Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM AUGUST 2015 60 B U Y I N G G R O U P N E W S W hat does it mean to give back? As children we use the phrase "give back" when we are fighting with siblings, or friends. Nowadays, it is a message of social responsibility. Studies have shown consumers are more likely to buy a product from a company who is associated with a charitable organization. Further explorations have shown that companies that have a social responsibility platform have higher morale rates internally than those that do not join together with a charity. After much planning and exploration, the MEGA Group has become a national sponsor of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other deadly diseases. St. Jude has the world's best survival rates for the most aggressive childhood cancers, and treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since it opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent in the next decade. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs they make, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food– because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. As a service organization, the MEGA Group strives to assist our members with financial, product information, and marketing support on a day-to-day basis. We highly believe in the importance of educating each independent retailer not just about the wonderful efforts of St. Jude, but the significant impact a store can have internally and externally when they are involved with a charity. Within a store, it can create company morale, and even benefits to individual's mental health. Around a store's community, being associated with a community can create new business and enhance conversations with customers who walk in the door. Further, the MEGA Group believes in giving back to our Memphis community. While our membership base is nationwide, the staff who work day in and day to make sure our dealers are successful are based out of an office in the Memphis suburb, Germantown. Each administra- tive staff member is unique and holds a different position from one another to make sure our well, oiled machine works. Together, we are dedicated to set the example and be superb represen- tatives of Memphis for St. Jude. This year, members and new members of MEGA Group will have the opportunity to individually contribute to our annual goal. There will also be amazing marketing efforts we encourage members to participate in to get their store involved in their own community. We will be providing more information in the coming month, as well as at our fall convention held in the downtown Marriott in Louisville, KY. The MEGA Group is honored and thrilled to partner up with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, especially with their upcoming events such as September's Children Cancer Awareness month. It will be an exciting year of giving and making a difference. M EGA GROUP BECOM ES NATIONAL SPONSOR OF ST. JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL RO

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