What National Retail Federation does

The National Retail Federation (NRF), founded in 1911 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit trade association that serves as the industry's collective voice for retailers, suppliers, manufacturers, service providers, and trade organizations across the United States and, increasingly, global markets. Its core activities are organized around four pillars: advocacy before Congress, federal agencies, and courts; industry research including the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor (powered by Affinity Solutions' anonymized card data), the annual Top 50 Global Retailers ranking (produced with Kantar), and recurring consumer spending surveys (with Prosper Insights & Analytics); major industry events led by Retail's Big Show in New York City (41,000+ attendees, 6,500 brands, 1,025 exhibitors in 2026), plus NRF Nexus (Colorado Springs), NRF Protect (loss prevention), and international editions in Asia Pacific and Europe; and education and workforce development through the NRF Foundation and the Retailer Expert Network. NRF does not develop proprietary technology products but operates an AI-native omnichannel engagement platform (Insider One) across its event and web properties and convenes an AI Working Group to shape retail AI policy and practices. The membership has grown to over 16,500 companies, including the largest U.S. retailers such as Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Target, Home Depot, Best Buy, and CVS Health, supplemented by the 2023 acquisition and integration of the Reverse Logistics Association. The organization is member-funded through dues, event registration and sponsorship revenue, and research and content partnerships with organizations including IBM Institute for Business Value, CNBC, Hackett Associates, Georgetown McDonough, Comexposium Singapore, PwC, and dunnhumby ventures.

Name

National Retail Federation

Legal name

National Retail Federation, Inc.

Website

https://nrf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The National Retail Federation is a 1911-founded, Washington D.C.-based nonprofit trade association serving over 16,500 member companies across retail through advocacy, industry research, major events (including the 41,000-attendee Retail's Big Show), and workforce development via the NRF Foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

akta.pro primary industry

Shopper & Retail Insights (In-Store/Path-to-Purchase, Category Insights) (MPAAALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Retail trade association
• Industry advocacy services
• Retail market research
• Retail industry events
• Consumer spending forecasts

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NRF generates revenue through membership fees from retail companies, manufacturers, service providers, and suppliers across the retail ecosystem.
2. Event Registration and Sponsorship: Major revenue stream from hosting industry conferences including NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show (41,000 attendees), NRF Nexus (Colorado Springs), NRF APAC (Singapore), and NRF Europe (Paris). Sponsorship opportunities at events generate additional revenue.
3. Research and Publications: NRF publishes retail industry research, economic forecasts, and holiday spending data that serves members and the broader retail industry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Retail Federation is a member-funded retail trade association that delivers industry advocacy, research and economic forecasts, large-scale conferences, and consumer insight products to retail companies and their suppliers. Its core offerings center on collective policy representation before Congress and federal agencies, monthly and annual retail sales measurement (CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor), flagship and regional conferences (Retail's Big Show, Nexus, PROTECT, APAC, Europe), and seasonal consumer spending surveys produced with Prosper Insights & Analytics.

Product overview

The National Retail Federation operates as a trade association offering a portfolio of research products, industry events, advocacy services, and content platforms. Its core research products include the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor (a monthly retail sales tracking tool powered by Affinity Solutions), the annual Top 50 Global Retailers ranking (produced with Kantar), and seasonal consumer spending surveys covering holidays, back-to-school, and graduation. NRF hosts major industry events including NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show (the flagship annual conference in New York), NRF Nexus (for senior digital and technology leaders in Colorado Springs), NRF PROTECT (focused on loss prevention), and regional shows in Asia Pacific and Europe. The organization provides content through the Retail Gets Real Podcast and maintains resource centers for retail law, cybersecurity, sustainability, and loss prevention. NRF also operates an AI Working Group for policy engagement on artificial intelligence issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor: Monthly retail sales measurement powered by Affinity Solutions
• Center for Retail & Consumer Insights
• Retail Gets Real Podcast
• NRF Innovators Showcase
• Retail Voices

Products and services

• CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor A monthly measure of retail sales powered by Affinity Solutions using anonymized credit and debit card purchase data, providing real-time industry-standard retail sales insights for NRF members, media, and the broader retail industry.
• NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show NRF's flagship annual retail industry conference held in New York City, featuring 40,000+ attendees, 6,500 brands, and 1,025 exhibitors across 335,000+ square feet, with content focused on AI, retail technology, and industry trends.
• NRF Nexus Annual retail industry conference for senior digital, marketing, and technology leaders held at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, featuring AI-focused content, a CEO track, and a deep-dive developed with PwC.
• NRF PROTECT Annual conference focused on loss prevention, asset protection, and retail safety, addressing organized retail crime and security challenges facing the retail industry.
• NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show Asia Pacific NRF's Asia Pacific retail conference co-organized with Comexposium Singapore, held at Marina Bay Sands Expo in Singapore, attracting 13,000+ retail professionals from 80+ countries with 2,500+ retail brands.
• NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show Europe European retail conference held at Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris, addressing major challenges and opportunities facing the European retail market.
• Top 50 Global Retailers Ranking Annual ranking of the 50 most impactful international retailers, produced in partnership with Kantar, highlighting key trends including value retailing expansion, omnichannel investments, and retail media growth.
• Center for Retail & Consumer Insights Research hub providing data and analysis on consumer behavior, retail spending trends, holiday shopping patterns, and economic forecasts for the retail industry.
• NRF Back-to-School Consumer Trends Survey Annual survey conducted with Prosper Insights & Analytics tracking back-to-school and back-to-college shopping behavior, spending, and consumer trends.
• Retail Gets Real Podcast NRF's podcast featuring unfiltered conversations with retail industry leaders, covering topics including AI adoption, digital transformation, leadership, and consumer trends.

