Last year, the National Retail Federation spent $12.9 million on lobbying efforts. Walmart and CVS shelled out $6.9 million and $6.4 million respectively. These trade groups and companies were the the top retail sector spenders on lobbying in 2017.
Collectively, spending by retailers and retail trade groups totaled $58.1 million in 2017, a significant increase from the $46.1 million spent the year prior, according to data collected through Open Secrets, an arm of the Center for Responsive Politics that produces a database on lobbying spending.