Retail Industry Leaders Association

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) is American trade association headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. RILA promotes consumer choice and economic freedom through public policy and industry operational excellence. Executives participate in RILA for its educational forums, its public policy advocacy, and its advancement of the industry.

RILA's board of directors has focused its efforts on seven definitive areas:

Members include retailers, product manufacturers and service suppliers. Together, RILA's members provide millions of jobs and operate more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad. RILA represents:

RILA was started in 1969 as a research organization to help regional discounters network and learn from one another. Roughly 20 companies were founding members, all were regional discounters. Companies such as Kmart, Jamesway, Caldor, Bradlees, Hills, Target, Shopko, Wal-Mart, Zayre, Korvettes and Ames were among the founding members. The organization was originally named the Mass Retailing Institute. In 1986, it acquired the Association of General Merchandise Chains (AGMC) and in 1988 became the International Mass Retail Association (IMRA). In early 2004, the organization's board of directors voted to change its name to the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA).

In April 2007, The Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Network, set up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, RILA, and the NRF, began operation. Law enforcement and loss prevention specialists can use the database to track and identify retail theft nationwide through a secure Web portal.

The President of RILA, since December 2002, is Sandy Kennedy. Richard Dreiling, chairman and chief executive officer of retailer Dollar General, currently serves as RILA Chairman. He was first elected to that position in January 2014.

Retail executives serving as the 2017 Board of Directors are as follows:

The Retail Industry Leaders Association is a leading public policy advocate for the retail industry. In 2009 RILA played a key role in the debate over health care reform. RILA successfully lobbied to protect existing health care options for part-time and seasonal employees in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

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