Continents Apart Blog

Joss & Main Features Zodax Via Continents Apart Lifestyles Drop Ship Flash Sale Program!

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Elegant & Seashore-Inspired Decor

Indulge your love of elegant and lovely treasures with this refined accent collection from Zodax. Showcasing pocket watch-inspired wall clocks, regal greyhound statues, sea urchin vases, fleur de lis-adorned servers, coral table lamps, and vintage lanterns, these pieces bring timeless style and antiqued appeal to your entryway, garden, three-season porch, or guest bedroom.

Click to view

Manufacturers, Importers and Wholesalers, we make it EASY for you to have sales just like this. Contact us for details!

2012 Zodax Drop Ship Lineup Including Home Furnishings,Gift,Decor Announced

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Zodax and Continents Apart Develop New and Improved Program Featuring 362 Products Drop Shipping in 2 Business Days Including New Designs By Designer Barclay Butera

Steven Husak, CEO for Continents Apart explains, “Zodax is such a magnificent line for us year in and year out. Coupled with the fact that they change up the line yearly to stay fashion forward while working with top designers such as Barclay Butera, our products are featured editorially in publications such as Rachel Zoe’s Newsletter (The Zoe Report), Elle Décor and People Magazine providing a great deal of prestige, product recognition and great sales volume to our retailers. This year having the new line available 5 months earlier and with almost 3 times the selection of past years makes that appeal even more exciting.”

About Zodax.

Zodax is an industry and trend leader. Their design philosophy is founded on a basic respect for nature’s ability to balance color, shape, and stimulate the senses. Whether it be Home Fragrance, Décor, Tabletop, Textiles, or Entertaining, each one of our items is crafted with the care, quality, and attention to detail that separates us from the competition. Their mission is to create looks and collections that are fashion forward, value driven and easily merchandised.

Zodax was founded in 1990 and has grown tremendously in size and scope over the past 21 years. Today, the company is a recognized leader in the development, design and distribution of home decorative accessories.

The versatility and depth of the Zodax line has enabled them to gain distribution with a wide and varied range of customers. Their roster includes better gift shops, eCommerce retailers, home shopping television channels, catalogs, furniture stores, restaurants, event planners, spas, décor and accessory stores, to name a few.

Zodax maintains permanent showrooms in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta. In addition to the leadership position Zodax enjoys in the American market, it also has a major presence internationally, with broad placement in Europe, Japan, Canada, The Caribbean and Latin America. In 2004 they built a fully automated, state of the art candle production facility in Southern California which secured their position as trend setter in the rapidly growing home fragrance arena.

The Mission Statement at Zodax can be stated as follows: "To be a top source for high design and high value products for every area of the home and every design-influenced aspect of living".

About Continents Apart, LLC

Based in Sarasota, FL, Continents Apart, LLC is the premier international sales and marketing representative organization specializing in the furniture, decor, lifestyles, gift and licensed sports products spaces. Their focus is on drop ship for over 33 product lines.

In addition to catering to “Mode rn Day Catalogers”, i.e. printed catalogs, television shopping networks, flash sale sites and eCommerce retailers, a substantial part of the company’s activities involves consulting to manufacturers and wholesalers entering the dropship channel to expand their distribution. More information is available through http://www.continentsapart.com/AskAQuestion.htm.

2012 Zodax Drop Ship Lineup Including Home Furnishings,Gift,Decor Announced

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Zodax and Continents Apart Develop New and Improved Program Featuring 362 Products Drop Shipping in 2 Business Days Including New Designs By Designer Barclay Butera
.

Continents Apart Lifestyles, http://www.continentsapart.com, known as “The Drop Ship Reps” has released the initial dropship lineup for Zodax for the year 2012. The complete catalog is athttp://www.continentsapart.com/vendors/zodax. This year’s release of 362 items is several months earlier than in previous years and features the largest lineup ever by far.

