Our History
Tap into a history that is more than 100 years strong.
InUnison’s roots go back to 1906, when nine locally owned businesses in downtown Richmond, Virginia, founded the Retail Merchants Association. Leveraging their collective power, the group’s first effort was to get the city to sprinkle the streets with water. This would help stop dust from getting into their stores, improving the customer experience. That was just the first of more than a century-worth of actions taken on behalf of our region’s small businesses.
Today, more than 115 years since our inception, the challenges facing local businesses are greater than ever. We’re competing in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive marketplace, and we know we must continue to come together in unison to succeed. With that in mind, in 2021, we have restructured under the name of InUnison, to reflect the critical importance of collective support. And we stand united as one voice for a prosperous future, for the businesses that are the backbone of our community.
Shared Values
Unity: We are committed to uplifting each other and the community we serve.
Courage: We know we are stronger together and we capitalize on our collective power to build on our strengths.
Inclusivity: We celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of local businesses and the people who serve them.
Candor: We are open, honest, and direct in our communications.
Advancement: We understand the need to continuously adapt our methods in order to respond to the needs of our community and evolve our businesses.
Creativity: We salute the imagination and originality inherent in each individual business and person.
