The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) strives to protect and advance retail industry interests by providing services and conducting programs in government affairs, information technology, education, training, and research. NRF members represent leading merchandise, independent, specialty, discount, and mass-merchandise stores; key suppliers to the retail industry; and more than a hundred trade organizations across the globe. NRF's interactive boards and committees, comprised of industry experts in their areas of specialization, are designed to represent and reflect industry's diversity and breadth. These boards and committees formulate and implement policies, standards, guidelines, and strategies that are consistent with retail industry objectives.
The NRF believes lobbying is a "necessary tool to ensure that [NRF] interests and…way of doing business is preserved" (Mullin, 1999). Fortune magazine, one of the premier publications in the business world, ranked the NRF among the top thirty lobbying organizations in the nation. Additionally, to assist members financially, NRF's member discount program pools the membership's buying power to negotiate reductions on a variety of services and products.
NRF's information technology component serves as the retail industry's information technology headquarters. NRF's groups (the Information Technology Council and various committees) help configure the retail technology environment. They analyze existing and upcoming technologies, as well as potential regulatory and legislative initiatives, and educate private and government entities about retail technology concerns and needs.
Further, through the NRF's various publications (STORES Magazine, Management of Retail Buying, Small Store Survival, Combined Financial, Merchandising and Operating Results of Retail Stores in 1997, and many others), valuable information, which can be transformed into best practices, is disseminated. For example, the NRF developed standard color and size codes (used to implement Universal Product Codes) and published them in its Standard Color and Size Code Handbook.
More information is available from the NRF at 325 7th St., NW, Suite 100, Washington, D.C. 20004; (202) 783-7971 or (800) NRF-HOW2; or http://www.nrf.com.
Mullin. T. Archived at: http://www.nrf.com/dir/presletter/. 1999.
National Retail Foundation (NRF). Archived at: http://www.nrf.com/dir/standing/. 1999.
NRF. "Information Technology: The Headquarters of Technology Across the Retail Industry." Archived at: http://www.nrf.com/hot/it/. 1999.
NRF. "Member Discount Program." Archived at: http://www.nrf.com/services/group/. 1999.
NRF. "Mission Statement." Archived at: http://www.nrf.com/about/. 1999.
NRF. "Publications." Archived at: http://www.nrf.com/pubs/. 1999.