Retail | NACDS

NACDS Stands with “Americans for Affordable Products” in Warning Against Border Adjustment Tax Coalition’s letter to Congress blasts “massive tax increase on consumers”

admin2017-02-28T12:29:35-05:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: Congress, Retail|

Arlington, VA – The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) has joined with more than 200 members of the Americans for Affordable Products coalition in laying out a strong case to Congress against the perils of the Border Adjustment Tax.

From a health and wellness perspective; from a total-store perspective; from a consumer perspective; from an employee perspective; and from an employer perspective the Border Adjustment Tax would prove devastating and it should be considered a non-starter in the public policy arena.

In a letter to the bipartisan Congressional leadership, the coalition – including NACDS – wrote: “The goal of tax reform should be to lower effective tax rates for businesses of all sizes and ensure Americans benefit with more money in their wallet. We believe the Border Adjustment Tax would do the exact opposite by raising effective tax rates for many companies to well over 100%.

“The Border Adjustment Tax is not simple or fair. It proposes a massive tax increase on consumers and would result in increased costs on everyday necessities like food, clothing, gasoline and prescription drugs – necessities that Americans rely on daily – by as much as $1,700. It is really a ‘cost of living tax’ that will make the lives of millions of middle-class Americans harder and more expensive.”

Companies and associations that are members of Americans for Affordable Products speak for nearly one out of every four jobs in the nation.

“The Border Adjustment Tax would take the term ‘unintended consequences’ and redefine it for the ages,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “From a health and wellness perspective; from a total-store perspective; from a consumer perspective; from an employee perspective; and from an employer perspective the Border Adjustment Tax would prove devastating and it should be considered a non-starter in the public policy arena.”

For its part, NACDS supports the “Made in the U.S.A.” movement, as demonstrated by the success of programs to call attention to qualifying products at the NACDS Total Store Expo trade show and strategic exchange.

More information about Americans for Affordable Products is available at KeepAmericaAffordable.com.

Understanding Millennial Engagement and Advocacy

admin2016-12-14T15:23:31-05:00Categories: Article|Tags: Retail|

Last month, Achieve, a research and marketing agency for causes, released The Millennial Impact Report Retrospective: Five Years of Trends. The study provides insight into millennials’ attitudes towards cause-engagement, volunteering, and donations.

It also includes overviews of the platforms and channels that millennials use for interactions with organizations.

The study’s 2016 post-election survey of millennials found that 78 percent of millennial survey respondents reported voting in the presidential election and that their top three issues were employment/wages (32 percent), the economy (29 percent) and—significantly—healthcare (27 percent). The retrospective and the upcoming 2016 research are a useful guide for developing millennial outreach strategies.

NACDS Total Store Expo Announces New “Vision 2027” Participants

admin2016-06-24T10:31:19-04:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: Conferences, Retail, Total_Store_Expo|

Arlington, Va. – Nine additional companies have confirmed their engagement in the forward-thinking Vision 2027 attraction in the Exhibit Hall at the 2016 National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Total Store Expo – which will be held August 6-9 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

The NACDS Total Store Expo presents a remarkable transaction of ideas and Vision 2027 will be a tremendous part of that forward thinking at this year’s event.

Vision 2027 will provide insights into the future of retailing and trading-partner collaboration, with a unique blend of technology, interactivity, and even celebrity. The total number of companies participating in Vision 2027 currently stands at 13, with additional announcements anticipated.

“Vision 2027 will be a must-see destination for retailers and suppliers in the NACDS Total Store Expo Exhibit Hall,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “The NACDS Total Store Expo presents a remarkable transaction of ideas and Vision 2027 will be a tremendous part of that forward thinking at this year’s event.”

The new participating Vision 2027 companies announced today include:

Digital Foodie – On-demand food- and general retail through the Digital Foodie solution consists of a white label, digital solution for home and mobile shopping, recipes, order management, picking, click-and-collect and optimized deliveries – integrated with a master data management (MDM) and product information management (PIM) system for rich internal and external content management. The solution orchestrates content-capture and enrichment across B2B2C for physical and digital content and networks; powers personalized digital search by enabling robust narratives, attributes and images for millions of SKUs; and matches brand offers to shopping lists with brand direct platform (BDP) for coupons, sweepstakes, recipes, and more.

