NEW HAMPSHIRE RETAIL ASSOCIATION

What NEW HAMPSHIRE RETAIL ASSOCIATION does

The New Hampshire Retail Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1966 and headquartered at 72 North Main Street, Suite 206, Concord, NH. It represents over 700 retail member businesses across New Hampshire, ranging from small independent single-location retailers to multi-state operators, and is governed by a board of up to 15 members that includes directors from Amazon, Best Buy, CVS Health, Lowe's, The Home Depot, and Walgreens alongside independents. Its core function is legislative advocacy at the New Hampshire State House, delivered through a dedicated lobbying firm (Demers, Prasol & Thomas Inc.), the NHRetail Political Action Committee, and weekly legislative updates to members.

The association operates a portfolio model of monetized member benefits rather than a single product. Core offerings include the self-funded Workers' Compensation Trust (440+ enrolled businesses, $2.7M in annual premiums, $2.5M in cumulative dividends since 2004), the Alliance of State Retail Associations 401(k) Plan and Trust operated with Transamerica (the first multi-employer 401(k) available through a New Hampshire association, with 3(16) and 3(38) fiduciary services), credit card processing through Retail Council Services Corp., payroll processing through Checkmate Workforce Solutions, class-action settlement claims through DCap Claims, and real estate tax abatement assistance through Allobar Strategies. Membership operations run on Glue Up, a cloud-based association management platform for member directory, event registration, and newsletter subscription.

Revenue is generated through annual membership dues on a seven-tier scale tied to member gross annual sales ($175 to $2,600), supplemented by ticketed event income (Annual Summit, Eastern States Conference, Annual Meeting & Legislator/Member Luncheon, The Retail Cup, Exchange Webinar Series) and corporate sponsorships. Distribution combines a self-serve SMB online enrollment motion with direct outreach from the President & CEO to retailers above $7M in gross sales for custom membership pricing. The five-person staff (President & CEO, Membership & Retail Director, Events Director, Marketing & Events Coordinator, and Primary Lobbyist) simultaneously manages the Retail Association of Maine, Maine Grocers & Food Producers Association, Maine Pharmacy Association, and adjacent pharmacist associations, indicating a shared-services model across state lines.

Name

NEW HAMPSHIRE RETAIL ASSOCIATION

Legal name

New Hampshire Retail Association

Website

https://retailnh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The New Hampshire Retail Association is a 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1966 that advocates for over 700 New Hampshire retail businesses through State House lobbying, group workers' compensation and 401(k) programs, and member benefits delivered via vendor partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Retail Trade (44-45)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Department Store Groups / Holding Companies (CRAGAFAG)

Keywords

• Retail trade association
• Legislative advocacy
• Workers compensation trust
• Member benefits programs
• Retail industry networking

Headquarters

HQ city

Concord

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues based on annual gross sales volume, ranging from $175 to $2,600 per year across seven tiers. For retailers with more than $7M in annual gross sales, custom pricing is available through direct negotiation with the President & CEO.
2. Event Income: Revenue from ticketed events including Annual Summit, Annual Meeting & Legislator/Member Luncheon, The Retail Cup golf event, Exchange Webinar Series, and Eastern States Conference registration fees.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships supporting association events and programs, contributing to overall organizational revenue alongside membership dues and event income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The New Hampshire Retail Association is a statewide, not-for-profit trade organization founded in 1966 that represents over 700 retail businesses in New Hampshire. It delivers membership-based services including legislative advocacy at the State House, a self-funded Workers' Compensation Trust, a multi-employer 401(k) retirement plan, negotiated vendor discounts (credit card processing, payroll, tax abatement), networking events, and industry awards.

Product overview

The New Hampshire Retail Association is a statewide, not-for-profit trade organization representing over 700 retail businesses. Rather than offering a single unified product, the association provides a portfolio of member benefits including: Workers' Compensation Trust (self-funded insurance), Alliance of State Retail Associations 401(k) Plan and Trust (multi-employer retirement), Credit Card Processing (via RCSC partnership), Payroll Processing (via Checkmate Workforce Solutions), Class Action Settlement Claims (via DCap Claims), Real Estate Tax Abatement Assistance (via Allobar Strategies), Legislative Advocacy (via Demers, Prasol & Thomas), NHRetail Political Action Committee, Exclusive Legal Research, and various events including Annual Summit, Exchange Webinar Series, Annual Meeting, and Eastern States Conference. These benefits function as member services and programs rather than a technology product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workers' Compensation Trust A self-funded workers' compensation insurance program for retailers, grocers, restaurants, hotels, and golf clubs, offering money-saving rates, loss control services, and potential dividend payments back to participants.
• Alliance of State Retail Associations 401(k) Plan and Trust

