ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Retailers Alliance (MRA) today released its annual holiday sales outlook following the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) nationwide forecast. The NRF anticipates U.S. holiday retail sales will grow between 3.7% and 4.2% this season, surpassing the $1 trillion mark for the first time. This national projection, coupled with Maryland-specific economic indicators, suggests a holiday season marked by steady but cautious consumer spending across the state’s retail sector.  National retail data reflects underlying consumer resilience despite inflation and ongoing cost pressures. For Maryland retailers from apparel and electronics to home goods, specialty retail, grocery, and small businesses, this signals a potential opportunity for modest growth. Retailers across the state are preparing for a season where shoppers remain engaged but more price-sensitive, with spending decisions influenced by inflation, household budgeting, and shifts in discretionary purchasing. Maryland retailers continue to navigate a challenging operating environment, including increased costs for labor, logistics, and compliance, as well as ongoing supply-chain volatility. Seasonal hiring is expected to be more constrained than in past years, with the NRF projecting the lowest national holiday hiring levels in several years. As a result, retailers in Maryland are adjusting staffing models, cross-training team members, and leaning on operational efficiencies to support anticipated holiday traffic. “While the national forecast gives us reason for optimism, Maryland’s retail sector must approach the season with both strategic planning and adaptability,” said Cailey Locklair, President of the Maryland Retailers Alliance. “Retailers across the state are facing tight labor markets, higher operating costs, and an increasingly frugal consumer. The stores that focus on value, customer experience, and efficient operations are best positioned to succeed. This is a pivotal time for Maryland’s retail community, and we expect strong performance from those who meet consumers where they are.” Maryland’s diverse retail landscape, ranging from large national chains to local Main Street businesses, stands to benefit from consumers prioritizing convenience, competitive pricing, and personalized service. With inflation influencing purchasing decisions, shoppers are expected to increasingly seek out discounts, loyalty programs, private-label products, and targeted promotions. Retailers who effectively communicate value, maintain reliable inventory, and deliver strong in-store and online customer experiences are likely to outperform. Despite headwinds, MRA notes that the holiday season remains the most critical revenue period of the year for Maryland retailers, contributing significantly to the state’s economy, workforce, and local communities. The association encourages consumers to shop early, support Maryland-based businesses, and take advantage of the wide range of offerings across the state.

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Maryland’s new organized retail theft law takes effect this week, setting the strictest standards in the region and defining organized retail theft in State statute, authorizing statewide data collection, and expanding the applicability of felony penalties by allowing related thefts to be aggregated across county lines. The bill, championed by the Maryland Retailers Alliance, was introduced in Annapolis for almost a decade before it finally passed earlier this year. The proposal gained traction in recent years as retail theft cases have increased exponentially since the COVID-19 pandemic, destabilizing retail stores in many communities and resulting in closures of stores due to high losses. Maryland’s high felony theft threshold, commercial port in Baltimore, and proximity to multiple interstate highways has historically provided an ideal environment for perpetrators of organized theft. “This law is a game-changer for retailers in Maryland,” said Cailey Locklair, President of the Maryland Retailers Alliance. “It finally gives law enforcement and prosecutors the ability to treat organized retail theft as a serious crime that impacts safety, public health, and access to goods in our communities.” Federal data shows that organized theft is a funding mechanism for other illicit activities including the drug trade, money laundering, and even human trafficking and transnational crime. Organized rings often take advantage of vulnerable individuals to commit retail theft of specific high-value items like laundry detergent, personal care items, baby formula, and copper wire. By allowing charges for related crimes committed across jurisdictions to be joined, the new law puts a stop to criminals’ ability to strategically travel between multiple counties to avoid the state’s $1,500 felony theft threshold and provides the tools needed for law enforcement and prosecutors to target high-level theft rings. “With this new law, Maryland will no longer be ground zero for organized retail crime,” said House sponsor Delegate Karen R. Toles. “So many of my constituents have expressed concerns about this issue, and starting October 1 st , this law will be a tool to hold perpetrators accountable and undoubtedly have a lasting positive impact on businesses and communities across Maryland.” The law, signed as Chapter 192 , takes effect on October 1. ### Media Contact: Cailey Locklair clocklair@mdra.org | 317-397-1918

