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Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is proud to partner with the National Shoe Retailers Association (NSRA) to provide Canadian footwear retailers with additional products and services.
About NSRA
The National Shoe Retailers Association (NSRA) is a trade organization representing independent shoe retailers in the United States. NSRA provides independent shoe retailers with solid, practical workplace benefits that enable them to operate their business more profitably and successfully.
About the Partnership with RCC
Through the partnership with RCC, footwear retailers in Canada can now access all the benefits of membership with NSRA through a single membership with RCC. That means when you join RCC, you have access to all the benefits of membership with both RCC and NSRA — for only one membership fee!
JOIN TODAY!
Download RCC's Membership Application and benefit program outline for more information:
> Retailers
> Non-Retailers (vendors, suppliers, etc.)
Benefits of Membership
Here are a few of the key benefits of membership for independent footwear retailers in Canada:
1. Cost-Savings Programs
Membership with RCC saves members money! RCC uses its group buying power to partner with leading business service providers to provide valuable programs at a discounted price.
2. New Store Starter Kit
RCC members can purchase NSRA's New Store Starter Kit for the member rate! Opening your own shoe store is a major investment in money and energy. Don't do it alone - get the experience you need from this unique resource.
3. Education Tools
Members can access RCC's MasterCard Resource Centre, which provides valuable Tip Sheets to help you run your store. From theft prevention, to customer loyalty to signing a lease — RCC has the resources to help you.
RCC Members also have access to NSRA's footwear resources at the member rate:
When the Shoe Fits Video
This educational 2 ½-hour course includes 2 tapes, a companion reference book of 100+pages, an instructor's guide, and a 100-question test for reviewing the 11 instructional sections. Sections include: foot evaluation and measurement, testing for fit, fitting the special foot, foot anatomy and biomechanics, worn shoe evaluation, plus more.
4. Conferences & Events
RCC runs a number of events across Canada for retailers, including regional workshops for owners and store managers on recruiting, conferences for HR issues and loss prevention, and STORE 2006 — Canada's Retail Conference.
> For a full listing of RCC Events, click here.
RCC footwear members can also attend NSRA events in the U.S. at the member rate.
> For a full listing, click here.
5. Research — Business Performance Report
RCC and NSRA are conducting a survey of 600 footwear retailers in Canada. The result of which will be an independently produced Canadian industry footwear report that will allow footwear retailers to compare their store to other footwear stores in Canada!
All retailers who complete the survey (between April 1 - May 3, 2006) will receive a free copy of the report. (If you operate a chain of shoe stores, for a small fee you can also order a personalized performance report - see back of survey for more information).
The 2006 Business Performance Report will include such valuable industry benchmarks as:
- P&L statements by store type and location;
- Wages and salaries by classification;
- Mark-ups and markdowns and maintained margin;
- Average sales by store type and location;
- Plus, hundreds of other benchmark numbers.
This is the first time a Canadian edition of the report will be produced, and RCC is excited to be working with the NSRA to provide footwear retailers with this valuable research.
Survey results will be tabulated by Industry Insights, a highly respected national survey company, which keeps all surveys strictly confidential. Nobody in the footwear industry will see your numbers — including NSRA and RCC! You must however, provide Industry Insights with your business contact information to receive a free copy of the final report.
If you have any questions regarding the survey, contact Industry Insight's Hotline at 1-614-802-2310 ext. 102. The deadline to return the survey is Wednesday, May 3, 2006, by fax to 1-614-802-2309.
> Download Survey
> Survey FAQs
6. Lobbying & Advocacy
RCC's government relations team look out for the interests of retailers across Canada, at all levels of government. When an issue will affect the footwear sector such as safeguards, import tariffs, etc., RCC is there to fight for retailer's rights.
7. Footwear Advisory Committee
In order to assist RCC and NSRA in identifying priorities for the Canadian footwear industry, RCC has established an Advisory Committee, made up of RCC footwear members from across Canada. The committee has meetings six times per year via conference call.
The 2005/2006 Advisory Committee includes:
In addition, RCC brings together vendors and retailers for a Footwear Roundtable each year. Footwear vendors who join RCC are invited to this great information sharing and networking event.
Recent invitees include:
- George Molyneaux, Vice President, Sales Canada — Clark's, Oakville, Ontario
- Mr. Trevor Masson, National Sales & Marketing — New Balance Canada, Mississauga, Ontario
- Mr. Doug Hamilton, President — Columbia Sportswear Canada Limited, Strathroy, Ontario
To find out more about the partnership, or get involved with RCC's Advisory Committee or Footwear Roundtable, please contact Jodi White, Senior Manager of Membership Services, at RCC at 1-888-373-8245, ext. 285; e-mail: jwhite@retailcouncil.org.