September 24, 2018
Juli Lassow of JHL Solutions talks to attendees about supplier relationships at last week's seminar in Roseville.
Amanda Brinkman (Small Business Revolution and Deluxe) To Keynote Retail Rally October 9 in St. Louis Park
Join us in just three weeks and hear " Retail Lessons Learned While Revitalizing Main Streets Across America " by Amanda Brinkman!
 
Amanda will share tips she learned firsthand helping Main Street retailers in her hit series “Small Business Revolution – Main Street,” streaming on SmallBusinessRevolution.org and Hulu.
 
In addition, 10 organizations will be recognized as Minnesota's Retail Champions , and we'll hear from experts in customer engagement, asset protection and community dialogue.
 
Save 30% on tickets using promo code "retailchampion" this week!
 
Event Details:
Retail Rally: Where Innovative Retailers & Their Partners Gather , Learn and Celebrate
Doubletree Hotel - St. Louis Park
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
2:00-5:30 p.m.
 
RSVP:
Call (651) 227-6631 or register online now . $39/ticket less 30% when using promo code "retailchampion".

This event is open to members and invited guests.
Minnesota's unemployment rate dips to 2.9 percent, but hiring momentum stalls
From the Star Tribune, Evan Ramstad, September 20, 2018

Minnesota lost 200 jobs in August, breaking a streak of sizable gains that suggested that a labor market perceived to be at full employment had room left to grow. But even with the marginal decline in the number of people working, the state's unemployment rate dropped to 2.9 percent, its first time under the 3 percent threshold since December 1999. Minnesota's lowest unemployment rate was 2.5 percent, reached in January and February 1999.
Retailers Demand More From Swipe-Fee Settlement
From Reuters, September 20, 2018

Visa Inc, Mastercard Inc, and a number of U.S. banks on Tuesday agreed to pay $6.2 billion to settle a long-running lawsuit brought by merchants over the fees they pay when they accept card payments.


Visa and Mastercard previously reached a $7.25 billion settlement with the merchants in the case, but that deal was thrown out by a federal appeals court in 2016 and the U.S. Supreme Court last year refused to revive it.

The deal had been the largest all-cash U.S. antitrust settlement, although its value shrank to $5.7 billion after roughly 8,000 retailers opted out.

The card issuers named in the class-action lawsuit include JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup and Bank of America.

The lawsuit, brought on behalf of about 12 million retailers and dating back more than a decade, accuses the credit card companies of violating federal antitrust laws by forcing merchants to pay swipe fees and prohibiting them from directing consumers toward other methods of payment.

In rejecting the earlier settlement, which was opposed by retailers including Amazon.com Inc, Costco Wholesale Corp and Walmart Inc, a federal appeals court found that the accord was unfair because some retailers would receive little or no benefit.

The card companies have already paid $5.3 billion and will now pay an additional $900 million.
Halloween Spending To Reach $9 Billion
From the National Retail Federation, September 20, 2018

Once again, Americans are looking forward to splurging on their favorite candy, costumes and decorations during the Halloween season. According to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, total spending for Halloween is expected to reach $9 billion, the second highest in the survey’s 14-year history. The figure is relatively the same as last year’s previous record of $9.1 billion.

Celebrants are planning to spend an average of $86.79, up from last year’s $86.13, with more than 175 million Americans planning to partake in Halloween festivities this year.

“The economy is good and consumer confidence is high, so families are ready to spend on Halloween this year,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Retailers are stocking up to supply children, pets and adults with their favorite decorations, candy and costumes for the season.”

According to the survey, consumers plan to spend $3.2 billion on costumes (purchased by 68 percent of Halloween shoppers), $2.7 billion on decorations (74 percent), $2.6 billion on candy (95 percent) and $400 million on greeting cards (35 percent).

Among Halloween celebrants, 70 percent plan to hand out candy, 50 percent will decorate their home or yard, 48 percent will wear costumes, 45 percent will carve a pumpkin, 32 percent will throw or attend a party, 30 percent will take their children trick-or-treating, 21 percent will visit a haunted house and 18 percent will dress pets in costumes.

Pet costumes continue to gain popularity, with nearly 20 percent of celebrants planning to dress their pets in costumes this year up from last year’s 16 percent.
Today Marks Tax Increase for American Families, Farmers and Businesses
From Tariffs The Heartland, September 24, 2018

Tariffs Hurt the Heartland released the following statement today as tariffs on $200 billion in goods and $60 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports take effect. This latest wave of tariffs is a tax on everyday items that American families buy including food, furniture, travel goods, home improvement supplies, personal care products and more. The retaliatory tariffs also being imposed today will harm made-in-America exports including goods produced by our farms and factories.

“Americans are waking up today to a tax increase on the things they rely on to provide for their families,” said Tariffs Hurt the Heartland spokesman Brian Kuehl. “From furniture to pet food, light bulbs to baby cribs, even groceries and toilet paper will be taxed by these tariffs. Contrary to the rhetoric, the taxes on these goods aren’t paid by foreign countries, they come out of the pockets of American businesses and consumers. While the $60 billion of retaliatory tariffs on American exports are paid for by U.S. farmers, manufacturers and small businesses.

“While the administration spent last week promising that consumers ‘will never notice’ these tax increases, American businesses will be forced to increase prices on everything from bikes to luggage. These taxes don’t just affect a few items or industries. They touch nearly every corner of the American economy. In the coming weeks and months, Tariffs Hurt the Heartland will continue to illustrate the impact of these tariffs at town hall meetings across the country with the American families who are paying the price for this trade war.”
Minnesota Retailers Association Joins Campaign Against Tariffs
From the Pioneer Press, Fred Melo, August 31, 2018

The Minnesota Retailers Association is among dozens of trade associations across the U.S. that have signed onto the newly-formed Americans for Free Trade, a diverse array of business groups that are opposed to current and contemplated trade tariffs directed by President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday a coalition of 86 trade groups announced the formation of Americans for Free Trade with a letter to members of Congress: “We are a growing coalition representing U.S. manufacturers, farmers and agribusinesses, retailers, technology companies, service suppliers, natural gas and oil companies, importers, exporters, and other supply chain stakeholders, who are united in their concern about the negative impacts that the new tariffs are and will continue to have on U.S. businesses, workers and consumers.”

The newly formed group is joining with another organization, Farmers for Free Trade, to back the “Tariffs Hurt the Heartland” campaign, an effort to call attention to the issue. Plans call for holding “town hall”-style events across the country.

“We’ve certainly been watching the tariff conversation closely,” said Bruce Nustad, president of the Minnesota Retailers Association. “Retailers do import products from various parts of the world…There’s a potentially strong impact on retailers and ultimately consumers.”

MnRA has about 250 member companies that operate approximately 1,200 retail locations within Minnesota. Nustad said that MnRA’s membership is about one-third “mom and pop” stores, one third small regional retailers with multiple locations and one-third large national companies.

Nustad said that MnRA works with the National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association on federal issues affecting retailers; both of those groups are part of the new Americans for Free Trade group as well.