Buy Nearby Poster
Start getting ready for Get Caught Blue-Handed Day on October 3 by putting an updated poster in your window or on your wall.
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Good Start for Summer Sales
Although national retail numbers slid in June, Michigan sales rose and summer forecasts remain strong. Page 3
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Legacy Scholarships
Find out more about the retailers behind two of MRA’s legacy scholarships, Joe McCurry and Jim Walsh. Pages 6&7
® August 2015 Vol. 40 No. 4
Consumers still prefer shopping in real stores, new retail survey finds Consumers prefer to shop in brickand-mortar stores rather than online, despite all the hype around e-commerce, according to a new report. However, the key to competing successfully against online competition is providing an excellent in-store experience that includes superior customer service and product knowledge, the report says. Results of Timetrade’s survey of more than 1,000 consumers are contained in its report, “The State of Retail 2015.” They include: • Retail stores are still relevant: 87 percent of respondents expected to shop in stores this year at least as often as they did in 2014. • Consumers pr efer to shop in-store: 65 percent said that if an item is available online or in a nearby store, they prefer to shop in the store. • Mobile shopping is slow to grow: More than 42 percent of consumers have never purchased something on their mobile devices, and when looking to buy something, only 13 percent will make a purchase from their mobile device. Most use mobile for browsing and research. Validate Decisions “More than ever, customers are looking to the in-store experience to help them validate their final purchasing decisions,” the report says. “Retailers must be aware of this shopping behavior and make sure their in-store associates are equipped with the right knowledge to help customers. “Additionally, not only should store associates be knowledgeable, but also readily available…” Continued on page 4
The official publication of the Michigan Retailers Association
www.retailers.com
Governor signs local pre-emption bill Michigan businesses are now protected from new local wage, benefit and other employee mandates under controversial new legislation signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder and backed strongly by Michigan
Retailers Association. The governor signed House Bill 4052, the Local Government Labor Regulatory Limitation Act, on June 30 after it was approved in both chambers. Lawmakers gave the law
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero greets Buy Nearby Guy at a news conference in his city. Photo by David Trumpie
36 scholarships awarded for upcoming school year Thirty-six students will head to college this fall with a total of $34,500 in scholarships from Michigan Retailers Association. Each scholarship is funded by Michigan Retailers Foundation, a nonprofit educational organization established by MRA to benefit MRA members and their employees and families. Thirty-three students will receive $1,000 toward tuition and fees at a public or private college or univer-
sity and three will receive $500 for community college or approved training institute. All of the scholarships are for the 2015-16 academic year. Recipients may reapply when the competition for the 2016-17 academic year begins next January. In the scholarship program’s 17year history, $433,000 has been awarded in 464 scholarships to students who are employees or the children of owners or employees of MRA-member businesses. “The Board of Directors’ strong commitment to the scholarship program drives its success,” said MRA President and CEO James P. Hallan. Continued on page 6
immediate effect. “This is another major victory for retailers and all Michigan businesses,” said Amy Drumm, MRA’s director of government affairs. “It protects them from a patchwork of arbitrary local rules that increase the cost of doing business. The bill continues efforts to improve Michigan’s business climate, by having only one set of wage and benefit rules for employers to follow.” Details The new law prohibits local units of government from adopting, enforcing or administering a new local ordinance, policy or resolution that: • Requires a higher minimum wage than the state minimum wage • Requires an employer to pay a wage or fringe benefit prevailing in the locality • Regulates work stoppage or strike activity • Regulates hours and scheduling Continued on page 10
No solution yet for fixing roads
The Michigan House and Senate have passed separate plans to fix Michigan’s roads, but sharp differences between the packages are causing more delay in reaching a solution. Few expect agreement anytime soon, likely causing the issue to drag into the fall. The chief stumbling block, as always, is how to come up with $1.2 billion or more annually for roads and how much “new” money will come from motorists and taxpayers. The good news for retailers is that neither plan would attempt to raise the state sales tax, said Amy Drumm, MRA’s director of government affairs. Voters overwhelmingly defeated the May 5 ballot proposal that included a one-cent increase in the sales tax rate. Different Packages The Republican-led House approved Continued on page 4