Associations

The Budweiser brand raised $2.5 million for military families during Major League Baseball’s recently ended regular season as part of a program called, "Walk-off a Hero."

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of Postconsumer Plastics Recyclers has launched new online resources to help grocery chains recycle more of the plastic containers they use and empty onsite. The program is aimed at recycling the more than 350 million pounds of plastic containers that are discarded annually by grocery stores across the United States.

New York -- Data released Monday by the Associated General Contractors of America revealed that construction spending declined between July and August to an annualized rate of $837 billion, but increased compared with August 2011 driven largely by growing demand for residential, lodging and education construction.

WASHINGTON — Jelly Belly president and COO Bob Simpson will take over the National Confectioners Association's executive board as chairman.

NCA's publication, Candy & Snack Today said Simpson replaces Mitchell Goetze as the chairman of the executive board. Blommer Chocolate Co. president Peter Blommer was appointed to serve as vice chairman, and Goetze, who is president and COO of Goetze's Candy Co., becomes ex-officio chairman.

WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation estimates that U.S. retailers and their customers are benefiting from savings of up to $18 million every day since the implementation of the debit card swipe fee reform.

Washington, D.C. -- Survey results released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation found that 71.5% of Americans will celebrate Halloween this year, up from 68.6% last year and the most in NRF’s 10-year survey history.

The consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight also found the average person will spend $79.82 on decorations, costumes and candy, up from $72.31 last year, with total Halloween spending expected to reach $8.0 billion.
 

New York -- A holiday preview report released Tuesday by the International Council of Shopping Centers said that sales are forecasted to rise 3% during the traditional November-December 2012 holiday period.

Additionally, ICSC said it anticipates that the other two measures of U.S. industry holiday sales – shopping-center sales and GAFO-store sales – will increase slightly as well.  

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) issued the following statement in response to an announcement that the U.S. Maritime Alliance and the International Longshoremen’s Association have agreed to a 90-day extension of the collective bargaining agreement due to expire on Sept. 30.