California Retailers Association

10/06/2026

Thank you to Governor Newsom for signing our sponsored legislation and thank you to Assemblymemebr Zbur for getting this bill over the finish line. This is a big win for local economies across the state. Governor Gavin Newsom

I’m excited to share that Governor Newsom has signed my bill into law — helping brick-and-mortar California retailers cut through permitting delays and open their doors faster.

Too often, businesses ready to invest in our communities are forced to sit and wait because of lengthy permitting processes. AB 1693 creates a faster, more predictable path for qualifying retail improvements while maintaining important health and safety standards.

That means more open storefronts, stronger commercial corridors, and more people getting to work.

Thank you to the California Retail Association and WC3 Chambers of Commerce for sponsoring this bill and partnering with me to get it across the finish line!

09/26/2026

The CRA Team was in Washington, D.C. this past week for the Council of State Retail Associations CSRA Annual Meeting. Our President and CEO Rachel Otte Michelin is Chairwoman of the CSRA Board and Conference this year. It was a great gathering and meeting of the minds to discuss all things retail in the legislative, regulatory and legal space. We appreciated being with state retail associations from all over the country.

09/02/2026

The California Retailers Association (CRA) today thanked members of the California State Assembly for rejecting Assembly Bill 2564 related to "surveillance pricing" and recognizing the significant unintended consequences the legislation could have had on discounts, loyalty and rewards programs used by California consumers.

“California consumers deserve protection from the use of their personal information to unfairly charge them higher prices. We have said that from the beginning, and we continue to believe the Legislature can and should address that issue,” said Rachel Michelin, President and CEO of the California Retailers Association. “But we should not protect consumers from higher prices by putting at risk the discounts and rewards programs they affirmatively choose and use to save money.”

Read more: https://calretailers.com/california-retailers-association-applauds-assembly-for-protecting-consumer-discounts-and-rewards-programs/

Rachel Otte Michelin Jacob Brint

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Retailers remain committed to working with lawmakers on legislation that protects Californians from higher personalized prices without taking away the savings consumers choose SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Retailers Association (CRA) today thanked members of the California....

07/21/2026

07/06/2026

Californians Value Discounts.A Sacramento Bill Could Put Them at Risk.

Californians for Consumer Affordability Launches"Protect My Discounts" Campaign to Protect Consumer Savings and Oppose Legislation That Could Worsen theAffordability Crisis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Sarah Pollo MooEmail: [email protected] Californians Value Discounts.A Sacramento Bill Could Put Them at Risk. Californians for Consumer Affordability Launches”Protect My Discounts” Campaign to Protect Consumer Savings and Oppose Legislation That Could Wor...

05/14/2026

Update on one of our sponsored bills!

AB 1693 (Zbur), co-sponsored by CRA, passed off the Assembly floor today. We thank Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur for championing California's retail industry!

Get • is proud to sponsor this important piece of legislation and thanks for introducing this bill.

CRA President and CEO Rachel Michelin:

"California retailers continue to recover from a worldwide pandemic and are now grappling with tariff's and very complex and lengthy local permitting processes across the state. AB 1693 is a commonsense proposal that will simplify local bureaucracy and support the retail industry, local economies and consumers, which are all struggling with affordability."


Get • Retailers shouldn’t have to wait months to reopen for simple interior renovations. That’s why I’m proud to introduce to help brick-and-mortar retailers open sooner without cutting corners on safety.

This bill establishes a professional certification program and ensures permit decisions within 20 business days.

TY to sponsors and the WC3, including , , and .

04/15/2026

Thank you to Retail's Most Wanted for having CRA's President and CEO Rachel Otte Michelin
on a recent episode to talk about the purpose behind the California Retail Law Center and its role in helping retailers navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment.

By bringing together legal leaders across the industry, the Center aims to improve collaboration, surface risks earlier, and enable more proactive engagement in the policymaking process.

Full episode: https://www.retailsmostwanted.com/episodes/episode67

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