NCRMA (North Carolina Retail Merchants Association)

11/04/2026

What a week! Last Wednesday and Thursday, the NCRMA Board of Directors came together for the 2026 Fall Meeting to talk about where NCRMA is headed in 2027 and how we can best serve retailers in every corner of North Carolina. Thank you to everyone who attended and to New Bern for being a wonderful host.

Please join us in congratulating Mack McLamb of Carlie C’s, our new board chair. Mack has spent 57 years at Carlie C’s and has grown his family business through remarkable leadership. We’re glad to have his wisdom and insight.

We also want to thank Jose Luis of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont for his service as board chair from 2025 to 2026. Jose led with steady commitment to our members, and we’re grateful he will now serve as chair of the executive committee.

We were also proud to recognize this year’s award winners:

Macy’s, one of two Retailer of the Year awards given, for its investment in the China Grove distribution center and its partnership with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

Surf, Wind and Fire, our other Retailer of the Year this year, for Danny Batten’s dedication to building a community in downtown and creating space for neighbors to connect

Mack McLamb, the 2026 Luther T. Moore Excellence in Government Relations Award, for years of advocacy on behalf of North Carolina retailers

Congratulations to all, and here’s to a strong 2027!

Visit New Bern, North Carolina Macy's Surf, Wind, and Fire Carlie C's IGA Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont

10/27/2026

The movement to re-write the debit card swipe fee cap keeps its strong momentum. This is important because those fees are most retailers’ highest cost drivers after labor, driving up consumer prices by more than $1,200 a year for the average family.

This week, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals decided to uphold the lower court’s ruling that the Federal Reserve’s 2011 regulated rate for debit card “swipe” fees was set higher than intended by Congress.

According to a recent Nilson Report, debit card swipe fees cost merchants and their customers $40.5 billion in 2025. NCRMA urges the Federal Reserve to quickly proceed with rewriting the debit card fee structure in a manner that caps the maximum amount to accurately reflect the true cost of processing a debit card. During these difficult economic times, this will remove some financial pressure on retailers allowing them to not increase prices to consumers and pass along savings to make the consumer’s dollar go further.

10/15/2026

Get ahead of holiday shopping trends! Join this free webinar from the National Retail Federation on October 28.

Will shoppers spend more this ? What trends will shape their decisions? Get the latest insights into and consumer spending during NRF’s FREE 2026 Winter Holiday Outlook webinar. Register now: https://bit.ly/47apiUk

10/13/2026

For nearly 50 years, Brew Thru has been a beloved part of the Outer Banks experience. Now, owner Philip Foreman is taking that customer-first mindset to Raleigh, advocating for changes to North Carolina’s alcohol laws that would give customers more options.

Read how Foreman is championing small businesses, working with NCRMA, and driving the push to modernize the state’s laws.

🔗 Read the full story here: https://ncrma.org/driving-the-cause-forward-how-brew-thrus-philip-foreman-is-always-working-to-expand-customer-options-the-retailer-magazine-feature/

On a summer afternoon on the Outer Banks, the stream of cars easing through one of Brew Thru’s drive-thru buildings looks a lot like it has for the past 50 years.

10/08/2026

The North Carolina General Assembly conducted a one-day special session to take up one piece of legislation to address rising fuel costs. The House and Senate both passed House Bill 3 to suspend the excise fuel tax of $0.41 per gallon. The legislation was sent to Governor Stein for his signature, with a likelihood of the law being enacted before this week is over.

The NCRMA government relations team continues to keep a close watch so that no operational hurdles will challenge our members. We stand ready to help retailers comply and will alert them when the law goes into effect.

View the bill summary at this link: https://bit.ly/4B1yyrA

09/25/2026

Spooky season is upon us! That crisp autumn air means shoppers are well into the swing of things with making Halloween purchases.

According to the National Retail Federation's report, almost half of consumers begin picking out costumes, candy, and more in September or earlier. Don't get haunted by missing the window for All Hallows' Eve shoppers -- visit the NRF's website for more: https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-halloween-survey-shows-consumer-spending-expected-to-reach-13-5-billion

🎃 Halloween spending is expected to reach $13.5 billion this year, with consumers planning to spend an average of $115 on costumes, candy, decorations and more. https://bit.ly/4AsrGTx

09/22/2026

Steve Ashworth, owner of Ashworth's Clothing in Fuquay-Varina and member of the NCRMA Board of Directors, spoke at the Fuquay-Varina Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting today on the topic of "The Mayberry Effect."

A lifelong resident of the town and the owner of a family business that has a decades-long history there, Steve spoke to how familiarity with his neighbors is an important part of being a successful business owner in Fuquay-Varina.

"Small moments create trust, and trust is what turns a town into a home."

Here's to Steve's ongoing success and the retailers across North Carolina who create community bonds through their commitment to serving their neighbors.

Ashworth's Clothing

09/11/2026

On this day of remembrance, our team commemorates the tragedy of loss and also the marks of heroism that occurred 25 years ago today on September 11, 2001.

In the years since, we see even more importance in honoring the sacred memory of those who had their lives taken as well as those who gave their lives responding to the attacks.

Our resilience and ability to unite as citizens of the United States represent the best of who we are as a country, and on this Patriot Day, we join our members in taking a moment to reflect and carry forward with pride in our country.

08/14/2026

Trust in business owners to build and operate stores for their local neighborhoods!

Thanks to Tim Boyum for talking to NCRMA President Andy Ellen about issues with a proposed toll road operator-subsidized grocery store in Charlotte.

We're always glad to talk about the realities of being a retailer in our state and make sure North Carolinians have the facts about what it takes to run a business that's invested in its community.

Spectrum News 1 North Carolina

08/12/2026

We're proud to be partnering in this work to empower North Carolina's retailers and their customers against fraud!

Through our members' diligence and with these tools from the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, they help keep shoppers informed of schemes that fraudulently mimic the state court system and could harm the customers they serve.

Find resources on the Justice for All | Access for You campaign page here: https://www.nccourts.gov/about/justice-for-all-access-for-you

The North Carolina Judicial Branch and North Carolina Retail Merchants Association are teaming up to help consumers identify fraudulent court-payment demands and avoid sending funds to scammers. Read more about the awareness campaign and available fraud-prevention materials here: https://buff.ly/Ak88iJ9