DALLAS MARKET CENTER LAUNCHES ANTI-TARIFF INITIATIVE

Dallas Market Center, the Texas-based wholesale marketplace and home to trade events supporting U.S. small businesses, including the Dallas Men’s Show, announced a new initiative to support Main Street retailers: “Stand With Main Street. Turn Off Tariffs.”

The campaign’s core message is to advocate for a 90-day pause on all tariffs between the United States and China, allowing for the free flow of goods critical to the upcoming holiday selling season for independent retailers.

Tariffs have placed an immediate and significant burden on Main Street retailers, representing a vital share of the 4.6 million retail businesses in the U.S., not to mention the companies that supply them with goods. With the holiday season fast approaching, which represents nearly $994 billion in retail sales, the impact is growing more severe by the day. If goods are not in transit within the next few weeks, economic consequences will be dire for the 55 million American jobs supported by retail.

Cindy Morris, president and CEO of Dallas Market Center, said, “Now is the time for grassroots action. It has become clear to our family-owned business that there is a small window of time to support Main Street retailers preparing for their holiday selling season and the companies providing their merchandise. While the dynamics are different for each type of retail business, we must unite around hundreds of thousands of store owners who depend upon Q4 commerce.”

A petition has been launched with the campaign, which aims to unify support across all retailers, manufacturers, and their sales representatives, service providers, and other retail stakeholders. The petition is available via the front page of the Dallas Market Center website and social media channels.

In addition to the petition, Dallas Market Center is creating new initiatives to connect customers, unify voices, and share information to support independent retailers. That includes the following:

• Coordination with the National Retail Federation (NRF), including hosting an in-person, morning forum on Tuesday, June 17, featuring Jonathan Gold, Vice President of Supply Chain and Customs Policy, to present insights and join leading manufacturers to discuss the path forward.
• An online retailer roundtable featuring several of the most successful independent retailers in the U.S. discusses how they adapt their business for 2025.
• Special in-person seminar programming for the upcoming summer markets addressing business uncertainty.
• Participation and advocacy via key trade organizations hard at work to fight tariffs.
• Coordination of the Dallas Market Center Retail Development team to speak directly with hundreds of retailers over the coming weeks regarding questions and concerns.
• A dedicated email newsletter for tariffs and trade news, as well as retail support.
• To make plans for upcoming markets, visit the Dallas Market Center website and download the Dallas Market Center and Lightovation Apps. Also, keep up-to-date on all information by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Instagram, and the DMC Blog.