National Retail Federation news and archive

US retail sales grow in April ahead of expected tariff price increases

Retail sales increased across the United States in April, as consumers stocked up on goods to avoid the impending higher prices set to come with tariffs, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, published by the National Retail Federation. “Spending rose again in April, driven largely by consumers continuing to pull purchases forward to stay...

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US Retail Sales Dip 0.22% in February Despite Year-Over-Year Growth

Retail spending across the US may have declined on a monthly basis last month as concerns over tariffs increase, but continued to grow year over year as the economy holds steady, according to the latest CNBC/National Retail Federation (NRF) Retail Monitor. Total retail sales (minus automobiles and gasoline,) dropped 0.22 percent (seasonally...

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NRF warns of consumer impact of reciprocal US tariffs

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order implementing a reciprocal tariff policy, meaning that any tariffs imposed on US goods by other countries will be matched equally, leading to a wave of fresh concerns being raised, including some by the National Retail Federation (NRF). Signed last Thursday, the policy applies to tariffs and...

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US retail sales bounce back in October ahead of forecasted ‘record’ Thanksgiving weekend

Things seem to be looking up for the US retail sector, which bounced back “strongly” in October according to new figures released by the CNBC/National Retail Federation (NRF) Retail Monitor. According to the report, total retail sales were up 0.74 percent seasonally adjusted month-over-month, and up 4.13 percent unadjusted year-over-year in the...

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Price hikes on back-to-school essentials present challenges for consumers

Despite rising inflation, consumers are prioritizing back-to-school and college spending. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) over one third or 38 percent of consumers have committed to cutting back on other expenses in order to be prepared for the upcoming fall semester. They expect to spend more than usual on both K-12 and...

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Business|ANALYSIS

From policy abuse to friendly fraud: Retailers face billions in revenue loss

As consumers and brands alike settle into the new ways of commerce, businesses have been facing a rising volume of fraudulent activities. From account takeover to policy abuse, to chargeback and friendly fraud, retailers are looking for ways to mitigate different types of fraud costing them billions in revenue annually. Whenever a customer asks...

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Cost of returns soars to 761 billion dollars

Retailers expect more than 761 billion dollars of unwanted merchandise sold last year to be returned by consumers, according to a report released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Appriss Retail. This accounts for an average of 16.6 percent of total U.S. retail sales, which soared to 4.583 trillion dollars in 2021. “As total retail...

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Handheld aims to improve shipping efficiency

In this world of e-commerce, there is nothing more imperative to retailers than shipment. Handheld is helping make the shipping process more seamless using their new SP500X ScanPrinter. The device is currently the only device of its kind that allows workers to scan a barcode with one swipe and with the next swipe prints information (like which...

Fairs|Interview

Surefront aims to centralize retail communication

COVID-19 threw the world into a global supply chain crisis. The tech industry took notice and realized there was an increase in demand for product lifecycle management (PLM) software. With necessity being the mother of invention, this led to the creation of Surefront, a PLM software that is becoming well known for saving the sanity of suppliers...

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Holiday spending to be highest on record, says forecast

US holiday spending forecast to be the highest on record, as the National Retail Federation (NRF) this week said holiday sales during November and December will grow between 8.5 percent and 10.5 percent over 2020 to between 843.4 billion and 859 billion dollars. The figures compare with a previous high of 8.2 percent in 2020 to 777.3 billion...

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Retailers encouraged by Key Provisions in HEALS Act

The National Retail Federation issued the following statement from NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French regarding the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act, the Republican version of additional stimulus funds, in response to the coronavirus pandemic: While understanding that the...

BusinessPress Release

The National Retail Federation steps up to support the fashion industry

The National Retail Federation (NRF) is the largest retail trade association in the world. The NRF consists of members from all phases of the retail industry ranging from department stores to independent retailers. Representing not only the United States, but they also encompass over 45 countries. Often described as the “voice of retail,” the...