2009 Releases
| > | Retailers Commend Government Code of Conduct for Debit and Credit Cards Merchants Establish Watchdog to Monitor the Payments Marketplace Ottawa, November 19 — Retail Council of Canada (RCC), The Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors (CCGD) and the StopStickingItToUs Coalition, representing more than 250,000 businesses commend Finance Minister Flaherty and the Government of Canada for today's introduction of a Code of Conduct to govern the Canadian debit and credit card markets. The announcement of the Code is an important step toward ensuring merchant choice, enhanced competition and greater transparency in a marketplace dominated by only a few large companies. |
| > | Canada's Independent Retailers — Significant Contributors to the National Economy Retailers Shine During Small Business Week Toronto, October 19 — In celebration of Small Business Week, Retail Council of Canada's Independent Retailer Task Force released the results of a year-long research initiative into small business retailing in Canada. The Task Force, made up of independent retailers from coast-to-coast held town hall meetings in all regions of the country. |
| > | Retail Council of Canada applauds B.C. Government's announcement on Tax Harmonization Vancouver, July 27 – Retail Council of Canada (RCC) applauds the British Columbia government for taking the bold step to harmonize the provincial sales tax (PST) with the federal Goods and Services tax (GST). RCC believes that tax harmonization will decrease the administrative burden on retailers in the province, allowing them to be more competitive. |
| > | Committee Report Supports Stopstickingittous Coalition's Call For Oversight And Rules For Credit And Debit Card Fees Senate Recognizes Need for Greater Transparency and Accountability in Canadian Debit and Credit Markets Ottawa, June 30 – The StopStickingItToUs Coalition, representing over 250,000 Canadian merchant businesses, commends the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce for its report released today recommending fundamental changes to the way credit card companies, banks and payment processors operate in Canada. The unanimous report, focusing on the fees and rates charged to merchants and consumers, follows months of testimony from key players in the payments market, including merchant and consumer groups, credit card companies and Canada's largest financial institutions, among others. |
| > | Upping the "WOW-factor" Builds Brand Loyalty New Retail Study Reveals Retail Council of Canada partners with Verde Group and Wharton School of Business to examine what makes a memorable shopping experience Toronto, June 22 – At a time when Canadian retailers are challenged to attract increasingly cautious consumers to their stores, a new survey by Retail Council of Canada, Verde Group and the Baker Retailing Initiative at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania reveals that meeting this challenge may not be as complicated and expensive you might think. |
| > | Retail Council of Canada Honours Excellence at National Conference Toronto, June 4 – Retail Council of Canada presented 12 prestigious industry awards at the Excellence in Retail Awards Dinner earlier this week. The awards recognize the retail industry's top achievers in a variety of categories and were presented as part of STORE 2009 — Canada's Retail Conference. |
| > | INTERAC® and Retail Council of Canada Announce Top Applicant of 2009 Retail as a Career Scholarship Program Toronto, June 2 – INTERAC and Retail Council of Canada (RCC) are pleased to announce the name of the top applicant of the 2009 Retail as a Career Scholarship Program, a program that honours students entering or enrolled in a business, marketing or retail-related program at a Canadian post-secondary institution. |
| > | Retail Council of Canada Announces the 2009 Retail as a Career Scholarship Recipients $5,000 Top Prize To Be Awarded At National Conference Next Week Toronto, May 27 – The future of retail is in good hands, as 28 high school and post-secondary students from across the country will each receive a $1,000 scholarship to assist in their pursuit of retail as a career. This year, for the first time, Interac Association will award a $5,000 scholarship to the top applicant in the program. |
| > | Canadian Retail Industry Honours Henry Singer Fashion Group's Fred Singer with Retail Hall of Fame Award Toronto, May 22 – Today, Retail Council of Canada (RCC) announced Fred Singer, President of Henry Singer Fashion Group, as the recipient of the 2009 Canadian Retail Hall of Fame Award. The award will be presented to Mr. Singer at RCC's Gala dinner on June 1, as part of their national STORE conference in Toronto. Mr. Singer was nominated and selected for the award by a distinguished panel of retail executives, as well as representatives from the financial, academic and consulting communities. |
| > | Canadian Retail Industry Honours Grassroots Environmental Products and Robert Simmonds Inc. with Ambassador Awards Toronto, May 22 – Today, Retail Council of Canada (RCC) announced Grassroots Environmental Products and Robert Simmonds Inc. as the recipients of the 2009 Ambassador Awards, sponsored by Chase Paymentech Solutions. The awards will be presented to at RCC's Gala dinner on June 1, as part of their national STORE conference in Toronto. The organizations were nominated and selected for the award by a distinguished panel of retail executives, as well as representatives from the financial, academic and consulting communities. |
