Paul on Thursday, September 15, 2016, 2:00 - 4:00 pm.  This is your opportunity to help MnRA shape policy positions as we head into the 2016 legislative session.
 
No cost to attend. This is a members-only event. Please register if you intend to attend in person or join the meeting via conference call. Call-in instructions will be e-mailed out one week prior to the event.     
 
Federal Update
Retailers Oppose House Committee Debit Card Repeal Effort    
 
From the Retail Industry Leaders Association, September 8, 2016

"The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) is urging members of the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee to vote no when the CHOICE Act comes up for a vote next week. The bill repeals reforms passed more than six years ago that brought fairness and competition to the debit card market.

Swipe fee reform, also known as the Durbin Amendment, passed the Senate in 2010 with 64 votes. The reforms require that the fees that banks and card networks charge every time a debit card is swiped are "reasonable and proportionate to the cost of processing the transaction." Prior to the passage of reforms, card networks utilized their overwhelming market power to raise fees at will. Swipe fees are estimated to cost merchants and consumers $50 billion every year.

"Repealing debit swipe fee reforms would once again allow the largest banks and card networks to impose outrageous fees on merchants across the country, while hurting everyone outside Wall Street," said Jennifer Safavian, RILA's executive vice president for government affairs. "Make no mistake, the CHOICE Act's central objective is to turn back the clock on reforms that brought fairness and competition to the broken debit card market. We urge members to recognize the importance of competition in the payments ecosystem and to oppose the CHOICE Act."
    
 
Social Media
Survey: Social Media Driving Shopping Decisions     
 
From the Retailing Today, Deena M. Amato-McCoy, September 9, 2016

"Thirsty for meaningful brand interactions, consumers are turning to social media more regularly.
 
While it's still largely used for socializing and product discovery, social media is increasingly influencing consumer purchasing decisions, according to "Shopping's Social Influence," a new report from digital advertising and analytics firm Adlucent.
 
Consumers still largely kick-off their shopping journeys on search engines or Amazon, but social media is having a growing influence as 39% of respondents said social media posts/ads at least somewhat influence their purchase decisions.

Another 45% said they at least somewhat base decisions on product recommendations from influencers/celebrities they follow on social media, the report said.
 
While consumers seek out social interactions, they aren't actively engaging with brands. Across six major social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Periscope), 75% of respondents follow no specific brands, according to the report. However, they could be persuaded.
 
Across seven major social media sites, 46% of respondents said they would prefer tailored social media ads. Specifically, 68% want tailored Facebook ads, 63% want tailored ads on YouTube, and 67% want tailored Twitter ads, the report said. Consumers stated that personalized ads are less disruptive and give them more control - factors that encourage more frequent and genuine engagement. This could be a huge opportunity for brands that are focusing on social engagement, but may not be investing in social ads, the report suggested."
    
 
Trends
Report: Mall Traffic Up With Teens
 
From the Chain Store Age, September 9, 2016

"Teens are returning to one of their former favorite destinations.  According to a survey by Willian Blair of teens and young adults, teens are visiting malls more in 2016 than they were in 2015, benzinga reported.
    
In other survey results, teens indicated that the mall (24%) was the most popular place for them to meet with friends, beating out movie theaters (21%), restaurants (21%) and sports clubs/extracurricular activities (10%)."
    
 
Bar code
Minnesota Retailers Associaiton
400 Robert Street North, suite 1540
St. Paul, MN 55101
Tel. (651) 227-6631 - mnretail.org - mnra@mnretail.org