Telling the real stories of retail

At NRF, we like to think of ourselves as the industry’s chief storyteller. As the nation’s largest private-sector employer, with 3.7 million retail establishments across the country employing close to 30 million people serving every community in the nation, retail has a lot of stories to tell.

Our most important audiences in Washington are legislators and opinion leaders. Our ability to advocate on behalf of our members — large and small, bricks-and-mortar and online — is dependent on the perception of the overall value the industry brings to our economy and the jobs we create.

In the heat of political rhetoric, it is easy to forget that retail businesses and the people who work in them not only drive the nation’s economy, but also bring great passion and energy to what they do.

This perception is particularly important as we move deeper into the 2016 election cycle. That’s why during the second Democratic presidential primary debate we are running two ads to showcase the real stories of real people who work in retail. This marks the first of many efforts leading into 2016, where we will engage at multiple levels to make sure that the true voice of retail is heard and that elected officials support policies that contribute to a vibrant, healthy and robust retail industry that benefits the U.S. economy.

To read Matthew Shay’s complete viewpoint, click here.

Matthew R. Shay is president and CEO of the National Retail Federation.