Gov. Quinn, Sen. Brady invited to speak at Retail Day
Illinois gubernatorial candidates, Governor Pat Quinn and State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), are invited to speak to business leaders on Wednesday, May 5 when the Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association host Business Day 2010 at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel and Conference Center in Springfield.
Both candidates have been invited to explain their respective vision for the future of Illinois to more than 300 business leaders from both groups when they gather at the Business Day Luncheon beginning at noon.
The annual event brings business leaders face-to-face with leaders of Illinois government to discuss relevant topics of concern. For many retailers and manufacturers, this event is their chance to be heard and contribute to the lobbying efforts of one of the largest and most active business groups in the state.
“The retail community in Illinois can make a real difference when it comes together to voice its collective opinion,” said IRMA President & CEO David F. Vite. “The industry needs our state leadership to hear that collective voice more than ever.”
After discussion of the legislative issues concerning the retail community, attendees will have the opportunity to meet legislators one-on-one. A Gala Reception including live music, food, and drinks will be held from 5 to 8 p.m.
Retail Day, part of Business Day 2010 events, will be co-hosted by the Illinois Food Retailers Association, the Illinois Beverage Association, and the Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association.
For registration information, visit www.irma.org or call 312/726-4600.
Energy Star Appliance Rebate Program a “smashing success”
In 11 short hours on April 16, the Illinois’ Retail Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program ran its course.
Following overwhelming popularity of the program, the State of Illinois used all available rebate program funds during its first day.
As a result, the appliance rebate program – which offered 15 percent instant rebates on qualified Energy Star clothes washers, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, and room air conditioners – has ended.
“Due to the tremendous popularity among consumers and the support and cooperation of retailers, the program was a smashing success,” said Illinois Retail Merchants Association President & CEO David F. Vite.
More than 600 retailers statewide participated in the rebate program, resulting in sales of 62,129 qualified energy efficiency appliances, and providing future energy savings to consumers who replaced their older, inefficient appliances. The State of Illinois will also benefit through the collection of sales taxes on $37.5 million worth of appliances sold between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. on the first day of the program.
Consumers who purchased refrigerators or freezers through the program will also benefit from $75 mail-in rebates when they recycle their old appliance.
The program was the final part of a three-phase program administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) in partnership with the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) and IRMA. Other programs run earlier this year featured sales of hot water heaters and heating and air conditioning systems.
The entire Energy Star program consisted of more than $12 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Other programs run earlier this year featured sales of hot water heaters and heating and air conditioning systems.
IRMA offers bad check retrieval program
Despite all the necessary precautions, bad checks occasionally slip through a retailer’s system. Retailers must have a strategy for collecting on checks with insufficient funds and understand the costs involved.
IRMA members now have the opportunity to participate in a program offered by National Check Retrieval which will return 100 percent of the check value to the merchant upon collection.
While the company earns it revenue for the service by collecting a $25 fee from the check writer (allowable under Illinois law), National Check Retrieval shares some of that profit with retailers who have a high volumes of bad checks. The amount will depend on the volume of total amount of bad checks collected.
Each IRMA member will get the same high-volume offer even if they don’t have a high volume of checks. Member retailers benefit from the volume of the IRMA group. The service is offered free of charge to the merchant.
“We find that most merchants don’t process enough NSF checks to qualify for the profit-sharing program; however we feel a strategic partnership with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association could create enough volume and allow for all members to participate in the profit-sharing program regardless of how many checks they process,” said Hency Bunner, principal of National Check Retrieval. “We feel this is a great opportunity for all parties involved.”
The group program is designed to take the burden off retailers. In most cases, bad check collection begins with a call or letter to the customer and end up in small claims court or a collection agency.
“Generally we find merchants are using significant time and effort to recover bad checks,” Bunner said. “Our service saves the merchant time and money while increasing the likelihood of collecting the money that is owed to them.”
National Check Retrieval uses advanced software to automate the process of recovering a bad check. Upon receiving an NSF check, the merchant forwards the check to National Check Retrieval which attempts to recover the funds.
“Our software uses advanced techniques to improve collection on NSF checks from the national average of around 60 percent to approximately 85 percent and in some cases 90 percent,” Bunner said.
If funds cannot be recovered after the third attempt, the company offers the merchant a collection service that delivers 100 percent of the funds back to them.
For more information visit www.nationalcheckretrieval.com, or contact IRMA at 312/726-4600 or by email at dbasowski@irma.org.
Sustainable Retailing Consortium helps measure green programs
Many retail companies have invested much money, time and resources into the green movement in recent years.
From the use of clean-burning bio-diesel fuel to sustainable building construction, the range of green ideas is as diverse as the retail industry itself.
Now, thanks to the National Retail Federation’s Sustainable Retailing Consortium (SRC), retailers will have a measuring stick to see how they compare with other companies within the industry.
The SRC, formed two years ago, is the only NRF committee to be made up of manufacturers, suppliers, vendors and retailers. It connects all the industries involved, said Chicago-based retail consultant Jim Dion, an SRC member.
Dion and Dan Butler, NRF Vice President, Retail Operations, created an SRC Scorecard allowing retailers to enter information and then compare themselves to others in the industry. In January, the pair presented preliminary findings from the Scorecard at the NRF Annual Convention.
Dion could not draw any definitive conclusions from the early findings. But by the end of June, he expects to have input from about 150 retailers and a better handle on what retailers are doing.
“It’s a living scorecard – a snapshot of the industry in that week or month,” Dion explained. “As more companies are in, the data will be a lot more valuable for everyone. We recognize we’re in it for the long haul and we want this to be a tool used over time by companies.”
The Scorecard use a seven-point scale to measure a company’s involvement in any one of nine categories: program elements and administration; consumer response; building design; energy management; recycling and waste reduction; supply chain and logistics; products and packaging; accountability; and education.
It offers resources, research and data. Retailers will each have their own private password for the system and while retailers will be able to calculate and read multiple measurements according to the total industry data, individual company information is kept confidential.
Dion expects companies to be able to compare themselves to the entire industry and then show customers how they rate on sustainability.
“Ultimately, we’re all going to be judged by our customers. They’ll want to know if we’ve really done something substantial, or if we’re just green-washing,” he said.
As of January, the SRC Scorecard showed 93 percent are getting direction from senior management on green programs. Eight out of 10 are looking at renewable energy sources and about one-third were measuring consumer response to sustainability.
The SRC is looking for volunteers for its nine working councils. Dion encourages multiple people from various departments of any one company. Meetings are twice a year with monthly conference calls. For more information, visit www.nrf.com/sustainability.
Unemployment jumps in metro areas
Unemployment rates in all 12 metro areas increased year-over-year for the 34th consecutive month, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
The largest increases were in Decatur (up 3.9 points to 13.8 percent), Rockford (up 3.8 points to 17.9) and Kankakee-Bradley (up 3.2 points to 15.2 percent).
In month-to-month comparisons, Illinois’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was up one-tenth of a percent from February to March, inching up to 11.5 percent. At the same time, the state has added 3,000 non-farm jobs since February. The increased unemployment rate reflects an increased number of people looking for work.
Sign up for a free Facebook guide
A new report, “Facebook for Business: A Retailers Guide,” is being made available to IRMA member retailers at no cost from WhizBang! Training.
The report covers the basic things retailers should know about building a business with Facebook. While the world of social media is vast and growing more complex each day, this report focuses on how to create a Facebook presence for your store and use it to strengthen your customer relationships.
Normally sold for $27, the report is appropriate for both those new to social media and those with some experience.
To get the free report and a free subscription to the WhizBang! Tip of the Week, email pgill@irma.org or call 312/726-4600.
