Last year 100 retailers across Minnesota gave MnRA a good look at what they expected over the holiday season and into the new year. That perspective helped MnRA tell the story of retail to the media and legislature.

As we prepare this year’s Retail Outlook Survey results for presentation at our Thursday, October 13 Annual Meeting, could you please take a moment and take our brief survey?

Your thoughts would help us round out the results.

Help us tell retail's story again by completing our quick eight question Retail Outlook Survey now!

Click here for the survey.

July 11, 2016 Update:

MnRA has learned that approximately three weeks prior to the latest holiday weekend thefts, a metro-located bike retailer fell victim to a bicycle theft from what appears to be the same male assailant in each theft (based upon security camera footage).

Original Post:

A $20,000 rash of thefts from bicycle retailers over the past few weeks has the Minnesota Retailers Association urging shop owners and employees to be on alert and in communication with local law enforcement in the event of suspicious activity.

Similar thefts from bicycle stores in Wayzata, Hopkins and Champlin as recent as this past weekend have law enforcement in multiple communities conducting investigations. Those individual thefts have ranged from a few hundred dollars to upwards of $10,000 as reported by KARE-11 news. Typically thefts have occurred early in the morning before the store opens with accessed gained through a rear store door. In some cases thieves have disabled internal security cameras, indicating they have likely visited the store in advance to plan the theft.

“As usual, vigilant and attentive employees are the first line of defense against these types of crimes. And of course, a security alarm and camera system recording high quality images that can be used by law enforcement are vital to connecting the dots between these crimes and identifying the criminals,” said Minnesota Retailers Association President Bruce Nustad. “It’s hard to see stores that work so hard to serve our communities victimized like this. Fortunately, local law enforcement has responded quickly to these crimes and thanks to a strong partnership among law enforcement and with retailers through the Twin Cities Organized Retail Crime Association, information is being shared quickly to try to shut down these crimes before more neighborhood retailers are victimized.”

The Minnesota Retailers Association recommends the following action steps for bicycle shop owners in light of recent thefts:

__ Talk to employees about the thefts and encourage them to be extra vigilant.
__ Report thefts or suspicious activity to local law enforcement immediately.
__ Encourage law enforcement to share real-time crime information via the Twin Cities Organized Retail Crime Association (www.tcorca.org).
__ Check www.mnretail.org/bikes for up-to-date info on this specific ring of thefts.

As Congress winds up negotiations on an omnibus budget package before the end of the year, retailers as hopeful e-fairness language will be coupled with a permanent version of the Internet Tax Freedom Act.

Although we know it's a busy time of the year, we urge retailers in Minnesota to contact Senate and House members and ask them to urge federal legislative leaders to deliver e-fairness to retailers this holiday season!

See below for contact information.

 

Contact information:

Senator Al Franken  

United States Senate
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5641
Contact Senator Franken

Senator Amy Klobuchar
United States Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-3244
Web email form  

Timothy J. Walz (D-District 1)
1034 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-2472
Contact:
Tim Walz contact form

John Kline (R-District 2)
2439 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-2271
Contact form:
John Kline contact form  

Erik Paulsen (R-District 3)
127 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-2303
(202) 225-2871
Fax: (202) 225-6351
Erik Paulson contact form

Betty McCollum (D-District 4)
1714 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-6631
Betty McCollum contact form 

Keith Ellison(D-District 5)
2244 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4755
(202) 225-4886 fax
Contact form:
Keith Ellison contact page  

Tom Emmer (R-District 6)
503 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-2331 
Tom Emmer email form

Collin C. Peterson (D-District 7)
2109 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-2165
Collin C. Peterson email form

Rick Nolan  (D-District 8)
2447 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-6211
Contact email form