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Retailers Alliance (MRA) last week presented its annual awards for legislative advocacy and retail theft prevention. The presentation occurred virtually and was streamed on YouTube. The awards celebrate individuals who exhibit outstanding public leadership, advocate for the success of the retail business community, and support the mission of the MRA. The following awards were presented during the virtual stream: Maryland Retailers Alliance Legislator of the Year: Delegate Karen Toles, District 25 Maryland Association of Chain Drug Stores Advocate of the Year: Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk, District 21 Louis L. Goldstein Service Award: Marshall Klein, Klein’s ShopRite Maryland Retailers Alliance Retail Theft Prevention Award: Kyle Graser, Target “Thank you to every single elected official who listened to our concerns, worked with us, sponsored amendments, and supported us on these very important issues,” said Cailey Locklair, MRA President. “Thank you to our members, the retail industry and many businesses that are the backbone of our communities. Lifting your voices up and helping solve problems to ensure your businesses can thrive – it truly is an honor.”  The Annual Awards presentation also highlighted MRA’s Legislative All-Star Team, members of the legislature whose actions throughout the legislative session support the success of the organization. About MRA : The Maryland Retailers Alliance is a statewide membership association representing retail businesses of all shapes and sizes throughout Maryland. As the retail community’s major trade association, MRA is a diverse and broad-based organization covering all segments of the retail industry.

As excerpted from The New York Times : Inflation is up and job creation down, but the U.S. economy could still pull through without too much pain. At the moment, the American economy feels a little bit like a hot August afternoon. The air is heavy and still, as lightning flashes on the horizon. The storm could sweep through and leave destruction in its wake. It could set in for a brief drizzle. Or it could pass by in the distance, and take its fury elsewhere. In this very humid metaphor, the electricity in the sky is the steep tariffs that President Trump has now imposed on most goods coming into the United States. It’s also his strict immigration curbs, mass firings of government employees and the pullback in government spending. Economists have been waiting for that multifaceted storm system to start showing up in the economic data. The signs are now unmistakable, but the severity of the impact remains unclear. --- Plenty of indicators suggest inflation and the labor market are headed in the wrong direction. After slowly sinking back to close-to-normal levels, price growth has sped up again, particularly in categories of goods that are heavily imported and now steeply tariffed. A measure of wholesale prices jumped to the highest level since November 2022. Spending has held up, particularly among higher-income consumers, according to credit card data analyzed by Bank of America. But that could be an illusion, as people pay more for the same items, or stock up to get ahead of tariffs kicking in. Cailey Locklair, the president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance, said her members had noticed customers accelerating their purchases to take advantage of discounts and sales tax holidays, knowing that price increases are probably around the corner. “Shoppers are very uncertain about what tariffs could mean,” Ms. Locklair said. “Because of this uncertainty in the market, consumers were spending a lot more in July to start back-to-school early, to mitigate some of this.” Click here to read this article from The New York Times .

As excerpted from The Baltimore Banner : Kids grow fast and that becomes evident during back-to-school shopping season when parents have to replace pants that now land well above the ankle or shoes that are too tight. But this year, parents are being a little more frugal as they replace too-small clothes along with pencils, crayons and folders crushed at the bottom of book bags decorated with cartoon characters that kids may or may not even like anymore. “Those concerns surrounding inflation and the impact of tariffs are causing consumers to be a little bit more budget conscious,” said Cailey Locklair, president of the Maryland Retailers Alliance. “That’s really what’s impacting some of this spending.” Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs , which she characterized as effectively being additional sales taxes for consumers, were particularly ill-timed for families and back-to-school shopping. She said she’s spoken to several retailers who are raising their prices now because they can’t continue to eat costs. And many school supplies cost at least 20% more today than they did pre-pandemic. Advertise with us “It’s not just that parents and families feel like prices are higher now,” Lierman said. “They actually are higher now.” This year, parents and others who care for children are more likely to shop around for the best deals and break brand loyalty — bye, Crayola crayons; hello, Cra-Z-Art. And they’ll be digging for cheaper items at both big box retailers and secondhand stores. They’re also increasingly keeping just the basics in their carts, which they started filling earlier in the summer to take advantage of deals and spread out spending. They can expect to say these things a lot more: “No,” “Put that back,” and “I don’t care if your friend got it, we’re sticking to the list.” Maryland merchants aren’t bracing for any major spending declines, said Locklair, who represents big and small retailers across the state. Still, stores are offering deals or matching prices of competitors to reach parents who are getting pickier with their dollars. Click here to read the full article from The Baltimore Banner .