| > | Costco's Louise Wendling Named 2009 Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year by Retail Council of Canada Toronto, May 21 – Today, Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is proud to announce Louise Wendling, Senior Vice President and Country Manager for Costco Wholesale Canada as the 2009 Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year. The award will be presented to Ms. Wendling at RCC's Gala dinner on June 1, as part of their national STORE conference in Toronto. |
| > | Canadian Retail Industry Honours Aldo Groupe's Réjean Dionne with Lifetime Achievement Award Toronto, May 21 – Today, Retail Council of Canada (RCC) announced Réjean Dionne, President of ALDO Groupe, as the recipient of the 2009 Retail Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will be presented to Mr. Dionne at RCC's Gala dinner on June 1, as part of their national STORE conference in Toronto. |
| > | Merchants Respond To Flaherty Announcement Of New Rules For Credit Card Companies Toronto, May 21 – New credit card rules announced today by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty are an important first step to confronting the power of the credit card companies, but the federal government will also need to address the concerns of Canadian merchants, says Diane Brisebois, President of the Retail Council of Canada and Chair of the StopStickingItToUs coalition, representing over 250,000 Canadian businesses. |
| > | House Of Commons Begins Historic Credit And Debit Card Inquiry StopStickingItToUs Coalition asks Parliamentary Committee to reject U.S-style financial deregulation Ottawa, May 11 – This week, representatives of hundreds of thousands of Canadian businesses will descend on Ottawa for the start of House of Commons Committee hearings focused on the runaway fees merchants are forced to pay to accept credit cards. The joint House Finance/Industry Committee inquiry, which begins tomorrow, comes on the heels of hearings held on the issue by the Senate Banking Committee that concluded last week. The hearings signal the first time that credit and debit card issues have been examined by Parliament. |
| > | StopStickingItToUs Coalition Commends Parliamentary Scrutiny of Credit Card Companies Unprecedented number of government inquiries seek justification of fee practices Ottawa, April 21 – This week, members of the StopStickingItToUs Coalition will appear before the Senate Banking Committee in Ottawa on behalf of more than 200,000 Canadian businesses to expose the skyrocketing fees merchants pay to accept credit cards and the negative impacts these fees have on businesses and consumers alike. The Coalition's testimony will also address dangers posed by the impending introduction of VISA and MasterCard debit schemes to the Canadian market, which could spell the end of our country's current low-cost, efficient debit service. |
| > | Retail Council of Canada and the StopStickingItToUs Coalition Commends Competition Bureau Investigation of Credit Card Companies Abusive dominance inquiry response to increase in complaints Ottawa, March 25 – Diane J. Brisebois, Chair of the StopStickingItToUs Coalition and President and CEO of Retail Council of Canada commends the Competition Bureau for investigating Visa and MasterCard under the "abuse of dominance" rules of the Canadian Competition Act. The public announcement of the investigation came from Bureau Deputy Commissioner, Richard Taylor today at the opening session of Senate Banking Committee hearings that will "study the credit and debit card systems in Canada and their relative rates and fees, in particular for businesses and consumers." |
| > | Retail Council of Canada applauds decision of House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry to review proposed restructure of Interac Toronto, March 5 – Today's announcement by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry that a review of the proposed restructuring of Interac will be undertaken, is being applauded by Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and heralded as a victory for Canadian retailers and their customers. |
| > | Retail Council of Canada applauds Senate for initiating credit card industry investigation Ottawa, March 5 – Retail Council of Canada (RCC) and the "Stop Sticking It To Us" coalition, representing over 200,000 small and large businesses, applauds the Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce for announcing today that it will move forward with an investigation of Canada's credit and debit card system. The announcement follows the introduction of a motion for an investigation by Senator Pierrette Ringuette in January this year. RCC, the association that speaks for and represents the merchant community in Canada, has been at the forefront of this issue and looks forward to actively participating in this important inquiry and working with the Committee to determine the impact of the fees charged to Canadian merchants and consumers by credit card companies and banks issuing their cards. |
| > | Retail Council Of Canada Applauds Senator's Call For Investigation Of Credit And Debit Fees Toronto, January 30 – Retail Council of Canada (RCC) applauds Senator Pierrette Ringuette for introducing a motion in the Senate this week to allow the Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce to investigate and report on the Canadian credit and debit card system. RCC encourages all Senators to support this motion and looks forward to participating in the inquiry if it is allowed to move forward. |
| > | Federal Budget Offers A Measure Of Hope For Canadian Retailers Falls Short On Key Concern Toronto, January 28 – Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is encouraged by a number of economic stimulus measures announced by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in yesterday's federal budget and welcomed the government's plans in response to the global recession. |