News

Swift Hardware Celebrates 155 Years Serving The Copper Country

Swift Hardware building

Swift Hardware in Houghton has been an essential part of the Upper Peninsula for 155 years. From its origins in Ishpeming to its current location on Sheldon Avenue in Houghton,

Explore MRA’s Suite of Savings

MRA membership flowchart

Are you getting the most out of your MRA membership? Take a journey through this flowchart and ensure you’re up to speed on the suite of benefits.

MRA membership flowchart

Download the Flowchart

100-Foot Replica Mine Helps Make U.P. Jewelry Store One of The ‘Coolest’ in the U.S.

Tourists visiting Marquette make time to visit Wattsson & Wattsson Jewelers, even if they aren’t planning to buy handcrafted rings, to walk through a full-scale replica mine.

By: Shandra Martinez

When Ron Wattsson bought a historic building in downtown Marquette for his jewelry store in 1987,

From the Archives: Mascot spreads Buy Nearby word

Michigan Retailer
October 2015
Vol. 40, No. 5

In an effort to spread the importance of Keeping Your Money in Michigan©, mascot Buy Nearby Guy and an entourage of MRA employees traveled from Detroit to Marquette,

U.S. 2, Route to (Retail) Heaven on Earth

Three family businesses share stories of retailing in the Upper Peninsula

By Shandra Martinez

Sandra Jacobs remembers driving down U.S. 2 in the Upper Peninsula, often described as the “Route to Heaven on Earth,” when something caught her eye – a for sale sign in front of the Hog Island Country Store and its adjacent six cottages just steps away from Lake Michigan.

Regulatory Rundown: April/May 2024 Michigan Retailer

Capitol dome image

Regulatory News & Trends
ICYMI – Period clothing exempt from sales tax

The Michigan Department of Treasury plans to release an interpretive statement soon that period clothing falls within the feminine hygiene products sales tax exemption,