Quantifiable outcome

• Forecasted 2026 U.S. retail sales of $5.6 trillion representing 4.4% growth
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• dunnhumby venturescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 June 2026NRF partners with dunnhumby ventures for the Retail Innovation Forum Americas returning to Bentonville, Arkansas on September 10, 2026. The partnership includes the inaugural U.S. Ecosystem Startup of the Year Competition with entry into NRF Innovators Showcase at NRF 2027.
• Comexposium SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026NRF partners with Comexposium Singapore to co-organize NRF 2026: Retail's Big Show Asia Pacific, scheduled for June 2-4, 2026 at Marina Bay Sands Expo in Singapore. The event expects over 13,000 retail professionals from more than 80 countries and 2,500+ retail brands.
• IBM Institute for Business ValuecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2026NRF collaborates with IBM Institute for Business Value on global consumer research studies examining AI adoption in shopping. Studies surveyed over 18,000 consumers and 200 executives across 23 countries, finding that 45% of consumers now use AI during their buying journeys.
• KantarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRF partners with Kantar to produce the annual Top 50 Global Retailers ranking. The 2025 edition ranked companies by U.S. sales with Walmart retaining its position as the world's largest retailer.
• Affinity SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationNRF partners with Affinity Solutions to power the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, a monthly measure of retail sales using actual anonymized credit and debit card purchase data. The monitor provides real-time retail sales insights to the industry.
• Hackett AssociatescoreTechnology or IntegrationNRF partners with Hackett Associates on the Global Port Tracker report forecasting U.S. container import volumes. The report provides monthly projections on import cargo volumes at major U.S. ports, helping retailers plan supply chain operations.
• Georgetown University McDonough School of BusinessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRF partners with Georgetown University to advance the field of retail studies through research insights, innovation and impact. The Business of Retail Initiative at Georgetown provides academic research collaboration.
• Prosper Insights & AnalyticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRF partners with Prosper Insights & Analytics for annual consumer spending surveys including holiday shopping, back-to-school, back-to-college, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduation, and Fourth of July. Surveys reach 7,500-8,500+ U.S. consumers annually.
• CNBCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNRF partners with CNBC on the Retail Monitor providing monthly retail sales data. The CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor is released monthly providing industry-standard retail sales measurements.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA): RILA is the closest direct peer: a U.S. retail trade association representing large retailers, with overlapping advocacy on tariffs, supply chain, and payments. RILA has actually been a co-litigant with NRF (e.g., in the Visa/Mastercard interchange-fee opposition), illustrating the deeply overlapping mandate and member base.
• National Restaurant Association: A century-old trade association with a comparable membership, advocacy, research, and flagship event (the NRA Show) model to NRF. It serves an adjacent consumer-facing vertical (restaurants) with similar policy issues (labor, payments, organized crime), making it a tight operational analog.
• Consumer Brands Association: Formerly the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Consumer Brands Association represents CPG manufacturers that supply retailers—a natural counterpart to NRF's retailer constituency. It shares the trade association playbook (advocacy, research, events like the CBI Annual Conference) with NRF.
• International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC): ICSC is the global trade association for the retail real estate and shopping center industry, with a membership, advocacy, and large convention model (ICSC LAS VEGAS) directly analogous to NRF. It represents the landlord side of NRF's retail ecosystem.
• Consumer Technology Association (CTA): CTA operates CES, the world's largest consumer technology trade show, and runs a membership-based trade association model nearly identical to NRF's (dues, expo, research, advocacy). It is the clearest structural peer for NRF's event-plus-advocacy business model, though in a different vertical.

Broad incumbents

• American Bankers Association (ABA): ABA operates an association-plus-event model analogous to NRF (e.g., the ABA Annual Convention) and engages in similar federal advocacy on payments and regulatory issues. It serves a different vertical but represents another reference point for the U.S. trade association operating model.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The largest U.S. business trade association, operating an analogous advocacy, research, and membership model but across all industries rather than retail specifically. It provides a useful benchmark for NRF's scale and policy influence.
• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB): NAHB is a long-established trade association with a comparable dues/events/advocacy model (e.g., the International Builders' Show). It serves a different vertical but mirrors NRF's mix of policy influence and large-scale industry events.
• National Association of Realtors (NAR): NAR is one of the largest U.S. trade associations by membership and budget, with a similar advocacy/research/events model. While serving real estate rather than retail, NAR is a useful benchmark for the scale a major vertical trade association can reach and the operational complexity that comes with it.
• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): NAM represents U.S. manufacturers and operates a parallel advocacy, research, and member-services model. It is one tier larger and broader than NRF but functions structurally the same way, making it a useful broad-incumbent benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nrfnews
• Facebookfacebook.com/NationalRetailFederation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/23412

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Retail Federation