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Retail Alliance Newsletter
Greetings!
1 Days Until MediaFest 2009!
Thursday, February 26
5:00 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Waterside Marriott Norfolk
MediaFest is a program created by Retail Alliance® to provide
tools to help retail businesses be more effective. The tradeshow
features an extensive variety of advertising opportunities ranging from
traditional media to unique marketing approaches, numerous advertising
and networking opportunities, entertainment, an educational component,
media exposure, delicious food provided by local restaurants and
more! The media trade show will take place from 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. on  February 26 at the Waterside Marriott in downtown Norfolk. MediaFest
is free for Retail Alliance® members, so be sure to take advantage of
this opportunity. Whether you want your advertising to resonate with
potential customers, or you want to find creative ways to help your
business grow, MediaFest is an event you don't want to miss! Remember,
advertising is about consistency and always being in the consumer's
mind. Customers may not want to buy at the moment, but if you're the
first business that comes to mind, ultimately you are likely to earn
the sale. Retail Alliance® members can get their complimentary
tickets from the back page of the February newsletter or simply show
your Member-to-Member card at the registration desk. |
Coupons Are Back in Style
Procter & Gamble and Hain Celestial are among those offering  more coupons and promotions. "Historically, when you get into this type of an economy, consumer packaged-goods companies do put out more coupons," said an executive with a third-party coupon distributor. Financial Times has the full story.
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Viva Las Vegas comes to Hampton Roads in April 2009, to hon or retailers all over Virginia. Starting a business is not a simple task, the market is challenging and the obstacles retailers face are difficult. It takes more than the ordinary entrepreneur to succeed in this competitive industry. Retailers deserve to be recognized for outstanding customer service and devotion to their community.
This year Retail Alliance will bring Vegas to Hampton Roads for an exhilarating award show unlike anything you have ever been to before! Which worthy retailer will take home the prestigious award this year?
On the evening of Friday, April 24, Retail Alliance members and  guests will be entertained and dazzled during the non-stop action awards program at the Westin Town Center Hotel in Virginia Beach, for the second annual Retailer of the Year Gala Event. The clinking of chips, the sound of jazz and the array of Vegas style activities will make this night unforgettable!
All Retail Alliance members are invited to attend this event at no charge (one per member; $35 for additional tickets; $60 for non-members), but an RSVP is required. Seating is limited. A cancellation fee will be charged to those who are unable to attend after RSVP within three days of the event.
Retail Alliance is currently accepting nominations for the 2009 Retailer of the Year. (see below)
If you have any questions or you are interested in attending the Retailer of the Year Awards please contact Jen Webber at 757.455.9323 or email jwebber@retail-alliance.com.
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Retail 2 Retail
Tuesday,
March 3
6-8 p.m.
Vintner's Cellar
1213-C George Washington Mem. Hwy.
Yorktown, VA 23693
Join fellow retailers for an entertaining evening of networking and fun, complete with refreshments.
Retail 2 Retail takes place the first and third Tuesday of each month and is free to RETAIL ALLIANCE members.
To RSVP call Jen Webber at 757.455.9323
For directions to this R2R and to view upcoming R2Rs
click here. |
Do More with Less
Retailers are retrenching and doing more with less, Tracy Mullin writes, and it would be a mistake to stagnate. Businesses should keep investing smartly to be ready for the economic upturn.
STORES magazine has the full story.
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New Tests for Brand Loyalty
Since mass-market brands were developed in the 19th century, they have been luring consumers with a combination of emotional and rational appeals. However, the recession and the rise of private labels are two factors testing their strength.
The Independent (London) has the full story.
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The National Conference of State Legislatures recently put together a synopsis of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that was agreed upon on February 12th. It may be helpful to those interested in seeing this streamlined version. It is unbiased, uncut and can be viewed by clicking here.
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Legislative Scoreboard
The final week of the 2009 legislative session has arrived and General Assembly action is  focused on the state budget. Federal stimulus package injections into several areas of the state budget have changed the dynamic for solving Virginia's serious shortfall. Rumors that an additional legislative session will occur are no longer circulating.
