Melissa O’Connor grew up in and around the halls of the state Capitol.
Her father was the longtime chief of staff for State Sen. Frank Padavan, and she remembers visiting her father on late nights during legislative sessions.
O’Connor’s original plan was to get an education degree and become a Spanish teacher, but she felt the pull of politics and wanted to change her college major to political science. Her father recommended she get an internship in the Legislature to see how she felt about the long hours.
“I absolutely loved it,” O’Connor said.
After that, she got her MBA and then took a government relations role with the Retail Council of New York State before moving up to become the council’s president and CEO in 2020.
What was the biggest issue the Retail Council worked on in 2024? It was, by far, retail theft prevention. We joined with the governor and certain lawmakers in supporting new laws related to retail theft prevention. They were approved as part of the state budget this year, and so there is funding for state police, district attorneys, local police precincts to really address this situation that has always been an issue, but really it was amplified post-Covid pandemic. … When we talk about retail theft, I think it’s really important to note that we’re not talking about an individual taking an item out of necessity. What we’re really prioritizing are the organized retail crime rings who are very sophisticated, and also the habitual individuals going into stores, sometimes dozens of times.
Do you see that as being the top issue in 2025? It’s always been a top priority issue for us, and what we’re going to be looking at in 2025 is advocating for continued funding so this isn’t a one-time infusion of money. Aside from that, I would say, we’ll wait to see what gets introduced, right? So we’re always prepared, but I think in the last two-year legislative cycle, there were nearly 20,000 bills introduced, which is extraordinary. … You have to be looking for anything that would complicate retail operations. It is challenging.
With so many bills, do you feel like you have to play defense? We pride ourselves on knowing what’s on the horizon. But as an advocate for business in the state of New York, there is a portion of our job that is playing defense.
What are the biggest challenges facing retailers right now? I would say that the competition is extraordinary. Retailers have always been competing with merchants who are operating solely online, but that was amplified by the Covid pandemic. When we were talking to store owners and also CEOs of major brands, they indicated to us that Covid really accelerated the shift from in-store shopping to online by about a decade. … I will say, from a positive perspective, I think we were anticipating more of our small, independent merchants going out of business during the pandemic. And while we did see a few, it wasn’t as extensive as we thought it would be.
Given all the change in competition, what does successful retail look like today, and how has that changed in the last five or even 10 years? I think it all comes back to customer service, and certain functions that have landed really well with the consumer. For example, buy online, pick up in store. That kind of came about during the pandemic, and it’s been something that consumers really enjoy. So really, it’s just a matter of changing with consumer demands. And that means, yes, allowing customers to buy online and come into a store and they don’t have to shop throughout the store. But if you don’t feel good as a customer, you may not come back, right?
Tariffs have been a hot topic as of late, is that something retailers are concerned about? Absolutely. I can tell you the National Retail Federation are opposed to the tariffs, generally speaking, because they would raise the cost of goods to Americans. It’s something we’re all concerned about because, again, there’s so much competition and the last thing anyone wants is for public policy to dictate that the cost of clothing or electronics or a washer/dryer is increased.
What’s something you hear from your members that is maybe not known or misunderstood by the general public about the industry? I would say there’s a misconception with retail jobs. It’s the first job for many, but oftentimes it doesn’t just end there. I go on store tours and there are employees who tell me it was their first job but have stayed for 15 years and been elevated to a managerial role. Those stories I just love, and there are a lot of them.
Have you ever worked a retail job? I have. I worked at the Limited Too in Crossgates for a holiday season, and I also worked at Hippo’s. I think I was still working there part time when I started here at the Retail Council. I think almost everyone here at the Retail Council has worked in retail in some capacity at some point.
Interview has been edited and condensed.
Melissa O’Connor
Title: President and CEO, Retail Council of New York State
Lives in: Latham
From: Albany
Education: B.S. in political science from SUNY Plattsburgh, MBA from The College of Saint Rose
Family: Married; two kids, ages 10 and 8
The Retail Council of NYS
Founded: 1931
Members: About 5,000
Employees: 8
Annual budget: Around $2 million
