Registration Eligibility

How is my company categorized by NRF?

Fees are based on your company type.
Here’s how NRF determines which pass/fees you qualify for.

Attendee classification (retailer vs. industry partner) may change per NRF event, will be determined on a case by case basis, and may not align with the NRF corporate membership type.

Retail Company

  • NRF defines a retailer as a company that meets the following criteria:
  • The core business is to sell consumer goods directly to the end consumer via storefront, catalog, television or online.
  • The company must own the merchandise it sells.
  • The company must be able to provide a business license confirming its status upon request.
  • The company must currently be in business.
  • Chain restaurants, grocers and convenience stores are included in this definition.

Non-Retail / Industry Partner

  • NRF defines a service provider as a company whose core business is to provide products, services or solutions to retailers.
  • Examples include:
  • Your company primarily sells business-to-business or wholesale. While an individual consumer could purchase a product from you directly, most of your customers are businesses. Example: A company that sells point-of-sale systems primarily sells them to businesses.
  • Your company runs a website, provides an ecommerce platform and/or processes transactions on behalf of a retailer as a third party. Example: ABC Company runs the website for XYZ Retailer, but its staff is employed by ABC Company. ABC is the vendor and XYZ is the retailer.

Consumer Services Company

  • Consumer service companies will be determined on a case by case basis.

  • A company whose core business is providing services to the end consumer. Examples include rental services, ride sharing services, subscription services, streaming services, etc.

Manufacturer

  • NRF defines a manufacturer as a company whose core business is selling products it manufacturers to retailers for resale to consumers.

Private / Investment Holding Company / Venture Capital

  • A private equity investment, financial holding or venture capital company is one that is the ultimate parent company and has full ownership of the retail brand(s).

Retail Real Estate / Mall Management Company

  • NRF defines this category as a company whose core business is non-residential property for commercial profit-making purposes. Such companies may own or manage malls, shopping centers and other commercial real estate properties.

Consumer Package Goods (CPG) Company

  • NRF defines a CPG company as one that sells non-durable goods to other businesses that are consumed by the average consumer.

Visual Merchandising / Store Design Firms

  • NRF defines a visual merchandising /store design firm as a company whose core business deals with the strategic visual concept only for retail environments. Your company does not sell any products.

Marketplace

  • Your company runs a platform where either you and/or other retailers sell merchandise direct to consumers.

Press

  • NRF welcomes industry members of the press to cover its conferences.
  • Due to the increasing number of media attending our events, we have established an approval policy for granting editorial press members complimentary registration.

Educator

  • To be eligible for the educator rate at NRF events, an individual’s primary occupation must be as a teaching faculty member instructing students in a public or private college or university, junior or community college or career/vocational school.
  • Educators may also be a director of a college or university center for retail.
  • Educators must be prepared to submit two of the following: A current curriculum vitae, a scanned copy of a valid university ID or a link to a profile page on an eligible institution’s website.

NRF reserves the right to determine which companies qualify and under which category.