Sacramento, CA – May 7, 2020 – California Retailers Association President Rachel Michelin issued the following statement in response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s Phase Two guidelines for reopening the state’s economy:

“CRA appreciates that Governor Gavin Newsom and his team realize the importance retail has for the state and local economies.

“I hope that with curbside service starting tomorrow, we can show the Governor, local government leaders and public health officials that the retail industry is taking the protection of our consumers and employees seriously. CRA has developed a number of best practices that we are willing to share with any retailers- large and small- to protect from the spread of COVID-19 so we can soon see more businesses able to open their doors and have customers come into their stores.

“CRA will continue to work with the Governor’s Office and local governments up and down the state of California to provide local leaders with our best practices to include in their plans for opening retail in their local communities. It is imperative that we get business back up and running for retailers of all sizes and, in particular, smaller retailers that are part of the fabric of our communities and the backbone of the retail industry in California.”

###

The California Retailers Association is the only statewide trade association representing all segments of the retail industry including general merchandise, department stores, on-line marketplaces, mass merchandisers, restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets and grocery stores, chain drug, and specialty retail such as auto, vision, jewelry, hardware and home stores. CRA works on behalf of California’s retail industry, which currently operates over 418,840 retail establishments with a gross domestic product of $330 billion annually and employs 3,211,805 people—one fourth of California’s total employment. The state of California collects $48.5 billion in revenue from retail sales and use taxes, representing more than 25% of the state revenue. For more information, go to www.calretailers.com.