As states across the country did the best they could to beat the sweltering heat, NRF was hot on the heels of public policy in June. A push for sales tax fairness kicked into high gear with NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay making the case e-fairness in Chicago followed by a Retail Means Jobs road show stop in the Buckeye State. And as loss prevention executives stormed New Orleans for NRF’s 2012 Loss Prevention Conference and EXPO, the industry was tuned in to the rolling coverage of the educational sessions, networking events, and even the big ORC bust that took place during the week of the conference. Read on for the stories that your peers found most valuable for the month of June.
NRF Information
- The 2012 edition of NRF’s Organized Retail Crime Survey notched the top spot in June. Of the 125 retail executives surveyed, a record-setting 96% said they were victims of organized retail crime in the last year. More sophisticated organized retail crime rings and increases in cargo theft and violence were a few trends in this year’s report, which can be found here.
- NRF’s response on the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act soared to number two in June. While retailers are”dismayed” with the ruling, NRF will redouble efforts to work with lawmakers and industry leaders to establish a sensible approach to health care reform.
- A popular trend each month this year, NRF’s 4-5-4 calendar made the most visited list again last month. If you haven’t seen it already, this reporting guide for the retail industry ensures sales comparability between years by dividing the year into months based on a 4 weeks – 5 weeks – 4 weeks form.
- Retailers also honed in on the results of Shop.org’s Social Commerce Study. A joint research project between Shop.org, comScore and The Partnering Group, more than 1,500 consumers were surveyed for their shopping activity and engagement habits on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, customer reviews on websites, group-buying sites and location-based social platforms.
- And while dads may never get the “royal treatment” like mom, NRF’s Father’s Day spending survey conducted by BIGinsight found that Americans would spoil dad like never before. Total spending was projected to eclipse $12 billion, with the average person shelling out $117.14 on gifts for dad, up 10 percent from $106.49 in 2011.
Top blog posts from Retail’s BIG Blog and Shop.org:
- 5 retail loss prevention trends to watch this year
- Talking with…Liberty Media SVP Michael Zeisser
- Shop.org research partners dive into specifics of 2012 social, mobile commerce study
- Consumers looking to cut corners with their 2012 back-to-school budgets
- NBC Nightly News report: The cost of organized retail crime
Top retail news stories in NRF SmartBrief: