Legal

America’s leading retail industry associations announced a plan to launch an enhanced version of the Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Network, a secure national database that allows retailers to share information to combat organized retail crime.

Retail industry lobbyists in Indiana are trying to get state lawmakers to pass an online sales tax provision that they claim would result in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. The Indiana Retail Council and the Alliance for Main Street Fairness held a press conference in the Indiana Statehouse to ask for legislators’ support in requiring sites such as Amazon.com to pay sales tax.

Local retailers are heading to Beacon Hill in Boston today as part of a new fight to force e-commerce sites like Amazon, Overstock and Zappos to collect sales tax from local residents.

American Apparel Chief Executive Dov Charney is shooting down rumors that the Los Angeles clothing company is looking for a buyer. "I'm not surprised that there would be interest in the company, and at times, there has been, but it's not accurate," he said. "We're not looking and it's not going to happen."

Urban Outfitters has been sued by a shareholder who alleges company officials misled investors before the stock declined. The lawsuit claims the retailer wrongly led shareholders to believe business was going well until March 7, when it reported earnings of 13 percent less than analysts had suggested.

Overstock.com has long opposed state laws designed to force out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax merely for using in-state ad services. The company has mounted court challenges, citing Supreme Court decisions rendering these laws unconstitutional. It also has cut ties with local advertisers in all four states passing these laws.

Maybe Blockbuster stores have a future after all. Based on a list of potential bidders for the company, its stores could soon morph into foreign-owned food or phone stores.

American Apparel said it may seek bankruptcy protection after slumping sales and productivity ate into its cash. “We are currently experiencing significant liquidity constraints,” the company said.

The National Retail Federation welcomed a commitment by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. The agency will complete final swipe fee reform regulations in time for retailers to begin offering customers discounts and other benefits this summer as scheduled.

The Retail Merchants Association of New Hampshire says if the state had a sales tax, it would mean losses in revenue, sales and jobs.