April 4, 2016

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Retail Perspective
Handcrafted In Minnesota: Another Unique Aspect Of Retail     
 
Duluth Pack and Tin Whiskers Brewing Company are two retailers immersed in the culture and heritage of Minnesota. By capturing the state's local soul with distinctive craftsmanship, these brands offer a true Minnesota retail experience.

Watch this video to see how Minnesota-pride gets produced!  
 
Federal Overtime Rule
Share Your Thought On The Proposed Overtime Rule With The Administration and Congress

From the National Retail Federation,
March 31, 2016

"As you know, the Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed new overtime rules that would increase the salary threshold for exemption from federal overtime requirements by more than 113%, from $455/week to $970/week in 2016. The new rule also proposes an automatic annual increase to the salary threshold every year thereafter. Unfortunately, an increase in overtime eligibility does not mean an increase in overtime pay. Employers in every sector of the economy, especially small businesses, will be forced demote salaried employees to hourly positions and offer fewer hours, less flexibility, and fewer benefits for their employees.
 
DOL has sent the rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review - the last step taken before a rule is final. But you still have an opportunity to weigh in on the rule and let OMB and Congress know you have concerns with it.
 
Tell the Administration and Congress that this new rule will have irreversible consequences on employers, employees, and the communities they serve.
 
Senators Scott and Alexander and Representatives Walberg and Kline have introduced legislation (S. 2707/H.R. 4773) that will halt the Department of Labor's proposed overtime rule until further study and analysis about the impact of the proposed rule are completed.
 
Click here to tell OMB your concerns about the rule and encourage your members of Congress to sponsor legislation that will hit "pause" on this rule going forward and protect career advancement opportunities.


Retail Day At The Capitol
Retailers From Across The State To Meet Legislative Leaders April 14; Register Now At No Cost  

Your story meets your legislators at the Minnesota Retailers Association's I am RETAIL Day At The Capitol. Our half-day begins with a breakfast featuring legislative leaders at Union Depot in St. Paul followed by conversations with legislators at the State Capitol. (Participants can attend either the breakfast or legislative visits, or both.) 

With one in four jobs in Minnesota directly connected to retail, our elected officials now more than ever need to understand the impact of their decisions on retail businesses.
 
I Am RETAIL Day At The Capitol
Thursday, April 14
7:30 a.m. - noon 

No cost to attend. Hot breakfast served. RSVP requested by April 2. Non-members welcome.
 
Are you a chamber of commerce or association that wants to bring a group? We'd love that. Click here for details. 
 
Interested in sponsoring? Click here for details. 
  
Sponsors  
Presenting:
 
Supporting:
     
Partnership:
Contributing:



Drug Collection

Senator Klobuchar Promotes Voluntary Prescription Drug Collection Legislation
 
On Sunday U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar joined local legislative champions Sen. Chris Eaton and Rep. Bob Barrett at a press conference with Walgreens, the Hennepin County Sheriff, the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy, and the Minnesota Retailers Association promoting a bill allowing pharmacies to voluntarily take back prescription drugs. The legislation is currently sitting on the floor of the House and Senate awaiting action. 


Merchant Processing
Why Is The U.S. Determined to Have The Least-Secure Credit Cards In The World?   

From The Atlantic, Joesphine Wolff, March 10, 2016

"I still remember the first time it occurred to me my credit card might be inferior-it was the summer of 2007, and I had just landed at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. When I finally made my way to the train station at the airport to buy a ticket into the city, the automated ticket machine firmly rejected my Bank of America MasterCard. As I soon discovered, it was an experience familiar to every American who has traveled to Europe: the moment when an automated payment machine (or a disdainful French shop clerk) realizes that you are trying to pay using a credit card without a microchip and that you want them to process your card's magnetic stripe, an easily counterfeited relic of 1950s technology.

For years, when it came to credit-card security, the United States was the last major holdout in the developed world, continuing to issue cards with magnetic stripes rather than the more-secure microchip EMV cards (EMV stands for the three companies that pioneered the chip: Europay, Mastercard, and Visa). Finally, last October, retailers and banks in the United States were pressured to accept and provide EMV cards, initiating a transition that much of the world regarded as long overdue."   

 
Spotlight On Minnesota
Must-Watch Video Series Showcases Retail's Impact In Minnesota

Watch these five videos as a part of the National Retail Federation's Retail Across America series. Feel the pride!

1. Retail In Minnesota Is Connected! 
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2. It's True, There Is A Minnesota Nice 
3. Small Businesses: More Than A Place To Shop
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4. Handcrafted And Only In Minnesota!
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5. Minnesota Innovation: Retail Tech In Real Time
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Minnesota Retailers Associaiton
400 Robert Street North, suite 1540
St. Paul, MN 55101
Tel. (651) 227-6631 - mnretail.org - [email protected]