Earlier this month the National Shoe Retailers Association (NSRA) and the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) announced the establishment of a strategic partnership designed to enhance the voice of independent footwear retailers in Washington. As part of the partnership, FDRA will become the main advocacy arm for NSRA members and the more than 8,000 independent footwear retailers nationwide.
“Small businesses and retailers are the drivers of job growth in our economy, so it is vital that this important segment of our industry has an advocate in uncertain times,” says FDRA President Matt Priest. NSRA President Chuck Schuyler adds, “Our new alliance with FDRA will keep NSRA members informed about all the various regulatory issues impacting the independent channel, including issues such as internet sales tax and inheritance tax. As a $7.2 billion industry, independent footwear retailers need a strong voice in Washington and FDRA will help us accomplish that.”
“Both organizations recognized a need to educate policy makers in Washington about the importance of the independent footwear retailer to main street economies all over the country,” says FDRA Chairman and R.G. Barry Brands President and CEO Greg Tunney.
“Washington is a challenging place for many independent footwear retailers, and that is why I am so pleased with this new partnership. It will really help NSRA’s members understand what is going on at the federal level and how it will impact them,” said Mark Denkler, NSRA chairman and CEO of Vince Canning Shoes in Delray Beach, FL.