Eventable – Eventable enables brands and retailers to engage with their customers via the digital calendar. By integrating events directly into customers’ daily schedules, brands can drive sales and boost engagement. Eventable’s marketing platform provides the analytics and targeting tools necessary to understand and communicate with a brand’s customers. Eventable works with clients ranging from e-commerce sites to Fortune 500 companies, and has been featured at AD THINK, ad:tech New York, the Intel Global Challenge, and more.

Everfave [ READ MORE ]

New Department of Labor Rule Extends Overtime Pay to Millions

admin2016-05-26T11:31:49-04:00Categories: Article|Tags: Retail|

A final Department of Labor (DoL) regulation released May 18 on overtime will likely have a large-scale effect on employers and industries, including retailers and community pharmacies. The final rule, which will take effect on December 1, 2016, doubles the salary threshold—from $23,660 to $47,476 per year—under which most salaried workers are guaranteed overtime.

The final rule, which will take effect on December 1, 2016, doubles the salary threshold—from $23,660 to $47,476 per year—under which most salaried workers are guaranteed overtime.

Employers will have more than six months to prepare and will have an automatic update based on wage growth every three years after that. The final rule will raise the salary level for the first time since 2004, and automatically extend overtime pay protections to over four million workers within the first year of implementation.

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) expressed concerns to the DoL that the new rules could adversely affect community pharmacies. The concern stems from the fact that practicing physicians—including medical residents—are not entitled to a minimum salary or overtime because they qualify for an exemption for the practice of medicine. According to APhA, pharmacy residents should qualify for the same exemption as medical residents because pharmacists cannot accept a residency until they have completed their PharmD.

In comments to DoL, APhA wrote, “…without enough time to plan for salary increases, community pharmacies as well as small businesses may face budget constraints and some may be forced to discontinue these programs that assist in training pharmacists as clinical care providers.” In addition, pharmacy technicians may be affected by the DoL final rule, depending on their job duties.

The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates the new threshold will affect about 2.2 million retail and restaurant workers, or 64 percent of salaried employees in the industry. NRF has conducted research that shows expanded overtime could drive up retailers’ payroll costs while limiting workers’ opportunities to move up into management. The group also estimates that thousands of workers could be reclassified as hourly employees instead of salaried workers, and could have their hours cut to 38 hours so employers could [ READ MORE ]

NACDS Total Store Expo Set to Look Ahead with “Vision 2027” Popular and futuristic Exhibit Hall attraction returns with dynamic partners, content

admin2016-05-13T09:51:10-04:00Categories: Press Release|Tags: Conferences, Retail, Total_Store_Expo|

Arlington, Va. – Retailers and exhibitors alike will benefit from the forward-thinking Vision 2027 attraction in the Exhibit Hall at the 2016 National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Total Store Expo, which will be held August 6-9 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

Vision 2027 contributes powerfully to one of the most frequently asked questions: ‘what will be new this year at the NACDS Total Store Expo?’

NACDS has announced four companies that already have confirmed their participation in “Vision 2027,” with additional announcements anticipated. Together, these companies will provide insights into the future of retailing and trading-partner collaboration, with a unique blend of technology, interactivity, and even celebrity.

“Vision 2027 contributes powerfully to one of the most frequently asked questions: ‘what will be new this year at the NACDS Total Store Expo?’” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson, IOM, CAE. “The answer is always apparent in the new ideas, the new products and services and the new content presented at the NACDS Total Store Expo. We are excited about what the Vision 2027 participants will bring to this equation, and about the contributions of all the exhibitors and retailers.”

NACDS announced the participation of the following participants in Vision 2027:

Fung Global Retail & Technology – Led by Deb Weinswig, the company will introduce 12-15 innovators that provide solutions for consumer goods, the pharmacy, clinics and patient engagement. Their insights will appeal to attendees interested in enhancing the shopping experience, engaging patients through omni-channel strategies, and optimizing data analytics and cloud computing. The company also will bring to Vision 2027 elements of its Innovation Center in Shanghai, highlighting some of the leading-edge retail technology companies that have demonstrated success.

Kantar Retail – The company will provide a view of what the “perfect shopper interaction of tomorrow” will look like. This aspect of Vision 2027 will deliver a forward-looking view at virtual reality’s power to serve up both retail environments and testing capabilities, and a view of the ways in which best-in-class companies will link analytics into compelling economic and shopper-centered solutions.

Nielsen – Marketers are navigating a world of unprecedented complexity and are searching for ways to make sense [ READ MORE ]