NCRMA Response to Statewide Stay at Home Order

RALEIGH, NC – The North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA) issued the following statement from Andy Ellen, president and general counsel, regarding the issuance of the statewide stay at home order by Governor Roy Cooper.

“The main concern for all retailers continues to be the health and safety of their employees and their customers.

We understand issuing a statewide stay-at-home order was a difficult decision while trying to balance the need to protect public health and ensure that businesses employing our citizens are not closed down. NCRMA’s members throughout North Carolina are doing their very best to serve their valued customers by providing the essential goods they need in a safe manner but many worry whether their business can survive until the coronavirus subsides. We appreciate the thoughtful dialogue and deliberation by Governor Cooper, his Cabinet and his staff and for the ability to have input as North Carolina deals with the coronavirus.

Over the past week, nearly twenty local stay-at-home orders have been issued. The wide array of orders has made it extremely difficult for businesses to adapt to an ever-changing patchwork of rules and regulations.  This statewide stay-at-home order issued today eliminates the need for additional stay at home orders from local governments. It is also our hope that those local governments that have enacted their own stay-at-home orders would take the reasonable and responsible step of rescinding their local orders and allow the statewide order to consistently cover all of North Carolina.”

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About the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association

The North Carolina Retail Merchants Association (NCRMA) is a nonprofit trade association organized in 1902 to improve the business climate for retailers in North Carolina. Over 100 years later, NCRMA remains the voice of the retail industry for North Carolina. NCRMA represents the interests of individual merchants before the General Assembly and serves as a vital link to state government. Its credibility lies in its longevity and commitment to serving the ever-changing needs of its members. The Association’s membership includes more than 25,000 stores from across the state whose business represents 75 percent of North Carolina’s retail sales volume.  NCRMA serves both large and small retailers from multi-state chains to local “mom and pops” and all types of merchants including antique, apparel, art, automotive, book, carpet, department, drug, electronics, floral, furniture, grocery, hardware, jewelry, paint and variety stores. For more information, visit https://ncrma.org/.

CONTACT:

NCRMA President
Andy Ellen
andye@ncrma.org

Senior Communications Director
Ann Edmondson
anne@ncrma.org
919-832-0811