Budget conferees for the Senate were announced late last week. They include Democrats Charles Colgan, Ed Houck, Dick Saslaw and Janet Howell. Senate Republican conferees are Walter Stosch and William Wampler . Senator Ken Stolle has been selected as an adviser to these conferees.
House conferees are Republicans Kirk Cox, Lacey Putney, Phil Hamilton, Bev Sherwood and Clarke Hogan. The lone Democrat House conferee is Delegate Johnny Joannou. To contact budget conferees, go to http://legis.state.va.us. Or contact Margaret Ballard, 757-406-9431, mballard@retail-alliance.com.
Dealer Discount Proposals Target Help for VRF Members
Following stimulus package announcements, conferees worked over the weekend to solve
differences in the Senate and House budgets. The Senate is proposing to carry forward a
$250 million gain until 2011, to be used only if needed. Consequently, Senators claim that an
accelerated sales tax, initially put forward for merchants with annual revenues of $50 million
and above, is no longer necessary. The tax is now eliminated from the Senate package.
The House has a larger budget plan and is looking at a variety of proposals to add money to its budget. The Department of Taxation has been asked to run preliminary numbers that add one or two more categories to the Dealer Discount percentages, such as returning ½ percent or 1 percent rather than 2 percent to merchants with the highest revenue stream and perhaps returning a larger fee to smaller merchants. Senate conferees will also look at these numbers. According to conferee Senator Walter Stosch, the discount fee should be fairly distributed, with a larger discount given to small merchants who may spend more time on paperwork to collect the fee than to larger revenue merchants who are operationally more efficient.
At this point, over 95 percent of Virginia Retail Federation and Retail Alliance members continue to be exempt from Dealer Discount Repeal.
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Your Involvement is Needed
While members have been focused on business during the past few weeks, Retail Alliance has been successfully representing their interests in Richmond. The Legislative Scoreboard (below) provides details, but so far your organization has two success stories: proposed increases to Virginia's larceny threshold will not be considered this year and most Virginia retailers will be exempt from the proposed repeal of the "dealer discount." Accelerated tax payments and fee reductions will likely only apply to very large retailers.
In the interest of keeping member apprised of legislative changes, Retail Alliance has added the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Admissions link to our website as a reference for members now that the Federal legislation concerning recalls is in place  and the General Assembly is in the process of passing consumer protection legislation. This web site allows merchants to find products that have been recalled and enables visitors to receive recall notifications. Visit http://www.cpsc.gov to find out more. The link is available under our Advocacy page at www.retail-alliance.com for future referencing.
Your Help is Needed
For the past several months Retail Alliance has supplied members with information regarding the proposed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), also known as Card Check. This legislation will facilitate the establishment of labor unions by eliminating the private ballot and substituting a "check" card. Many small business owners believe this will not impact them. Wrong. If your business has $500,000 in gross sales, the National Labor Relations Board standards enable your employees to organize. While the news coverage is focusing on a Federal bail-out plan, forces are gathering in Washington, D.C. to push for quick passage of EFCA in the House of Representatives. Please take a moment NOW to contact your representatives in Washington, D.C. Tell them how you feel about the issue. Senator Mark Warner (D) Senator Jim Webb (D) Representative Robert J. Wittman (R-1st) |
Retailer of the Year 2009 Nominations
Retail Alliance is currently accepting nominations for the 2009 Retailer of the Year. Nominees should be nominated for their creativity, business acumen, retail success, and ability to thrive in a tough economy. Judges will be making selections based on business growth, financial strength and stability, community involvement and other criteria.
Click here to download the nomination form
Simply fill out the nomination form and send it back to Retail Alliance, Attn: ROTY Nomination, 500 East Plume Street, Suite 500, Norfolk, VA 23320.
For questions please contact jwebber@retail-alliance.com.
Deadline for nomination is March 1, 2009.
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