We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • ::COVID-19 COVERAGE::
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • SUBMISSIONS
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
  • STRATEGY
  • GLOBAL
  • LOGISTICS
  • MANUFACTURING
  • PROCUREMENT
  • VIDEO
    • News & Exclusives
    • Viewer Contributed
    • Upload your video
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • White Papers
    • Webcasts
    • Events
    • Blogs
      • Reflections
      • SCQ Forum
    • Mobile Apps
Home » Retail trade groups press for covid stimulus funds as Washington transition continues

Retail trade groups press for covid stimulus funds as Washington transition continues

IFDA and NRF balance their agendas between Trump and Biden administrations.

shopping receipt generic
November 10, 2020
Ben Ames
No Comments

Retail groups are pressing their policy agendas for the last 10 weeks of the Trump Administration as they ask the White House and Congress to resume work on passing a stimulus bill that offers financial relief to industries facing deep losses from the impacts of the pandemic.

“With the election over, Congress and the Administration must follow through to provide Covid-19 relief to small businesses, restaurants, and foodservice distributors,” the International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) said in a release today.

The initiative to push for short-term solutions comes even as industry groups are also reaching out to the incoming Biden Administration to cooperate on long-range goals like boosting investments in infrastructure improvements and stopping the coronavirus pandemic.

Balancing those two concurrent messages would be standard fare in the months following a typical presidential election, but in 2020, the economic recession and social distancing regulations tied to the Covid-19 crisis have put extreme pressure on many businesses to simply survive. And at the same time, President Trump has declined to concede the race as he questions the results of vote counts in several states and threatens legal action to contest them.

Despite those hurdles, small businesses have an immediate need for federal rescue funds as they face a holiday season with rapidly inflating virus cases that could lead some regions to reinstate harsh covid-fighting conditions such as occupancy limits, curfews, and travel restrictions. “Stimulus funding is needed now, after weeks of stalled talks and failed negotiations. Talks must restart in Congress and the White House to deliver badly needed funding to those who need it,” IFDA President and CEO Mark S. Allen said in a statement.

According to the IFDA, that need will swiftly grow more important as fall turns to winter, inducing colder weather that will make outside seating options less popular with diners, after that strategy had buoyed restaurants, bars, and foodservice distributors during warmer months.

The group’s message was echoed by a similar call to action by the National Retail Federation (NRF), which on Monday released its plan for creating jobs and allowing the economy to rebound quickly.

“The election is over. It has certainly been a historic year with the Covid-19 pandemic, the election, and social unrest,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a memo to retail leaders. “Now that the election has been decided, it is time to get back to work enacting pro-growth policies and rebuilding our economy. We should begin with additional fiscal stimulus targeted at working American families, small businesses and those sectors of the economy that have been hardest hit.”

In addition to calling for a renewed effort to create a stimulus package, the NRF plan includes an outreach program called “Operation Open Doors,” which consists of dozens of calls and webinars about health guidelines, regulations, and the economic landscape. The calls are intended to help retailers navigate the “new normal” with a focus on health and safety, people and personnel, logistics and supply chain, and litigation and liability, the group said.

Other NRF efforts include: a state-by-state map of coronavirus-related laws and regulations, a set of Covid-19 training credentials, and a consumer awareness campaign encouraging buyers to “shop safe and shop early.”

"In 2021, we look forward to working with the Biden Administration and new Congress to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic and propel the country’s economic recovery,” Shay said in the release. “Until then, we will be working every day to keep our economy and the retail industry open.”

The threat of litigation from those harmed by #COVID19 transmission will slow retailers’ economic recovery and negatively impact the economy. Tell Congress to protect #retailers from costly litigation by passing the #SAFETOWORKAct: https://t.co/lTyuonblqu pic.twitter.com/4d50RyYpAB

— National Retail Federation (@NRFnews) November 4, 2020
E-Commerce Finance Strategy Covid-19 Coverage
KEYWORDS International Foodservice Distributors Association NRF
  • Related Articles

    Retail trade groups urge White House to guide west coast port contract negotiation

    Trade groups offer cautious support for requirement to vaccinate or test, but warn on additional costs

    Industry groups press Senate for ocean shipping reform

Benames
Ben Ames has spent 20 years as a journalist since starting out as a daily newspaper reporter in Pennsylvania in 1995. From 1999 forward, he has focused on business and technology reporting for a number of trade journals, beginning when he joined Design News and Modern Materials Handling magazines. Ames is author of the trail guide "Hiking Massachusetts" and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.

Recent Articles by Ben Ames

Unsolicited takeover of Ryder is unlikely to succeed, analyst says

Autonomous trucking firms launch partnerships with freight transportation providers

Logistics community loses two technology leaders

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Logistics pros warn of business impact from Russia-Ukraine war

  • Container prices continue to drop

  • How to resolve your inventory dilemma

  • Warehouse vacancy rates sink to 27-year low

  • Empty shipping containers stack up at U.S. port depots

Featured Video

Cccb7d13 710a 4473 8132 da8b6cc286f1

The Sportsman's Guide Case study: Increasing Accuracy & Productivity

Viewer Contributed
Thanks to the Lucas Warehouse Optimization Suite, The Sportsman's Guide has increased productivity, reduced training time, and experienced a boost in accuracy for both full-time staff and seasonal employees. Want to learn how Lucas can help your DC be more efficient, accurate, and safe while reducing labor costs?...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Omnitracs One – Last Mile Solutions

  • The enterprise shipper's guide to building a smarter truckload RFP

  • Fixed vs. Flexible Automation: Which Option is Better for 3PLs?

  • Enhancing Relationships in Logistics through Data & Collaboration

View More

Subscribe to Supply Chain Quarterly

Get Your Subscription
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • E-NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2022. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing