Group adding up to a dozen positions in communications and government relations—the top priority in strategic plan. One in five U.S. jobs are in retail. The sector accounts for two-thirds of GDP. But while the industry’s main voice, the National Retail Federation, is well known to the public because of its consumer surveys and other efforts, many inside and outside the group—including new CEO Matt Shay—felt it was punching below its weight class in the political arena. “One of the things I said early on to the board, the search committee, the executive committee and to the staff was that at the moment we don’t have an advocacy footprint that matches the economic footprint… Read More