Retailers Proud of Efforts to Enhance Welcoming Retail Environment For All Customers
Retail Council of Canada (RCC) was proud to join today with leaders in the African Nova Scotian community and the CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission to laud the continual efforts undertaken by retailers to enhance the welcoming nature of the Nova Scotia retail environment for all customers.
“The retail sector is one of the most competitive industries in the Canadian economy,” said Jim Cormier, Atlantic Director for the Retail Council of Canada. “RCC members make extraordinary efforts to create a hospitable retail environment where all customers can feel comfortable and enjoy their retail experience. For retail managers, communicating company values and practices to both front line retail staff and third party security providers can be challenging due to employee turnover. As a result, retailers are vigilant in ensuring that when they are contracting security firms or hiring, training and developing retail employees, they do so in a manner that enhances this positive retail customer experience,” noted Cormier.
Given the commitment of RCC members to welcome all customers, the Nova Scotia retail sector was deeply concerned by complaints of consumer racial profiling against retail businesses in the province. On behalf of Nova Scotia retailers, RCC reached out to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission (NSHRC) to discuss ways in which the two organizations could work together and enhance the customer experience. The NSHRC responded proactively by consulting RCC on the development of its consumer racial profiling training course and publicity materials.
“Retailers appreciate the steps taken by the NSHRC to work collaboratively with RCC in developing the online training course dealing with consumer racial profiling,” emphasized Cormier. “Although most retailers already have robust training programs in place, retailers welcome this NSHRC initiative. RCC is confident that the online course will provide yet another educational opportunity for retail employees and third party service providers to better understand the shopping experience for Nova Scotians from all different backgrounds. Retailers value their customers and thus they will continue to lead and collaborate with stakeholders like the NSHRC to enhance the retail experience for everyone in the retail environment,” concluded Cormier.
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Retail is Canada’s largest employer with over 2 million Canadians working in our industry. In 2015, the sector generated payroll over $59 billion and $340 billion in sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline). Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members’ represent more than two-thirds of retail sales in the country. RCC is a not-for-profit industry-funded association and represents small, medium and large retail business in every community across the country. As the Voice of Retail in Canada, we proudly represent more than 45,000 storefronts in all retail formats, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers and online merchants.
