Displaying items tagged: Michigan Retailers Association

​​In what is typically a slow month for retailers, a significant number of merchants saw a decrease in sales to start the year.

People in the News: A roundup of new hires, promotions and awards in West Michigan.

Competing proposals from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Republicans who control the Legislature put tax cuts on the election-year agenda in Lansing.

Retailers had better sales in November compared to the same period in recent years, a statewide trade group reported Wednesday. 

Retailers across the state reported a small increase in sales in August over July.

Michigan retailers are approaching the holiday shopping season with optimism and expectations for higher online sales, despite reporting lower sales for last month and new state restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly half of Michigan retailers optimistically expect higher sales in the coming holiday shopping season.

Employers could buy pandemic-related personal protection equipment without having to pay state sales or use taxes under proposed statewide legislation.

Retailers recorded further improvement in sales for July, as Michigan’s economy rebounds from the deep spring decline resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and state stay-at-home orders.

More than half of Michigan retailers had higher sales in June from the prior month and expect about the same sales volume through the summer and into fall, according to a recent survey.

As the state mandates face coverings for indoor public places and large outdoor gatherings, a coalition of health care organizations in Michigan urges residents to raise “their vigilance against COVID-19,” maintain distance from one another and to wear a mask.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer today issued an executive order requiring people to wear masks starting next week when they are in indoor public places and crowded outdoor spaces to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and the growing number of COVID-19 cases.

Michigan retail sales remained in the “tank” during May as many stores remained closed, although a monthly survey and activity index suggest a rebound this summer after reopening.

Providing different ways to shop and making customers feel as safe as possible remains the focus for retailers as they gradually work to reopen their stores. 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order today that moves Michigan into the next phase of a pandemic reopening plan and rescinds a statewide stay-home order in place since March 23.

As the owner of longtime downtown Grand Haven retailer Down To Earth, Sholeh Veiseh has turned to hosting virtual fashion shows and offering sales on social media to bring in some revenue during the coronavirus closure.

Michigan has hit the “preliminary stage of economic re-engagement,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said today after modifying and extending the state’s stay-at-home order through May 15.

Nearly nine in 10 Michigan retailers say their sales declined in March, and about three-quarters expect further decreases over the next three months.

Retailers in Michigan had at one time expected higher sales through the spring, although the public health crisis that led to the state’s stay-home order this week now has them in uncharted territory.

Michigan retailers reported a strong start to 2020.

The latest attempt to expand Michigan’s successful bottle deposit law comes as communities across the state struggle to maintain recycling programs amid overseas economic pressures.

Online retail websites now have to collect and pay state sales taxes on consumer purchases in Michigan. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday signed legislation requiring sales tax collections by online platforms such as Amazon and eBay. The laws fix a loophole that allowed organizations to forgo tax collection on transactions by sellers who use a third party’s platform.

Legislation to expand Michigan’s 43-year-old bottle deposit law and increase recycling amid growing use of single-use plastics was met with opposition by a statewide group representing retailers and grocery stores who said the bills would do little to improve “Michigan’s dismal recycling rate.”

Here is the growth report for December 7, 2019.

Michigan retailers report they had sluggish sales last month, the result of a slowing economy and other factors such as the six-week strike against General Motors.

Michigan retailers recorded a small improvement in business during July, as warm weather drew shoppers into stores and consumers began shopping for the new school year.

Michigan retailers reported a dip in sales during June, although they remain optimistic that business will pick up over the next few months, according to a monthly index released last week.

A new sentiment survey finds business owners still feel good about present conditions, despite outlooks for slower economic growth and ongoing worries about talent and health care costs.

Shoppers often visit Great Northern Trading Co. to look around and ask about products. Many visitors to the Rockford-based home decor and gift store also pull out their smartphones to compare prices with online retailers. 

PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP — West Michigan’s retail sector continues to attract investment from outside the state amid an active real estate market.