February Retail Sales Increase 4.4 Percent Over Last Year
"February retail sales increased 0.3 percent seasonally adjusted over January and 4.4 percent year-over-year as the economy continued to grow, the National Retail Federation said today. The numbers exclude automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants.

"Consumers are still in the driver's seat," NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said. "Month-to-month comparisons don't tell the whole story because of seasonal adjustment factors, but the three-month moving average and other year-over-year numbers are better indicators that reflect how sales are really increasing. It's still too early to draw conclusions about the impact of tax cuts but extra money in shoppers' pockets should help as the year goes forward. With consumer confidence and employment growing, economic fundamentals are favorable for spending to expand in the coming months."

The three-month moving average was also up 4.4 percent over the same period a year ago, and the results come as NRF is forecasting that 2018 retail sales will grow between 3.8 percent and 4.4 percent over 2017.

The February numbers won back a slight monthly dip seen in January, which declined 0.2 percent from December coming off one of the best holiday seasons in years but was up 5.4 percent year-over-year.

NRF's numbers are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, which said overall February sales - including automobiles, gasoline and restaurants - were down 0.1 percent seasonally adjusted from January but up 4 percent year-over-year.

Specifics from key retail sectors during February include:

• Online and other non-store sales were up 10.5 percent year-over-year and up 1 percent over January seasonally adjusted.
• Clothing and clothing accessory stores were up 5.2 percent year-over-year and up 0.4 percent from January seasonally adjusted.
• Building materials and garden supply stores were up 5.1 percent year-over-year and up 1.9 percent from January seasonally adjusted.
• Electronics and appliance stores were up 4.3 percent year-over-year but down 0.1 percent from January seasonally adjusted.
• Furniture and home furnishings stores were up 2.9 percent year-over-year but down 0.8 percent from January seasonally adjusted.
• General merchandise stores were up 2.4 percent year-over-year but down 0.4 percent from January seasonally adjusted.
• Health and personal care stores were up 0.3 percent year-over-year but down 0.4 percent from January seasonally adjusted.
• Sporting goods stores were down 3.4 percent year-over-year but up 2.2 percent from January seasonally adjusted."

Legislators Are Making Customer-Impacting Decisions Right Now; Attend Retail Day At The Capitol

Right now your elected officials are making decisions that impact your customers and how you do business. Share your story with them at. Retail Day At The Capitol.

Two great ways to participate in Retail Day At The Capitol:

• Breakfast with legislative leaders, 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
• Breakfast + comfortable, prearranged meetings with your specific legislators, 8:00 -11:45 a.m.

Five good reasons to attend: 

1. Get the latest on the happenings at the State Capitol impacting retailers.
2. Your attendance supports the Minnesota Military Family Foundation!*
3. It's all on the Capitol grounds--no moving your car or taking a shuttle!
4. No cost to attend, thanks to our sponsors.
5. This event is a solid opportunity to connect with Minnesota's innovative retailers and learn about the Minnesota Retailers Association!  

 *The Minnesota Military Family Foundation financially supports Minnesota military personnel, their spouses and children with grants during times of extraordinary financial hardship, especially while they are deployed. MnRA will donate $5 for every Retail Day At The Capitol attendee.Your story meets your legislators at the Minnesota Retailers Association's I am RETAIL Day at the Capitol March 27! 

"U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking to impose tariffs on up to $60 billion of Chinese imports and will target the technology and telecommunications sectors, two people who had discussed the issue with the Trump administration said on Tuesday.

A third source who had direct knowledge of the administration's thinking said the tariffs, associated with a "Section 301" intellectual property investigation, under the 1974 U.S. Trade Act begun in August last year, could come "in the very near future."

While the tariffs would be chiefly targeted at information technology, consumer electronics and telecoms, they could be much broader and the list could eventually run to 100 products, this person said. The White House declined to comment on the size or timing of any move.

But lobbyists in Washington expressed concern that Trump's ambitious tariff plan would also include other labor-intensive consumer goods sectors such as apparel, footwear and toys.

Higher tariffs on these products would "hurt American families," said Hun Quach, a trade lobbyist for the Retail Industry Leaders Association.

"We're not talking about fancy cashmere sweaters, we're talking about cotton T-Shirts and jeans and shoes that kids wear for back-to-school," she added. "Alarm bells are ringing.""

"With the U.S. Supreme Court weeks away from hearing arguments in a landmark case on online sales taxes, several states are readying laws that would allow them to begin collecting millions of dollars almost immediately if the court rules in their favor.

Currently, taxes are not collected on billions in remote sales, though Amazon, the biggest online seller, has agreed to do so in many states. The potential is huge: E-commerce sales made up 9 percent of all retail sales in the United States last quarter, topping $119 billion, adjusting for seasonal variation, according to the Census Bureau.

Arguments are scheduled for April 17 in the case of South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc., in which the state contends that a 1992 high court ruling prohibiting collection of sales taxes from any seller that does not have a physical location in the state is outdated. South Dakota notes that the underlying case, Quill Corp. v. North Dakota, involved sales of floppy disks, symbolizing how outdated the case really is.

Defendants, which include online retailers, argue that the remote tax collection violates the commerce clause of the Constitution, which gives the federal government the power to regulate commerce among the states. A ruling is expected by summer.

In general, lawmakers argue that extending sales taxes to the internet is not a new tax, but rather the enforcement of an existing levy. Technically, buyers already are required to remit state taxes on things they buy on the internet, but in practice, few, if any, do so.

The idea of collecting new sales taxes is wildly popular among the states. Thirty-five states filed amicus briefs on South Dakota's behalf with the Supreme Court, as did the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Association of Counties and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. All argue that current law is keeping them from collecting taxes on what is rightfully theirs - sales of products coming into their state.

"The devastating effect on State and local economies is two-fold," the NGA and others wrote in their amicus brief.

"First, the physical nexus requirement results in a loss of crucial revenue from owed taxes that State and local governments depend on to fund basic government functions," the brief says. "Second, it disadvantages in-state brick-and-mortar retailers, who do not have the same luxury of avoiding their sales and use tax collection and remittance responsibilities."

The only major opposition among the amicus briefs, often known as "friend of the court" briefs, comes from NetChoice a trade group of online retailers that includes such behemoths as Google, eBay and Overstock.com as well as smaller retailers. The organization argues that assessing and collecting sales taxes from the 45 states that assess a sales tax is too complicated and would disproportionately hurt the little sellers."

"The city of Minneapolis has cited more than 60 employers since July for failing to abide by a new ordinance that guarantees workers an allotment of sick days without retribution from management.

"The Duluth City Council hit pause Monday night on a proposed ordinance that would require local employers to provide their workers with paid time off benefits to deal with illnesses and other family crises.