Our History

In the 1930’s, a wave of anti-business legislation swept through Florida, culminating in a 1935 law that created one of the most discriminatory business taxes in the nation.

In that year, the Florida Legislature levied an occupational tax on retailers ranging from a $10 license fee plus a half-percent tax on gross receipts for a single store up to a $400 license fee and 5 percent tax on gross receipts for chain stores. A small group of dedicated businesses came together and rose to the challenge of fighting this injustice. In 1937, the Florida Chain Store Association (FCSA) was founded. Over the years, the FCSA evolved and expanded its scope, becoming the Florida Retail Federation (FRF) in 1979. The name change reflected the organization’s commitment to representing retailers of all sizes and types, from small independent businesses to large chain stores. 

In the decades since, FRF has defended against immeasurable assaults on the business community and worked to ensure that Florida maintains a business-friendly regulatory environment. The Florida Retail Federation has grown into a powerful, diverse statewide organization universally recognized as “the voice of Florida retailing”.