Associations

The sweet smell of barbeque will be in the air of central Florida later this month when Sam’s Club kicks of its fifth annual National BBQ Tour with prizes totaling $500,000 and participation from 700 teams.

Washington, D.C. – As the Pacific Maritime Association prepares to shut down U.S. West Coast ports from Feb. 13-16, the National Retail Federation (NRF) is issuing a public statement asking for direct White House intervention.

Free stuff and flexible employment opportunities for athletes are key elements of Dick’s Sporting Goods first ever partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The 2016 Summer Games will be held in Brazil in 2016 and to help athletes prepare Dick’s said it would offer jobs and equipment donations at U.S. Olympic training centers.

San Francisco – Port management temporarily halted vessel loading and unloading operations at West Coast ports the weekend of Feb. 7-8. In a statement, the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), representing port management, said it did not want to offer port workers premium pay for diminished productivity in light of continued work slowdowns caused by disagreements with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) over issues such as pay, pensions and contract arbitration.

Food retailers adjusting to the new realities of a changing regulatory landscape have gained a new ally at the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

The trade group has named Jennifer Cleveland McEntire as vice president of science operations.

Washington, D.C. - Retail industry employment increased by 34,800 jobs in January 2015, as retailers held on and even added to their staffs following the holiday shopping season. According to data from the National Retail Federation, monthly gains occurred in the sporting goods, non-store (e-commerce), and general merchandise store verticals.

Total retail employment increased by 215,600 jobs on a year-to-year basis, according to NRF’s calculations, which do not include automobile dealerships, gasoline stations or restaurants.

The Emerging Trends in Retail conference will take place at a new data and time, but the big news is that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., president and CEO Doug McMillon will headline the annual event put on by the Center for Retailing Excellence.  

The retail industry’s data security efforts were upgraded week when the Retail Industry Leaders Association named the former Texas chief information security officer to lead the trade group’s new intelligence sharing organization.

RILA said Brian Engle would serve as executive director of the Retail Cyber Intelligence Sharing Center (R-CISC) and be responsible for managing the organization’s daily affairs.