Following SD Court Ruling, Congress Needs To Act On E-Fairness

September 18, 2017

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E-Fairness

Retailers Say South Dakota Ruling Means Congress Needs To Act Now To Require Online Sales Tax Collection

From the National Retail Federation, September 14, 2017

"The National Retail Federation said a ruling issued today by the South Dakota Supreme Court sets the stage for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit a long-out-of-date ruling on ecommerce. But NRF called on Congress to quickly pass legislation allowing states to require online sellers to collect sales tax the same as local stores rather than continuing to leave the issue in the hands of the courts.

"It's time for Congress to pass a law that recognizes the evolution in the retail industry over the past two-and-half decades and say that online sellers should no longer be given an unfair advantage over Main Street merchants," NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said. "The state of South Dakota is not going to stand for this loss. They are going to push their case, and that means it is very likely that there will be a new ruling on this issue by the U.S. Supreme Court. We are more than happy to see the Supreme Court revisit this issue, but we view a carefully crafted stakeholder-led decision in Congress as far preferable to a judicial decision that reverses the previous ruling without addressing the details of implementation."

The South Dakota Supreme Court today ruled against a 2016 state law requiring online merchants with more than $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions with state residents to collect sales tax. The court said the state cannot require out-of-state sellers to collect sales tax.

The ruling is in line with the U.S. Supreme Court's 1992 Quill decision, which held that online sellers can only be required to collect sales tax in states where they have a physical presence such as a store, office or warehouse."

Retail Rally

Incredible Line Up Of Retail Rally Speakers Set For Retail Rally October 4

You won't believe the quality of speakers lined up for Retail Rally:

Vikas Narula, founder & international speaker, Keyhubs: The Power Of Connection, Bridging The Divide (keynote)
Allison Kaplan, senior editor of shopping and style, Mpls.St. Paul Magazine
Gino Giovannelli, principal of Miles Interactive and distinguished service faculty at University of St. Thomas: What Retailers Can Learn From 2018 Super Bowl Digital Marketing
Dr. Nakeisha Lewis, University of St. Thomas: Culture-Based Marketing for Retailers
Dr. William Brendel, president and CEO of the Center for Ethical Business Cultures - University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business: Ethical Decision Making In Today's Retail Environment
Hillary Feder, president of Hillary's: Retail Employee Onboarding For Keeps
Ron Harris, senior policy aide for Minneapolis Councilmember Lisa Bender: Policy Initiatives On The Local Government Horizon
Jeri Meola, president, SMS Research Advisors: Journey Mapping-One Of The Best Ways to Truly Understand Your Customers (keynote)
Paul Omodt, owner & principal of Omodt & Associates Critical Communications: Claim It, Name It & Frame It: Making Critical Communications Work
Roberta Bonoff, Creative Kidstuff & Dave Rueter, Thrifty White Pharmacy: retail career-path panel for students
And more!

Retail Sales
Retail Sales Down Slightly In August From July But Up Over 2016

From the National Retail Federation, September 15, 2017

"Retail sales in August decreased by 0.2 percent from July on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to calculations released today by the National Retail Federation. On a year-over-year basis August sales showed some strength, increasing 3.7 percent unadjusted. The numbers exclude automobiles, gasoline stations and restaurants.

"Retail sales for August were truly a mixed bag, with monthly gains in July reversed in August," NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said. "The bottom line is that consumer spending is uneven but remains resilient and the key contributor to U.S. economic growth."

"While it is too early to assess the impact Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have had on the economy and retail sales, there's no doubt that they will impact consumer spending - particularly in certain sectors - as Florida and Texas work to rebuild." Kleinhenz said.

Year-over-year growth was up 3.4 percent on a three-month moving average."