"The National Retail Federation has strongly supported the work by the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, and the commitment by its members to provide measurable steps toward safer working conditions in the country," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said on the rlease of factory safety audits.

"NRF applauds the public release of safety audits Walmart has conducted on garment factories in Bangladesh, and we are encouraged by the response of factory owners to take the necessary steps in order to comply with strict safety standards in order to protect the lives of their workers.

"There are a number of groups working in Bangladesh, but no one should make the mistake that just talking about process is the same as making actual progress. While much work remains, the Alliance and its member companies recognize the importance of transparency. Holding factory owners publicly accountable for safer working conditions is a good step in the right direction."

As the world's largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF represents retailers of all types and sizes, including chain restaurants and industry partners, from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad. Retailers operate more than 3.6 million U.S. establishments that support one in four U.S. jobs - 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.5tr to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation's economy.

Source: National Retail Federation