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.5 million in dividends distributed back to Workers' Compensation Trust participants since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Demers, Prasol & Thomas Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDemers, Prasol & Thomas Inc. is one of New Hampshire's leading government affairs firms, serving as the link between state legislators in Concord and the retailers represented by the NH Retail Association. The firm provides dedicated lobbying services, monitoring, researching, and testifying on behalf of members at the State House. Tom Prasol, Managing Director at the firm, serves as the association's Primary Lobbyist.
• Checkmate Workforce SolutionscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCheckmate Workforce Solutions is a cloud-based Human Capital Management provider serving over 600 employers throughout New England. They offer comprehensive Payroll/Payroll Tax Filing, HRIS, Time and Labor Management, and ACA reporting/filing services. They extend special discounts on service costs to NH Retail Association members and provide Pay-As-You-Go Flexible Payments through the Workers' Compensation Trust program.
• TransamericacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTransamerica partners with the NH Retail Association to offer the Alliance of State Retail Associations 401(k) Plan and Trust - the first multi-employer 401(k) plan available through an association in New Hampshire. The program includes 3(16) administrative services and 3(38) investment oversight to reduce fiduciary liability.
• DCap ClaimsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDCap Claims provides comprehensive third-party filing services for business-to-business settlement claims, including Visa and Mastercard interchange fee settlements. They have assisted NH Retail Association members and merchants who accepted Visa and/or MasterCard-branded cards from January 1, 2004 to January 25, 2019 to file claims. Previous settlements include Commercial Beef, Commercial Pork, and Auto Dealer Management Systems.
• Retail Council Services Corp. (RCSC)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerRCSC is partnered with NH Retail Association to provide comprehensive payment solutions including point-of-sale software, e-commerce solutions, mobile apps, virtual terminals, web-hosted payments, traditional terminals, surcharging, ACH payments, and ATMs. Members receive preferential pricing and can contact RCSC for a free demo.
• Allobar Strategies Property Tax ConsultantsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAllobar Strategies helps NH Retail Association members save money on real estate taxes. For commercial properties, they assess eligibility for abatement, handle paperwork, negotiate with municipalities, and represent members before the Board of Tax and Land Appeals. Members receive a $50 discount on administrative fees ($250 to $200) and a 20% discount on residential municipal application fees.
• Retail Association of MainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for joint event hosting. The NH Retail Association collaborates with the Retail Association of Maine and Maine Grocers & Food Producers Association for the Annual Summit, first held in 2023. In 2024, the event was hosted at L.L. Bean's new corporate headquarters in Freeport, Maine. Curtis Picard serves dually as President & CEO of both associations.
• Maine Grocers & Food Producers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNH Retail Association collaborates with the Maine Grocers & Food Producers Association for the Annual Summit event. Curtis Picard's team provides association management services to this organization as well.
• Business & Industry Association (BIA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNH Retail Association partners with the Business & Industry Association to provide additional valuable networking opportunities with legislators, key policymakers, and industry leaders. This collaboration creates a strong, unified voice that advocates for retail sector interests.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ohio Council of Retail Merchants: State retail trade association in Ohio focused on legislative advocacy and member services for retailers. Comparable model and member profile to NHRA in a Midwestern jurisdiction.
• Pennsylvania Retail Association: State retail trade association representing Pennsylvania retailers, operating a similar advocacy-plus-affinity-benefits model with tiered membership dues. Comparable structure as a peer state association outside New England.
• Vermont Chamber of Commerce: Vermont's statewide business association where NHRA's CEO Curtis Picard previously served as VP of Business Development. Broadly covers retail alongside other sectors in a neighboring state.
• Retail Association of Maine: State retail trade association serving Maine retailers, co-hosting the Annual Summit with NHRA and sharing the same President & CEO (Curtis Picard). Operationally and structurally the closest analog to NHRA.
• Connecticut Retail Merchants Association: Connecticut state retail trade association providing legislative advocacy and member services to retailers in a neighboring state. Comparable model and member profile to NHRA.
• Retail Council of New York State (RCNY): Large state retail trade association whose subsidiary RCSC provides NHRA's credit card processing benefit. Operates an analogous advocacy-plus-affinity-benefits model for New York retailers.
• Maine Grocers & Food Producers Association: Grocery and food producer trade association in Maine under the same shared management as NHRA; partners on the Annual Summit. Effectively a parallel association model focused on a different vertical within retail.
• Massachusetts Retail Association: State-level retail trade association serving Massachusetts retailers with advocacy, education, and member benefits. Closest regional peer with similar scope and footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Florida Retail Federation: Large state retail trade association; member of the Council of State Retail Associations alongside NHRA. Represents a much larger geographic footprint but operates the same fundamental model of state-level retail advocacy and member benefits.
• National Retail Federation: The national umbrella trade association for the U.S. retail industry; NHRA is an affiliate member and Picard sits on the Council of State Retail Associations. Provides national policy, research, and the RISE Up credentialing program that NHRA distributes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NHRetail
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-hampshire-retail-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/retail_nh

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 NEW HAMPSHIRE RETAIL ASSOCIATION