NRF
Retail trade association monetising media, events and industry intelligence.
Available information varies by company and source.
Profile record updated:
Company facts
- Official name
- National Retail Federation Inc
- Entity type
- COMPANY
- Founded
- 1911
- Headquarters
- 1101 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20005
- Company size
- 501–1,000
- Market role
- Publisher & Media Owner
- Official website
- nrf.com
What NRF does
NRF creates value by aggregating retail industry audiences, content, data and convening power into a single association-led platform. It converts that attention and authority into revenue through event participation fees, sponsorship and advertising sales across owned media, and paid access to specialised insights and professional resources for retail organisations and their advisers.
Category differentiation
NRF here refers to the National Retail Federation trade association, not a retail software vendor or a brand. It is best understood as an industry body operating publisher, event and research products for the retail sector.
Strategic context
AI-supported assessment from the existing company research; distinguish interpretation from sourced facts.
National Retail Federation (NRF) is a US-based retail trade association that operates a multi-product business spanning industry publishing, research and data products, event franchises, and advertising and sponsorship sales. Its core assets include NRF.com, newsletters, podcasts, research centres, premium insight products, and major conferences such as Retail's Big Show and NRF PROTECT. It generates revenue from exhibitor and ticket fees, sponsorship packages, advertising inventory, and paid access to specialised research and member-oriented resources.
Company news briefing
Briefing updated:
Building on its 2026 Top 100 Retailers report compiled with Kantar and its advocacy for the Common Cents Act, the National Retail Federation continues to shape industry policy. The NRF and RILA support the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which addresses supply chain crime coordination. Additionally, a joint holiday returns survey by Happy Returns and the NRF predicts that approximately 17% of holiday sales will be returned, assisting brands in refining their operational strategies.
Business model & monetisation
NRF uses a diversified monetisation model combining sponsorship and advertising sales on its website, newsletters and podcasts; exhibitor, sponsorship and ticket revenue from conferences and summits; and paid access or membership-linked value for premium research, data products and specialist resource centres. Commercial packages appear to be largely sales-led and audience-access driven rather than usage-based software pricing.
- Events and exhibitions
- Ticket sales, exhibitor fees and sponsorship packages
- Advertising and sponsorship on owned media
- Brand-funded media inventory across web, newsletters and podcasts
- Premium research and data access
- Paid access and premium intelligence products
- Member-oriented specialist resources
- Association access and professional resource value
Products & capabilities
No products with linked sources are available in this view.
Products & market categories
Competitors & alternatives
- Emerald
B2B trade show and specialist media portfolio operator.
Side-by-side comparisons
Recent recorded signals
Dates refer to the source publication. Older entries are historical context, not evidence of a new event.
Kohl's launches another back-to-school deals promotion
Retail promotions / Back-to-school merchandising · Recorded impact score: 2/5
Kohl’s launched a new set of back-to-school promotions on Aug. 19, 2026, cutting prices up to 50% across school supplies, apparel and beauty items and offering $10 in Kohl’s Cash for every $50 spent, plus a weekend giveaway of $5–$100 in Kohl’s Cash while supplies last. The retailer earlier promoted “thousands of products under $25” for the season. Placer.ai data cited in the story shows Q2 store visits fell 1.4% year-over-year (improving from a near-8% decline in Q1). Analysts and market research firms (Morgan Stanley, Circana, NRF) offer mixed outlooks for the back-to-school season, with NRF forecasting nearly 10% sales growth to $43.3 billion but some firms urging caution.
- Kohl’s launched a new back-to-school promotion on Aug. 19, 2026.
- Kohl’s said it is cutting prices as much as 50% on school supplies, apparel and beauty items and previously advertised thousands of products under $25.
NRF: Retailers Stocked Up Ahead of Tariff Changes
Logistics & Inventory (Retail Operations) · Recorded impact score: 1/5
The National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates' Global Port Tracker report found a 13.2% year-over-year increase in 20-foot containers (TEUs) at major U.S. ports in June as retailers imported inventory ahead of tariff changes. NRF now expects July imports to fall 7.6% year over year and projects August imports to decrease 4.2% year over year. NRF Vice President Jonathan Gold said retailers accelerated shipments because of upcoming tariff shifts and other supply-chain disruptions, including the conflict in Iran. Temporary 10% Section 122 global tariffs expired July 23 and a new round of Section 301 tariffs took effect July 24. A Deloitte study cited earlier buying timelines, with many holiday orders placed by the end of May.
- Global Port Tracker (NRF and Hackett Associates) reported a 13.2% year-over-year increase in 20-foot containers (TEUs) at major U.S. ports in June.
- NRF previously projected nearly 19% growth for June but revised that figure down.
NRF: Shoplifting Stabilizes, Online Gift-Card Fraud Grows
Retail Operations / Loss Prevention · Recorded impact score: 2/5
The National Retail Federation (NRF) reports that shoplifting incidents have stabilized and fallen for the first time in several years, a trend the NRF attributes to retailers’ investments in store hardening, technology and staff training. Meanwhile, loss-prevention specialists at over 60 major retailers cite increases in phone scams, e-commerce/digital fraud, and gift-card and return fraud; the report also highlights supply-chain vulnerabilities such as cargo theft. The NRF surveyed senior loss prevention and security executives at 66 retailers (143 brands) from February to April 2026. The article notes the NRF no longer publishes an annual shrink report (stopped in 2024) and references other research showing shoplifting rises in some U.S. cities. The U.S. House passed anti-organized retail crime legislation earlier in 2026, an NRF lobbying priority.
- The NRF surveyed senior loss prevention and security executives from February to April 2026 across 66 retailers representing 143 brands.
- According to the NRF, the average number of shoplifting and merchandise theft incidents fell for the first time in several years.
Careers & open positions
Open positions indexed from verified career portals and applicant tracking systems.
| Position | Department | Location | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Manager, Partnerships and Outreach(Senior) | Sales & Business Development | Washington, D.C. |
Explore company relationships
Questions about NRF
What is NRF?
NRF is the National Retail Federation, a US retail trade association that runs industry media, research products and major retail events.
Who uses NRF?
Retail executives, retailers, analysts, legal and security professionals, technology vendors, sponsors, advertisers and policymakers use NRF's content, events and insights.
How does NRF make money?
NRF makes money through event tickets and exhibitor fees, sponsorships and advertising across its media properties, and paid access to research and specialist resources.
Sources & coverage
This profile uses public, official and technically observable information. Missing information does not prove that a product or relationship does not exist. The list below does not imply that every profile statement has been verified.
14 publicly documented primary sources and citations linked across the market graph.
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