NRF Says Economy ‘Being Rebalanced’ but ‘Extreme Cooling Off’ Seems Unlikely

The Federal Reserve faces “a tricky job” in addressing inflation but continuing growth in employment, wages and consumer spending make it unlikely the effort will backfire into a major setback for the economy, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said today.

“With changes underway that focus on taming inflation without splintering the economy, the nation’s economic system is in the process of being rebalanced in ways that are testing its resilience,” Kleinhenz said. “This is an extraordinary period with unprecedented factors that include inflation at a..."

Commercial Traffic Delays Along Texas Border and the Resulting Supply Chain Disruptions

Trucks are facing lengthy delays along the Texas-Mexico border, with wait times at some border crossings exceeding five hours and commercial traffic dropping by as much as 60 percent. The longer than average wait times – and the subsequent supply chain disruptions – are unrelated to CBP screening activities and are due to additional and unnecessary inspections being conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) at the order of the Governor of Texas.

Local trade associations, officials, and businesses are requesting the Texas state government discontinue their...

Kroger Dallas Division Launches Restaurant Supply

Kroger's Dallas Division is making it simpler for local restaurants to keep their customer-favorite items on the menu. Known for providing the freshest food at a great value, the grocer is launching Kroger Restaurant Supply, exclusively in Greater Dallas today.

Kroger Restaurant Supply offers an alternative to ordering in large quantities that have highly variable pricing and require deliveries on a set schedule. This service offers competitive wholesale pricing, opportunities to purchase items by the case or unit and seven-day-a-week delivery.

"Supply chain bottlenecks are impacting nearly every restaurant across..."

NRF Stresses Urgency with West Coast Port Contract Negotiations

To avoid additional supply chain disruptions, the National Retail Federation is encouraging the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) to begin contract negotiations well before the June 30 contract expiration.

“Imports at the nation’s major West Coast ports reached unprecedented levels over the past two years despite supply chain disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “We applaud the work of labor and management to address this surge, but we need to make sure the contract negotiations..."

NRF Statement on Senate Introduction of Ocean Shipping Reform Act

The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from Senior Vice President of Government Relations David French after the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) of 2021 was introduced in the Senate. The bipartisan legislation is sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Thune (R-SD) and would modernize the international maritime transportation system.

“The sustained supply chain challenges, exacerbated by increased consumer demand during the coronavirus pandemic, have continued to impact the daily operations of retailers and the greater business community. For nearly two decades the..."

November Retail Sales Put Holiday Season on Track to Set New Records

Retail sales continued to grow in November, putting the 2021 holiday season on the home stretch for record spending despite inflation, supply chain disruptions and COVID-19, the National Retail Federation said today.

“Despite economic headwinds, November retail sales data confirms that consumers continue to spend, as demonstrated by a 14 percent increase in sales year-over-year,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “We expect demand will remain strong through December, even though consumers started holiday shopping earlier than ever this year. Despite the rise of..."

2021 Retail Imports to Show Record Growth Despite Pandemic

Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports are expected to end 2021 with both the largest volume and fastest growth on record despite supply chain disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

“This has been an unprecedented year,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “We’ve seen more disruption than ever before because of issues along every step of the supply chain and continued strong consumer..."