The US National Retail Federation (NRF) has announced this year’s Champion and Hero of Main Street - awards recognising members of the US Congress who have demonstrated leadership on key policies to bolster the retail community.
Lawmakers were also awarded for supporting the NRF’s Retail Opportunity Index. The organisation has a congressional voting scorecard that monitors whether members in the House and Senate have voted for or against the NRF’s position on bills and laws relevant to the US retail industry.
The 2024 awards honoured 281 members of the US House and Senate, and were presented during the 2024 Retail Advocates Summit in Washington DC.
The event also included The Retail Experience, an interactive, educational showcase designed to take policymakers on a journey through the retail industry.
Six immersive exhibits demonstrated retail’s role in driving the economy, providing jobs and impacting lives and communities across the country.
The Retail Advocates Summit was attended by 50 small retail business owners from 27 states and professionals from leading retail brands.
NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay commented: “We recognise members for their consistent legislative support of the retail industry and its continued economic health and prosperity.”
This legislative support is set to be shaken up in November 2024 with the US Presidential Election that will see either Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump or the Democratic frontrunner and sitting Vice-President Kamala Harris elected.
Recent analysis from the NRF has revealed that inflation experienced in 2021 and 2022 was primarily driven by supply and demand dynamics rather than any deliberate action by retailers to increase prices.
