July 8, 2025
ACTION REQUESTED: Company Letter Supporting the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act – Sign before July 14
As support for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act continues to grow in Congress – now with over 100 cosponsors in the House and 25 in the Senate -- NRF is preparing to deliver an updated company letter supporting the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 to Congress. NRF is asking that retailers use this form to add their company’s name to the list of signatories.
To date, approximately 180 companies have signed the letter, including retailers of all sizes and in every state. Every company signatory helps demonstrate the broad support this bill has across the retail industry. For this letter, we are only seeking to add company names and not association names. Please help us grow this number over 200+ by our deadline of July 14.
News from Dept. of Transitional Assistance (DTA)
All SUN Bucks (formerly Summer EBT) recipients will receive a new SUN Bucks EBT card this year (pictured below). Starting in the summer of 2025, this new SUN Bucks EBT card will be accepted in addition to the other existing EBT cards in circulation.
You can learn more about the program by visiting mass.gov/SUNBucks.
Attention Tobacco Sellers
The Massachusetts Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Health will be holding a public hearing on Monday, July 14th at 1:00pm on a pair of bills (H.2562/S.1568) that would prohibit the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to adult consumers born after a certain date. Similar proposals have been introduced and adopted in a number of municipalities across the Commonwealth and these bills would impose the prohibition statewide. RAM members licensed to sell tobacco are urged to contact their local legislators and to weigh-in with the Committee in opposition of these proposals. Please click here for more information about the hearing. Written comments may be submitted via email to the Committee at [email protected].
New We Card In-Store Campaign Addresses Adult Purchases for Those Underage
Order free materials while supplies last
Join the tens of thousands of retailers who are helping to prevent and discourage adult purchases of tobacco and vaping products on behalf of underage people.
We Card’s new program targets “social sourcing,” or adult purchases of tobacco and vaping products on behalf of minors. After field testing, We Card is rolling out the national in-store campaign to raise awareness of the “social access” problem and is introducing this program to the nation’s retailers at no cost.
Order your FREE We Card Kit to start raising awareness of adults’ role in social sourcing. As a retailer this is your opportunity to take action to address this issue.
“We Card’s new in-store campaign bolsters existing responsible retailing efforts to identify and deny underage purchase attempts of age-restricted products like tobacco and vaping products,” said Doug Anderson, President We Card.
Retailers can choose from one of two campaign themes:
The Be A Real Influencer theme includes an eye-catching set of friendly, young adults aged 21+, inspiring them to “be a real influencer” and be comfortable saying “no” when asked by someone underage to buy or give them tobacco and vaping products.
The We Card We Care theme informs customers, “if they’re under 21, NO Bumming, NO Borrowing And NO Buying for Them.”
Each campaign theme includes a variety of in-store signage with a QR code call-to-action to learn more and sign up for updates. We Card will run supportive social and digital communications. Both themes were well received after testing across a range of retail environments including convenience chains, small operators, and other retail store types.
“After the positive reception among retailers and customers in our field testing, we are excited to offer free in store materials that offer retailers an opportunity to participate in efforts to reduce adult purchases for minors,” said Anderson.
Both campaigns are readily available, and retailers are posting them in-store all throughout 2025-2026 as it is a long term, multiple year campaign. Order the campaign’s FREE kit at wecard.org/Free-Kit.
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