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The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay on the retirement of David F. Vite as president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association:

A change in federal tax law that decreased the take-home pay of many working Americans is impacting household budgets. According to NRF’s 2013 Tax Returns Survey conducted by BIGinsight, nearly three-quarters (73.3%) of those polled say their spending plans are taking a hit.

The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold on the ratification of a contract between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 63 Office Clerical Unit (OCU) and the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor Employers Association (HEA):

The National Retail Federation today welcomed the introduction of the Marketplace Fairness Act, saying that the new bipartisan and bicameral bill demonstrates progress on moving sales tax fairness legislation this session.

Retail sales ticked up in the month of January as consumers adjusted their spending in response to the increase in payroll taxes and rise in gasoline and energy prices. According to the National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, January retail sales (excluding automobiles, gas stations and restaurants) increased 0.3 percent seasonally adjusted from December and increased 5.4 percent unadjusted year-over-year.

The National Retail Federation tonight issued the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay on President Obama’s State of the Union address:

With a tentative contract deal reached with East Coast and Gulf Coast dockworkers but a key West Coast agreement unsettled, import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to increase 8.5 percent in February over the same month last year, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by NRF and Hackett Associates.

NRF urged labor and management at the Ports of LA and Long Beach to work through their differences without any disruption after rejection of a tentative contract by union members.

GE Capital, Retail Finance and tech start-up, Hukkster, explore the impact of an extended shopping season, widespread online promotions and digital shopping tools on 2012 holiday spending. Trends emerged in the data and survey results examined, revealing that lengthy online promotions contributed to a significant increase in multi-channel shopping behavior during the recent holiday season. However, a significant gap exists between the savings available to consumers during the season and how retailers communicated promotions and markdowns to the ‘savings hungry’. This gap represents an opportunity for retailers to reach consumers where they shop and how they shop.

NRF is concerned that President Obama's proposal on deficit reduction could make comprehensive tax reform "very difficult."

The National Retail Federation, the world’s largest retail trade association, today issued a statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay on the tentative contract agreement between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), which covers dockworkers along 14 East and Gulf Coast container ports:

NRF sent a letter to President Obama and Congress in response to January’s jobs numbers.

Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day but consumers aren’t quite ready to shell out the big bucks for their loved ones as much as they were last year. The 2013 Valentine’s Day spending survey conducted by BIGinsight shows only a slight increase in expected sales this year with the average person planning to spend $130.97 on candy, cards, gifts and more, up from $126.03 last year. Total spending will reach $18.6 billion.*

Despite some groups’ claims, NRF says few, if any, merchants are expected to surcharge customers for using a credit card as theoretically allowed under a controversial proposed lawsuit settlement with Visa and MasterCard being debated in the courts.

The National Council of Chain Restaurants today issued the following statement from Executive Director Rob Green on the President’s plan to reform the nation’s immigration laws:

The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay on recent proposals to reform the immigration system:

The National Retail Federation released its 2013 economic forecast today, projecting retail industry sales (which exclude automobiles, gas stations, and restaurants) will increase 3.4 percent*, slightly less than the preliminary 4.2 percent growth seen in 2012. The subdued forecast comes on the heels of a holiday season that went head-to-head with Washington’s political wrangling over fiscal concerns, shifting consumers’ spending plans downward. In the end, holiday sales in 2012 grew 3.0 percent.

The National Council of Chain Restaurants today issued the following statement from Executive Director Rob Green on the U.S. Court of Appeals’ decision in Noel Canning v. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB):

The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from Senior Vice President of Government Relations David French on the United States Court of Appeals’ unanimous decision in Noel Canning v. National Labor Relations Board: