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Fair-tax bill passes, U.S. House next
to consider equal business treatment

The U.S. House of Representatives will take on fair sales-tax policies for brick-and-mortar retailers following the U.S. Senate’s passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act May 6. HR 684 does not create new taxes, only provides for fair taxation.

Make your voice heard! End Special Loophole for Online-Only Retailers

The U.S. Senate will be voting this week on the Marketplace Fairness Act. The Senate has agreed to consider the bill, but we expect that some Senators will object to shortening the 30 hours of post-cloture debate time and so if no time is yielded back then actual debate on the bill and amendments began on Wednesday, April 24.

ICRS 2013 Worship Him event will feature Max Lucado.

Beloved pastor and author Max Lucado will deliver a powerful message during the Worship Him event at this year's International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis. He will share a special message to our industry from his inspirational work and new book coming out this fall on the subject of "getting through" in times of trouble. Register today to make sure you're part of this great evening of worship and inspiration.

Register today at: www.christianretailshow.com/registertoday. For more information, visit www.christianretailshow.com or "Like" us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ICRShow) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/ICRShow) to receive updates and important information about the Show as soon as they're available.

The International Christian Retail Show is your Show. It's been developed and created for retailers and suppliers who share in the good work of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Whatever reason you have for attending ICRS, we share one mission: We share in this work produced by faith, labor prompted by love and the endurance inspired by hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:3 reads: "We remember before our
God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor
prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)"

Praying for those in the path of Superstorm Sandy.
We at CBA are praying for our members and industry friends and family dealing with the devastation from Superstorm Sandy that's hammering the East Coast. For those affected by the storm who have power and are able to read this, we'd like to hear from you. Please contact CBA Member Relations Specialist Tammy Horvath at thorvath@cbaonline.org or call 1-800-252-1950. We encourage everyone to join us in praying for the safety of all who are dealing with this disaster.

Member special on e-reading study

CBA-commissioned research by Barna reveals the rise of e-reading among Christian customers and potential loyalty connections for Christian-store retailers. Members receive special ICRS discount. Get your code here.

Tyndale healthcare suit hearing set

A federal court scheduled an Oct. 16 hearing of Tyndale House Publishers challenge of new health care laws mandating abortion pills and other services despite personal or corporate convictions against them. See the udpate.

Senate considers sales tax fairness

The Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to hear testimony Aug. 1 on the Marketplace Fairness Act, sponsored by Sens. Mike Enzi (R-WY), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN). The Senate hearing on legislation to close the online sales tax loophole follows a similar hearing held last week in the House Judiciary Committee.

The bipartisan legislation, S. 1832, would give all retailers the opportunity to compete on a level playing field, ending the artificial competitive advantage online-only retailers have enjoyed for too long.

“This legislation is critical to help Christian stores and other local retailers have an equal opportunity in the marketplace,” said CBA Executive Director Curtis Riskey.

Retailers lose in NJ, Amazon tax deal

New Jersey has reached an agreement with Amazon.com requiring the Internet-only retailer to begin collecting state sales tax on purchases made in New Jersey by July 1, 2013. However, the deal gives away a lot more than the state will get, according to state retailers and economic researchers.

Civic engagement builds community

Christian stores and churches often have common mission in faith and strategy, but engaging the community or building community seems to be a challenge because of time and competing interests. Christianity Today magazine’s Joseph Gorra interviewed Pastor Mark Decker of Palm Harvest Church in Costa Mesa, CA, about his activism and civic engagement through not only his church but also through a city coalition of churches. The group identified critical local issues and is addressing them with prayer and action. Decker said, “I’m not on some mere career path, waiting for the ‘next big thing.’ Where I am serving now is the ‘big thing’ because here is where God dwells and I am seeking to obey the call to love what He loves where I dwell….” Check out his inspiring comments.

Physical CD sales up for past 2 years

Who would have guessed that physical CD sales would show an increase? According to a report in the recent CBA Retailers + Resources magazine, NPD Group found a 4% increase because of an increasing number of CD buyers who are spending more money on music.

NPD found the number of CD buyers increased by 2% to 78 million buyers, and it’s the second consecutive year of music sales growth in the CD format.

Baby boomers those 77 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 are loyal to the physical CD format. The like to own music in a tangible way, and they enjoy owning song assortments from favorite artists.

Read the entire article in the June CBA Retailers + Resources. For a free digital subscription, register online.

CBA writes letter to Missouri senator to support fair taxation policies

CBA recently sent U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) a letter thanking him for co-sponsoring the Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 1832) in the U.S. Senate. The legislation would end the unlevel playing field that currently exists between online-only retailers and their brick-and-mortar counterparts. Online-only retailers exploit a loophole that pre-dates the Internet and allows them to avoid collecting sales taxes on items purchased online.

The Marketplace Fairness Act would end this practice and ensure all retailers, small and large, compete on a level playing field.

“CBA offers its strong endorsement of the Marketplace Fairness Act, and we stand committed to working with you, bill sponsors, and your colleagues in Congress to pass this important legislation this year,” wrote Curtis Riskey, CBA executive director. CBA is the trade association for the Christian Retail Channel, serving the interests and meeting the needs Christian stores who diligently provide Bibles, Christian books, curriculum, apparel, music, videos, gifts, greeting cards, children's resources, and other materials to communities worldwide.”

CBA represents retailers are local small businesses located across the country who contribute jobs, tax revenue, and services to local communities that online only retailers are not.

Riskey said in his letter, “As chairman of the Values Action Team you are a proven fighter for traditional values in the U.S. Senate, working tirelessly to promote the values of America’s very foundation. Thank you for standing up for Missouri Christian retailers and for making passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act a priority this year.”

To access a copy of the letter, click here.

Retailers oppose Amazon app attack

The Retail Industry Leaders Assoc. and other retail associations are opposing Amazon's predatory app designed to take sales away from retail stores by buying product from a store to receive additional price discounts. Amazon already has a pricing advantage because it doesn't collect and remit sales taxes that local retailers must pay, and the app strategy arrogantly exploits a government subsidy to put "showrooms" out of business. See the CBA Industry Blog.

Carol Awards list offers good reads

Wonder what to recommend to an advid fiction reader in your store? Check out winners and finalists of the Carol Awards. These titles have been professionally judged for writing and story quality by genre to create a reading list and recommendations for customers. Check out the winners and finalists on this postable list.

Bureaucrats push store unionization

If there is any question that the federal government is working to make it easier for people to depend on government and tougher for small businesses to succeed, its final ruling to notify and encourage employees to form unions is another example. You are ordered to post your pro-union poster by Nov. 14. Read more.

California OKs Amazon tax deal

Californa approved a sales tax reprieve for Amazon.com for a year, foregoing $200 million in tax revenue. The action recognizes the need for national Internet sales-tax standards and could expedite a federal law now under consideration. See below post on possible Main Street Fairness Act impact.

Amazon deal could speed fair taxes

The deal Amazon.com struck with California’s Legislature last week to postpone sales tax collection and payment for sales into the state through September 2012 could spark quicker acceptance of the proposed federal Main Street Fairness Act’s administrative solution. Under the deal with California, Seattle-based Amazon agreed to collect sales taxes after the 2012 deadline unless Congress approves action on Internet sales taxes before then. Read more.

See CBA's Advocacy & Action.

Stores can put God's Word in Action

A CBA Channel Exclusive in partnership with Thomas Nelson Publishing means Christian stores can help raise as much as $1.4 million to help end poverty and preventable deaths among children in the United States and worldwide. Check out how your Bible sales contribute to the mission.

CBA pushes for fair Internet taxation

CBA is supporting proposed federal legislation that would help states require Internet-only businesses to collect and remit sales and use taxes to local states. Giant corporations that use predatory practices that avoid sales taxes should be required to pay the same taxes locally owned businesses must pay.

For more, see Advocacy & Action.

Social-media marketing needs a new mindset

Retailers increasingly are using social media to connect with customers, build relationships, and increase sales. Gunnar Simonsen says people want to connect personally and authentically, and companies that want to connect with consumers need to think that way. Simonsen is helping retailers, music groups, organizations, and institutions better serve and connect with their customers using Facebook, Twitter, text-message marketing, and other social-media tools. For more click here.

Ratings help customers better understand Christian-media in stores

A CBA industry task force, in cooperation with The Dove Foundation, developed a new ratings system for Christian DVD products and film releases to help retailers better serve their customers with knowledgeable information about product content. The intent of the ratings schema is to ensure that Christian consumers understand the type of content they are purchasing from Christian stores, particularly if titles contain portrayals not usually expected in Christian media. Go to the ratings page for details.

Are you paying for sloppy PCI practices?

If you noticed a non-compliance fee tacked onto your credit-card services bill, you may not have filled out a self-assessment questionnaire to demonstrate you're compliant with credit-card security standards. Check out what you need to do by reading the full post on the CBA blog.

Posted on January 22, 2010

For the Corporate Responsibility Guidelines and Best Practices document, plus Lead Paint Rule News, click here.

Welcome to CBA

Fair-tax bill passes, U.S. House next to consider equal business treatment

Make your voice heard! End Special Loophole for Online-Only Retailers

Social-media marketing needs a new mindset

Fair-tax bill passes, U.S. House next
to consider equal business treatment