About FIRAE

Mission

The Forum for International Retail Association Executives (FIRAE) promotes the exchange of information among national retail trade associations around the world and endeavors to identify opportunities for cooperation in areas of common interest.

FIRAE History

In 1990, when the National Retail Merchants Association and the American Retail Federation merged to become the National Retail Federation, NRF began to convene informal, annual gatherings of a few international retail association leaders. The purpose of these meetings was two fold: to learn about other associations’ operations and practices that could provide mutual benefit and, more importantly, to serve as a focal point for information sharing on policy matters and issues across the global retail association community. In these early years, there were no more than 6 participants; however, by 1997, with interest and participation growing, NRF formalized the group under the International Retail Forum (IRF) name. Aggressive membership outreach began thereafter.

During the early 1990s, NRF’s CEO served as de facto chairman and solicited input for agenda topics from the group at large, with NRF serving as the group’s secretariat. As membership grew and became more diverse, it became clear that a new governance structure would be needed to encourage broader involvement and shared leadership.

In order to better reflect the organization itself, the IRF was renamed the Forum for International Retail Association Executives (FIRAE) in 2003, and NRF continued its role as the organization’s secretariat. Later that year FIRAE members elected their first chairman, as they continue to do today.

Since that time, the group has grown to include 25 member associations, promoting information exchange on behalf of retailers in more than 50 countries around the world. FIRAE meets annually in conjunction with the NRF Annual Convention each January in New York City. An additional meeting is scheduled mid-year, as the agenda warrants, in other cities around the world.

FIRAE Today

With growth in the breadth and diversity of the membership, the issues that are the focus of FIRAE interest and attention have also evolved. From child labor laws to human rights, from privacy to credit/debit card interchange, from international trade to global economics and international terrorism, there is no limit to the concerns shared by the international retail association community. And FIRAE has proven to be an appropriate forum to discuss these and many other issues. Of equal importance, many powerful and beneficial relationships have been created between and among FIRAE members. FIRAE is committed to continuing to promote a better understanding of the global retail industry, of the issues that affect the industry and of the diverse cultures the retail industry serves.

 

2009 - 2011 FIRAE Officers

Chairman:           Ms. Diane J. Brisebois, President and CEO - Retail Council of Canada

Vice Chairman:  Mr. Thomas Eulau, Stockholm Region Director - Swedish Trade Federation

Secretary:           Mr. Steven E. Glover, Director, Member Relations - National Retail Federation