PPB October 2017

Market Snapshot Professional Partners • Association For Merchandise Planning and Allocation www.rs-s.com • Association For Retail Environments www.nasfm.org • National Retail Federation www.nrf.com • Retail Advertising and Marketing Association www.rama-nrf.org • Association For Retail Technology Standards www.nrf-arts.org • International Council of Shopping Centers www.icsc.org • Retail Industry Leaders Association www.retail-leaders.org Getting InOn The Ground Floor Retailers large and small want the same thing from promotional marketing— business. Approach clients with products that help carry their message while also being functional and embodying a high- perceived value. Asking the following questions will help you craft the most targeted message possible, ensuring a higher return on investment: 1 What does your client want to accomplish as a business, supervisor or employee? 2 Who will be your client’s primary audience? 3 What has your client budgeted for your program or project? 4 Is this a singular marketing event, or a reoccurring one? 5 What types of information must be included with the items? Employment opportunities in the retail sector have been predicted to grow seven percent through 2024, generally as a result of high turnover. Employment numbers this year have trended down since their most recent peak in January. Even with a bump in positions filled during themonth of April, general merchandise stores saw jobs shrink by an average of 5,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The notion that retail workers are undereducated and undertrained is one that the National Retail Federation hopes to dispel, by implementing a training and credentialing initiative called RISE Up (Retail Industry Skills & Education). RISE Up is designed to help employees develop skills that will help them progress in their retail careers regardless of education or economic background. The focus of RISE Up also reaches beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar model and includes efforts to improve retail service in the digital and mobile spheres. 7.9 million — Number of women holding retail positions 3.8 million — Number of retail establishments operating in the U.S. $2.6 trillion — Retail contribution to total GDP 98.6 percent — Percentage of all retail businesses employing fewer than 50 people Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Retail Federation, PwC Logistics/ Transportation 4,970,892 Management 4,365,111 Health Care & Service 2,376,981 Insurance/ Real Estate 1,812,791 Technology 809,546 Retail Jobs By Occupation 15.9 million Number of employees in retail jobs | OCTOBER 2017 | 47 GROW