The National Retail Federation (NRF) is the world's largest retail trade association. Its members include department stores, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, and independent retailers, chain restaurants, grocery stores, and multi-level marketing companies. Members also include businesses that provide goods and services to retailers, such as vendors and technology providers. NRF represents the largest private-sector industry in the United States that contains over 3.8 million retail establishments, supporting more than 52 million employees contributing $2.6 trillion annually to GDP. History The NRF began in 1911 as the National Retail Dry Goods Association (NRDGA). This was also the year of its first annual meeting. In 1958, NRDGA was renamed the National Retail Merchants Association. In 1990, the association and the American Retail Federation merged to form the National Retail Federation. During all the years, an annual convention was held for members. The National Retail Federation (NRF) is the world's largest retail trade association, with members including department store, specialty, discount, catalogue, Internet, and independent retailers, chain restaurants, and grocery stores. It is also an umbrella group that represents more than 100 associations of state, national and international retailers. Lobbying NRF, along with the Americans for Free Trade coalition, educated Congress, the administration, the press and consumers about the harmful economic impact of the trade war with China. NRF testified before the administration, held dozens of meetings on Capitol Hill, participated in press conferences and conducted media interviews to break down tariffs’ complicated negative effect on businesses and consumers. NRF organized the Main Street Privacy Coalition, composed of trade groups that represent companies using customers’ data for first-party use only, like retailers, hotels, grocery stores and restaurants. In November 2019, NRF and the coalition called on lawmakers to adopt a “uniform and fair framework” that applies nationwide and covers all entities that handle sensitive data. Principles for privacy legislation were presented to both House and Senate committees. 2018 After fighting for online sales tax collection in Congress and the courts for over 15 years, NRF welcomed a Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. allowing states to require online sellers to collect sales tax the same as local stores. The ruling came after NRF submitted friend-of-the-court briefs in the case arguing that modern software had removed any burden once associated with collecting sales tax and that the lack of sales tax collection had given online sellers an unfair price advantage over