Washington D.C. – The Nationwide Grocers Affiliation (NGA) applauds the passage of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (H.R. 2853), essential bipartisan laws to assist tackle the rising risk of organized retail theft impacting unbiased grocers and communities throughout the nation.
“Organized retail crime just isn’t a victimless crime. It threatens workers, raises prices for customers, disrupts native companies, and places extra stress on unbiased grocers who navigate success on razor-thin margins,” stated Stephanie Johnson, NGA senior vice chairman and head of presidency affairs. “Fundamental Road grocers are important group companies, and this laws gives stronger instruments and coordination to assist regulation enforcement crack down on subtle theft operations concentrating on retailers and provide chains.”
The laws strengthens coordination between federal, state, and native regulation enforcement and establishes a brand new organized retail and provide chain crime coordination middle to extra successfully fight organized theft rings.
“NGA appreciates lawmakers for recognizing the intense affect organized retail crime is having on unbiased grocers, their workers, and the communities they serve,” stated Max Wengroff, senior supervisor of presidency affairs, NGA.
NGA despatched a letter to the U.S. Home in assist of the invoice.
“In an trade the place common revenue margins are sometimes round 1.5%, unbiased grocers face challenges in absorbing the quickly rising prices related to organized theft, retailer safety, and loss prevention. Past the monetary losses, organized retail crime creates critical security issues for employees and consumers and locations extra pressure on Fundamental Road companies working every single day to serve their communities,” the letter reads.
Click on right here to view the total letter.
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In regards to the Nationwide Grocers Affiliation
NGA is the nationwide commerce affiliation representing the retail and wholesale group grocers that comprise the unbiased sector of the meals distribution trade. An unbiased retailer is a privately owned or managed meals retail firm working quite a lot of codecs. The unbiased grocery sector is accountable for about 1.2 p.c of the nation’s total financial system and is chargeable for producing greater than $250 billion in gross sales, 1.1 million jobs, $39 billion in wages and $36 billion in taxes. NGA members embody retail and wholesale grocers positioned in each congressional district throughout the nation, in addition to state grocers’ associations, producers and repair suppliers.
