On being green, among other things

by James P. Hallan
MRA President and Chief Executive Officer

Having just returned from a national retail meeting that included 37 state retail association executives and a diverse list of retailers, I can report that retail is being challenged on several fronts.

New legislative issues are emerging that, if passed, will affect the manner in which every business operates. On the horizon are bills that deal with electronic recycling, mandated benefits, immigration, expansion of bottle-deposit laws, data breaches, new rules to certify unions, disposal of unused pharmaceuticals, plastics bags and retail theft—to name just a few.

Economics and the stressed economy also dominated the talks. The headwinds that Michigan has faced for several years are now being felt in many other parts of the country. Optimism remains but is clearly tempered by the realities of higher gasoline prices and a struggling housing market.

One of the overriding themes of the conference was the national movement to go “green,” and to a great extent the retail industry is helping forge solutions that make good economic sense while preserving our resources for future generations. Retailers are part of the solution by taking the lead on everything from installing solar panels on their rooftops to encouraging shoppers to bring in reusable bags.

All “Greentailers”—and there are many in Michigan—are to be complimented for their efforts. In fact, if your business is going “green” let us know and we’ll publicize your efforts in the Retailer and with a news release.

Speaking of green—MRA has long had a special “green” friend: Faye Greenfield. Faye, the executive director of the Michigan Shoe Travelers Club, is retiring after 35 years of wonderfully dedicated service to the industry.

Faye and her husband, former MRA Board member Ed Greenfield, are longtime members of Michigan Retailers Association. Both have been very generous with their time and talents to make retailing better in Michigan.

Faye’s legacy is a lasting one, and all of us at MRA wish her the very best in her well-deserved retirement.

One more thing: in last month’s column about the excellent Pure Michigan tourism campaign, I mentioned that our retail members can get a free listing on the Pure Michigan website (www.michigan.org). Turns out that some members ran into a few difficulties. So we met with Travel Michigan executives, who were quick to work out a smoother system for getting listed.

Retailers who believe their stores can add to visitors’ travel experiences can now enter their stores into the online database by following these simple steps:
1. Go to: ref.michigan.org/travel/profiles (you may also follow this path: go to www.michigan.org, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Travel Professional.” Then scroll down to “Add Your Property”).

2. This is a login page. If you have never registered with Travel Michigan before, click on “register now.” Fill out the form (information is not given to the public). You will only need to register once even if you have multiple properties. If you have registered with Travel Michigan before, enter your e-mail and password. After registering or entering your e-mail and password, you will be sent to an “Add Property Information” form.

3. Simply enter all of the data requested, and be sure to highlight all of your products and/or services in the description box. You may also submit a photo of your property. Please also note that once you have registered and have a password, you can go into the database at any time to update/modify your property’s data.

If you have any questions about this process, please contact Carol Royse of Travel Michigan at 517.373.3848 or by e-mail at roysec@michigan.org. And let us know how it works for you.