Utah Retail Merchants Association

What Utah Retail Merchants Association does

The Utah Retail Merchants Association (URMA / UMRA) is a private, membership-based state trade association founded on August 23, 1955, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and currently headquartered at 4286 South Main Street in Murray, Utah. It serves Utah-based retailers across verticals including mass merchants, department stores, electronics retailers, pharmacies, grocery, home improvement, home furnishings, auto parts, bookstores, and restaurants, providing them with a unified voice before state and local government bodies. URMA is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Karin Holt (Best Buy) with Vice Chair Opio Dupree (Macy's), and member representation spans Best Buy, Macy's, Target, Home Depot, Walgreens, Amazon, The King's English Bookshop, Walmart, Macey's Inc., and R.C. Willey Company, among others. Dave Davis has served as President and Chief Legal Officer since 2010, succeeding James V. Olsen.

URMA generates revenue primarily through tiered annual membership dues calculated on total employee count (full-time and part-time staff in Utah), ranging from a flat $400 for 1-10 employees up to a $20,000 cap for employers with more than 1,000 employees. Beyond dues, URMA operates three core service lines: Government Relations (weekly legislative committee meetings, lobbying, and legislative tracking); Health Insurance Services through a strategic partnership with SelectHealth offering an Association Health Plan that gives 2-100 employee members access to large-employer plan benefits, plus dental, vision, life, disability, workers compensation, individual, and Medicare products brokered by Director Craig Cheney; and a Training Center delivered through a partnership with the Utah Food Industry Association providing state-certified Off-Premise Alcohol, Food Handler, and Food Safety Manager training.

The technology stack is standard association management software and communication tools with no proprietary technology, AI capabilities, or digital product lines disclosed. The organization runs a lean staff of approximately five people (President/General Counsel, Director of Insurance Services, Government Relations lobbyist, Executive Assistant/Accounting, and Coupon Manager/Events) and relies on direct member outreach, its website (utahretail.com), email legislative updates, weekly Government Relations Committee meetings during Utah legislative sessions, and phone-based member recruitment as its primary go-to-market and engagement channels.

Name

Utah Retail Merchants Association

Legal name

Utah Retail Merchants Association

Website

https://utahretail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Utah Retail Merchants Association is a Utah state trade association founded in 1955 that provides retail merchants with legislative advocacy, state-certified compliance training, and group health insurance brokerage through a SelectHealth partnership, funded by tiered employee-count-based membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Murray

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues calculated based on total number of employees (both full-time and part-time staff working in Utah). Tiered pricing structure with base fee plus per-employee charges that scale down as company size increases. Maximum annual dues capped at $20,000 per company.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

URMA is a Utah state-level trade association that unites retail merchants for collective representation before state and local governments. It sells annual memberships and bundles in three core member services: government relations and lobbying on retail legislation and regulation, a group insurance program headlined by an Association Health Plan (AHP) developed in partnership with SelectHealth, and access to state-certified compliance training (alcohol sales, food handler, food safety manager) delivered through the Utah Food Industry Association's online training center.

Product overview

Utah Retail Merchants Association (URMA) operates as a trade association providing a portfolio of member services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include: Government Relations Services for legislative representation, Health Insurance Services featuring an Association Health Plan (AHP) in partnership with SelectHealth, and a Training Center providing state-certified programs for food safety, alcohol sales, and food handler certification. Membership is available to Utah retailers with dues calculated based on employee count. These services work together to advance and serve members' common business interests and support the retail industry in Utah.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• URMA Membership Annual trade association membership for Utah retail businesses; provides collective representation in regulatory and legislative issues, access to training programs, health insurance benefits, and government relations support. Dues are calculated on Utah employee count.
• Government Relations Services Advocacy and lobbying representation for retail industry members before Utah state and local government entities, including legislative tracking, weekly Government Relations Committee meetings during legislative sessions, and lobbying support for retail policy matters.
• Association Health Plan (AHP) An association health plan developed in partnership with SelectHealth that allows member employers with 2-100 enrolled employees to access large employer health plan benefits typically unavailable to smaller businesses, including group health, dental, and life insurance plans with competitive rates.
• Group Insurance Services Comprehensive insurance brokerage services offering group health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, individual plans, Medicare products, workers compensation coverage, and competitive bidding across Utah health insurance providers for member employers.
• URMA Training Center A custom training center providing members with access to state-certified training programs essential for day-to-day retail operations, including alcohol sales, food handling, and food safety manager certification, delivered online through the Utah Food Industry Association's platform.
• State Certified Off-Premise Alcohol Training Online training program required by Utah law for grocery or convenience store employees involved in alcohol sales, offered through UFIA with association discount pricing.
• Certified Food Handler Training State-certified online food handling program required by Utah law for grocery or convenience store employees preparing and handling food, with association discount pricing.
• Certified Food Safety Manager Training Training program that prepares managers to implement food safety practices, maintain hygienic foodservice operations, oversee hourly food workers, and prepares candidates for nationally-accredited Certified Food Protection Manager Exams.

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SelectHealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerURMA has partnered with SelectHealth to offer an Association Health Plan (AHP) for member employers. This partnership allows member companies with 2-100 enrolled employees to access benefits of a large employer health plan that would typically require much larger workforces to qualify. The AHP provides competitive group health insurance rates through collective purchasing power.
• Utah Food Industry Association (UFIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerURMA's Training Center provides members access to UFIA's certified training programs including State Certified Off-Premise Alcohol Training, Certified Food Handler Training, and Certified Food Safety Manager Training. All programs are certified by Utah state regulators and meet statutory requirements. Members receive association discount pricing on these programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• California Retailers Association: State-level retail trade association representing retailers before the California legislature. Closely comparable to URMA in mission, advocacy focus, and tiered membership structure, though it operates in a larger and more politically complex state.
• Texas Retailers Association: Texas state retail trade association offering legislative advocacy, networking, and member services to retailers. Comparable to URMA in membership model and focus on representing the retail industry before state government.
• Arizona Retail Association: State retail trade association serving Arizona retailers through advocacy, education, and member benefits. Closely comparable to URMA in scope and services, with operation in a nearby regional market.
• Retail Council of New York State: Statewide trade association advocating for New York retailers before state and local government. Directly comparable to URMA in structure, advocacy-driven model, and tiered membership.
• Florida Retail Federation: Statewide trade association serving Florida retailers through government relations, events, and member services. Directly comparable to URMA in scope, services, and advocacy-driven value proposition, with no overlapping geographic footprint.
• Arkansas Retail Merchants Association: State-level retail trade association in Arkansas with a similar name and member-services focus, including government relations and group benefits. Closely comparable to URMA in mission and offerings, though in a smaller state market.
• Retail Association of Massachusetts: State trade association representing Massachusetts retailers with advocacy, education, and member services. Directly comparable to URMA in organizational structure and value proposition, though operating in a different regulatory environment.

Others

• SelectHealth: Intermountain Health-affiliated health insurer that partners with URMA to offer the Association Health Plan. Relevant as the strategic partner whose product is central to URMA's SMB value proposition and member retention.
• Utah Food Industry Association: Utah food industry trade association that partners with URMA to deliver state-certified training programs. Comparable to URMA as a Utah-based industry association, and directly tied to URMA's training revenue line.

Broad incumbents

• National Retail Federation: National umbrella trade association for the U.S. retail industry. Comparable to URMA because it operates the same advocacy, research, and membership model for retailers, but at a national scale with a broader portfolio. URMA members are implicitly aligned with NRF's federal-level work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UtahRetail
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/utah-retail-merchants-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Utah Retail Merchants Association