Media Center

Retail sales remained at elevated levels in May despite month-to-month fluctuations that masked near-record performance.

The National Retail Federation today delivered a letter to the White House asking to meet with President Biden and other top administration officials regarding the challenges retailers are facing from continued supply chain disruptions that are leading to congestion at U.S. ports.

Executives from four of the nation’s most prominent brands were named members of the NRF Board of Directors as the board held its first in-person meeting since the beginning of the pandemic.

The National Retail Federation issued its revised annual forecast for 2021, anticipating that retail sales will now grow to more than $4.44 trillion this year as the economy accelerates its pace of recovery.

Imports at the nation’s largest retail container ports saw their busiest April on record and May could turn out to have set a new all-time record as vaccines allowed consumers to return to normal shopping patterns, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report from NRF and Hackett Associates.

NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz supports a recommendation that federal agencies should create a “satellite account” to better assess the performance of the retail industry, saying traditional statistical measurements do not accurately reflect the industry’s contribution to the economy amid the increase in online shopping and other changes.

The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from Edward Egee, Vice President of Government Relations and Workforce Development, in response to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission releasing updated COVID-19 vaccination guidance.

U.S. consumers are expected to spend more than $20.1 billion on gifts and other items for Father’s Day this year, a record high,
according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insight & Analytics. Total spending for the holiday will surpass last year’s record figure of $17 billion.

The National Retail Federation today joined eight other business organizations to release “Imports Work for American Workers,” an economic impact study which found that imports support more than 21 million American jobs.

Retailers are asking state governors and mayors to thoughtfully consider the practicality of state and local orders that track The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance announced last Thursday.