We need you to raise your voice in support of the restaurants, hotels, shops, and entertainment that you love by helping us to advocate for Retail Relief 2020. Right now, to make our community safer, these retailers have agreed to close their businesses. We need to all work together to make sure they can reopen them when this crisis is over.
VRF proactively represents and supports the legislative interests of Virginia retailers on the local, State, and Federal levels.
RETAIL RELIEF 2020
The Virginia Retail Federation working with Retail Merchants Association and Retail Alliance to band together to propose legislative initiatives and government relief packages that are vital to keeping this important sector intact.
ACTION CENTER
Take Action and Make an Impact
CONTACT VIRGINIA GOVERNOR
Contact the Governor immediately and demand that action is taken NOW to help save Retail in Virginia.
We need relief from state tax payments for a minimum of 6 months, expand the VEC to align with the Federal Stimulus program relating to a new Employment Compensation stimulus, unemployment rates for business remain at the level they were prior to COVID-19, a delay in remitting sales tax payments to the limit of the law, pause on all the burdensome legislation that was passed in the 2020 Session.
CONTACT SENATORS
We need everyone to contact their senators now! Tell them to put aside their differences and pass a bill that defends the economic health of the retail workforce and provides the maximum amount of liquidity for retailers to remain viable until the end of the crisis.
NOW OPEN: SBA Paycheck Protection Program Applications
As of Friday, April 3, the Small Business Administration has opened up the Paycheck Protection Program loan applications. The application can be downloaded here.
A few things to note:
- Please be patient with banks as they only just received guidance on processing the loans late Thursday night.
- The biggest change is that 1099 wages are now excluded from calculations.
- For additional guidance in understanding the Paycheck Protection Program vs the Economic Injury Disaster Loan, click here.
Additional Resource
The Retail Merchants hosted a webinar on "Leading Through a Crisis" with Village Bank on Wednesday, April 1, and the full webinar can be watched here.
Recent News
- NOW OPEN: SBA Paycheck Protection Program Applications
- Paycheck Protection Program Loan: LIVE April 3
- PPP Loan - vs - Economic Injury Disaster Loan
- Paycheck Protection Program Loan: Guide & Checklist
- CARES Act: The Small Business Owner’s Guide
- Governor Northam Issues Stay at Home Order Via Executive Order 55
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act
- Summary of CARES Act as Passed the US Senate
- FAQ page on Executive Order 53
- Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan
Virginia Retail by the Numbers
| 1,057,777 Jobs Supported by Retail | 87,997 Retail Establishments | $63.5 (b) Total GDP Impact |
767,243 Direct Retail Employment | $20,545 (m) Direct Labor Income | $30,927 (m) Direct Impact on GDP |
source: National Retail Federation
