Florida and its future

Relationships

Honoring its commitments

The retail industry and its future

Profitability

Leadership

Innovation and creativity

Sound public policy

Social responsibility

Diversity

Representative Democracy

RETAILING is Florida's second-largest industry.  As the fabric of our economy, a healthy retail environment is essential for overall economic health.

Florida's 100,000- plus retail businesses employ nearly 20 percent of the state's workforce, pay more than $33 billion in wages annually and collect and remit more than $20 billion in sales and retail related taxes for Florida's government.  The economy is stimulated further by retailers' impact on manufacturing, distribution, construction, e-commerce and other industries that benefit from a thriving retail market.

Retailers are at the forefront of community giving endeavors, contributing millions of dollars, merchandise and thousands of hours of people power to philanthropic causes each year.  FRF represents all sizes and types of retailers and businesses, including retailing centers.  In 2005, the most recent statitics available, approximately 11.7 million adults shopped monthly at one or more of Florida's 3,839 retailing centers.  These centers provided jobs for more than 1 million individuals and generated more than $170 billion in center-inclined sales resulting in approximately $10.2 billion in state sales tax revenues.

There are approximately 3,600 retail pharmacies in Florida.  These pharmacies employ about 250,000 people.