Arlington, VA.

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association criticized the proposed swipe fee settlement and urged class plaintiffs to reject the proposal. Announced in July, the proposed settlement stems from lawsuits challenging the anticompetitive swipe...

Texas joined eight other states in taking legislative action by requiring online-only retailers, notably Amazon.com, to collect state sales tax. Online retailers began collecting sales tax in Texas on July 1. “A true free market is devoid of government preferences and special treatment," said Sandy Kennedy, president, Retail Industry Leaders Association. "Texas has made a powerful statement that it's time to end special treatment for online retailers and close the sales-tax loophole that gives companies like Amazon an artificial leg up on Main Street retailers." 

Arlington, Va. -- A report released Thursday by the Retail Industry Leaders Association found significant increases in shoplifting and pharmacy theft, in particular. According to RILA’s 2011 Crime Trends and Leading Practices Survey, more than half of respondents reported an increase in the frequency with which organized rings committed shoplifting, and 41% saw an increase in shoplifting by individuals acting alone. Sixty-four percent of respondents reported an increase in theft of pharmaceutical products. According to the survey results, online marketplaces continue to be a favored venue for the resale of stolen product. A majority of retailers (61%) experienced an

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) thanked California Governor Jerry Brown for signing legislation that would help level the playing field between online-only retailer Amazon.com and brick-and-mortar stores across California. "For too long U.S. tax policy has favored online-only retailers like Amazon over the brick-and-mortar stores that create jobs and serve our communities, and it's time to end that special treatment and give all businesses the chance to compete and create jobs in a free and fair market,” said Katherine Lugar, RILA executive VP for public affairs. California joins Texas and a growing list of

A group of catalogers gathered last month in Arlington, Va., for the American Catalog Mailers Association’s inaugural National Catalog Advocacy & Strategy Forum to voice their opinions on key issues affecting their industry, most notably postal rates. During this two-day event, some numbers were presented to illustrate the far-reaching scope and influence of the catalog industry. Here’s a look at what was discussed. * The catalog industry, including online sales, had an overall economic value of $270 billion (2006 estimate), approximately 2 percent of the total U.S. gross domestic product; * 20,000 is the approximate number of catalog companies in the U.S.; *

This week’s edition of Catalog Success: Tactics & Tips contains insights picked up by Senior Associate Editor Joe Keenan at the American Catalog Mailers Association’s inaugural National Catalog Advocacy & Strategy Forum held June 26-27 in Arlington, Va.