WELCOME TO THE SOUTH DAKOTA RETAILERS ASSOCIATION
At SDRA, our purpose is to advocate, inform and provide services for our member businesses. SDRA is an active and highly-respected statewide trade organization that represents the interests of South Dakota businesses who sell retail products and services. From member benefits and news to retail trends and training, we are here to inform our members. We're proud to be a voice for retail in South Dakota.
SDRA MISSION
To unify, protect, educate and lead the retail community and strive to enhance the business climate in South Dakota to enable retailers to better serve consumers.
SDRA MISSION
To unify, protect, educate and lead the retail community and strive to enhance the business climate in South Dakota to enable retailers to better serve consumers.
Upcoming Events
Where it all Started: SDRA's Beginnings |
Above: Robert S. Vessey, South Dakota's 7th Governor, was among the founding merchants of South Dakota Retailers Association in 1897.
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It all started with a few letters.
In the summer of 1896, a number of South Dakota business owners began corresponding with each other. They wrote letters to each other, as well as to editorial columns in newspapers. They felt, as one wrote, that there was "a profound and just discontent with existing conditions, coupled with the desire to change and better the same."
As a result of those letters, when the spring of 1897 rolled around, an Alpena business owner decided it was time for the retail business people of South Dakota to begin doing some serious thinking about establishing a permanent organization to represent their interests.
C.C. Issenhuth called together a handful of his colleagues from across the northeastern part of the state to take the preliminary steps toward forming an association. Those nine men met at the Spink County Courthouse in Redfield on May 18, 1897. That was the beginning. Within a few months, the South Dakota Retail Merchants Association was off and running.
Today, The South Dakota Retailers Association represents nearly 4,000 members in more than 160 business categories and is one of the country’s oldest and largest retail trade associations.
In the summer of 1896, a number of South Dakota business owners began corresponding with each other. They wrote letters to each other, as well as to editorial columns in newspapers. They felt, as one wrote, that there was "a profound and just discontent with existing conditions, coupled with the desire to change and better the same."
As a result of those letters, when the spring of 1897 rolled around, an Alpena business owner decided it was time for the retail business people of South Dakota to begin doing some serious thinking about establishing a permanent organization to represent their interests.
C.C. Issenhuth called together a handful of his colleagues from across the northeastern part of the state to take the preliminary steps toward forming an association. Those nine men met at the Spink County Courthouse in Redfield on May 18, 1897. That was the beginning. Within a few months, the South Dakota Retail Merchants Association was off and running.
Today, The South Dakota Retailers Association represents nearly 4,000 members in more than 160 business categories and is one of the country’s oldest and largest retail trade associations.
Member Testimonials
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AdvocacyAll the legislative action that goes on – it is hard for a business owner to stay on top of all that. So for our membership to manage what goes on in Pierre and for the Retailers Association to have their finger on the issues, is priceless! |
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InformationThe South Dakota Retailers Association just has such reliable and solid information for new and growing businesses. I have found that all the questions business owners have about insurance and credit cards and employment and all those day-to-day issues, SDRA has really great answers that help my business succeed.” |
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Services"The program that SDRA provides with Jackson Lewis have been invaluable to Black Hills Bagels. My husband and I have used him every year since the service has been provided. We’ve used him for everything from helping us write a simple sentence to do with an unemployment claim dispute, all the way to a whistleblower case involving federal labor attorneys - and ultimately the cases were dismissed just from his advice." |
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