Associations

Tractor Supply Company has strengthened its partnership with the National 4-H Council by taking in $763,283 for the organization during a 10-day national in-store fundraiser.

With the $1.5 million Tractor Supply raised during spring and fall campaigns, Tractor Supply has now donated nearly $6.5 million to 4-H programs across the country in just over four years.

Washington, D.C. – More than 160 national, state and local trade associations and organizations, representing the interests of the global supply chain and local communities, wrote to President Barack Obama Dec. 23 to urge the administration’s immediate involvement in the ongoing contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and Pacific Maritime Association. The ILWU and PMA have been negotiating a new labor contract, which covers dockworkers at the 29 West Coast U.S. ports.  

Executives from The Home Depot, Warby Parker and Chico’s will receive top honors from the retail industry next month when the National Retail Federation convenes its annual Big Show in New York.

New York City - The International Council of Shopping Centers has named 12 shopping centers as winners of its 2014 U.S. Design and Development Awards competition.  ICSC’s U.S. Design and Development Awards are designed to recognize outstanding projects for excellence in the creation of new retail projects, and in the expansion or redevelopment of existing projects, solely within the continental United States.   

A fresh round of unionization efforts appear to be in store for major retailers next spring after organized labor won a favorable ruling regarding how elections are conducted.

Arlington, VA - Retailers on Friday criticized the National Labor Relations Board decision that gave the go-ahead to new laws to expedite the union election process. The amendments, to go into effect April 14, provide for electronic filing and transmission of election petitions and other documents; eliminates or reduces unnecessary litigation; and allows parties to consolidate election-related appeals to the board into a single appeals process, the NLRB said in a statement.  

Washington, D.C. – Retail sales showed slow but steady growth during November 2014. According to the National Retail Federation, retail sales, not including automobiles, gasoline stations or restaurants, increased 0.6% seasonally-adjusted from October and 3.2% unadjusted from November 2013.  The increases were in line with NRF’s holiday sales forecast, which anticipates an increase of 4.1% from 2013.   

Timing is everything. The Bentonville Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce had already secured Judith McKenna as a speaker for an upcoming event when she was given a major promotion this week.

Houston, Texas - XtraLight is pleased to announce Ron Gilcrease has joined XtraLight as VP of national accounts.   “We are pleased Mr. Gilcrease has chosen to introduce XtraLight and LEDLinX based fixtures to important national accounts across the U.S.,” said Jerry Caroom, XtraLight’s CEO.  

Washington, D.C. - Import cargo volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to continue to slow down in December. According to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, import volume at U.S. ports covered by the Global Port Tracker report is expected to total 1.37 million containers this month as the holiday shipping cycle winds down.