Steven Husak, CEO for Continents Apart explains, “Zodax is such a magnificent line for us year in and year out. Coupled with the fact that they change up the line yearly to stay fashion forward while working with top designers such as Barclay Butera, our products are featured editorially in publications such as Rachel Zoe’s Newsletter (The Zoe Report), Elle Décor and People Magazine providing a great deal of prestige, product recognition and great sales volume to our retailers. This year having the new line available 5 months earlier and with almost 3 times the selection of past years makes that appeal even more exciting.”

About Zodax.

Zodax is an industry and trend leader. Their design philosophy is founded on a basic respect for nature’s ability to balance color, shape, and stimulate the senses. Whether it be Home Fragrance, Décor, Tabletop, Textiles, or Entertaining, each one of our items is crafted with the care, quality, and attention to detail that separates us from the competition. Their mission is to create looks and collections that are fashion forward, value driven and easily merchandised.

Zodax was founded in 1990 and has grown tremendously in size and scope over the past 21 years. Today, the company is a recognized leader in the development, design and distribution of home decorative accessories.

The versatility and depth of the Zodax line has enabled them to gain distribution with a wide and varied range of customers. Their roster includes better gift shops, eCommerce retailers, home shopping television channels, catalogs, furniture stores, restaurants, event planners, spas, décor and accessory stores, to name a few.

Zodax maintains permanent showrooms in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta. In addition to the leadership position Zodax enjoys in the American market, it also has a major presence internationally, with broad placement in Europe, Japan, Canada, The Caribbean and Latin America. In 2004 they built a fully automated, state of the art candle production facility in Southern California which secured their position as trend setter in the rapidly growing home fragrance arena.

The Mission Statement at Zodax can be stated as follows: "To be a top source for high design and high value products for every area of the home and every design-influenced aspect of living".

About Continents Apart, LLC

Based in Sarasota, FL, Continents Apart, LLC is the premier international sales and marketing representative organization specializing in the furniture, decor, lifestyles, gift and licensed sports products spaces. Their focus is on drop ship for over 33 product lines.

In addition to catering to “Modern Day Catalogers”, i.e. printed catalogs, television shopping networks, flash sale sites and eCommerce retailers, a substantial part of the company’s activities involves consulting to manufacturers and wholesalers entering the dropship channel to expand their distribution. More information is available throughhttp://www.continentsapart.com/AskAQuestion.htm.

Continents Apart Unveiling New Look With Facebook Rollout

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Facebook unveils a new brands page at marketing conference - Continents Apart Begins New Campaign to Coincide...

Recognizing that retailers and brand manufacturers will be better able to personalize their Facebook pages for individual consumers, Facebook says in announcing the new page format at its first-ever Facebook Marketing Conference in New York. Continents Apart and Macy’s are among the first to move to the new format.

Facebook Inc. wants to make brand and retailer pages more personal.

The social network today launched a revamped, more visual Facebook page that features a large “cover photo” that spans the width of the page, bigger tabs than the previous format, a Friend Activity section that highlights what consumers are saying about a brand or retailer, as well as a timeline that highlights key moments in a brand’s history. Brands can also “anchor” particularly important posts, which ensures they are prominently displayed for up to seven days. The format will become mandatory on March 30.

The new format offers consumers a more personalized experience because they can see how their friends have interacted with a brand, says Facebook. For instance, if someone tags a brand in one of his posts or checks in at a bricks-and-mortar location, the people he originally shared that content with will see those interactions on the Page's timeline.

The pages mirror the Timelines that Facebook began offering consumers last month. Timelines replaces a consumer’s wall and profile with a virtual scrapbook that features a graphical and chronological timeline of events of her life on the social network, and other interests that she chooses to share, such as the bands whose concerts she has attended and the clothes she has bought.

Continents Apart CEO Steven Husak stated that, "We decided to take advantage of the roll-out by moving up the release of their new look logo that will be the start of the company's overhaul of their website and the company's story...that we are "The Lifestyles Drop Ship Reps".

Facebook is set to announce more new marketing tools and ad formats today at its first-ever Facebook Marketing Conference in New York.

This story includes information from Internet Retailer Magazine and other sources. You can view the Continents Apart page by clicking here.

http://www.furninfo.com/absolutenm/templates/News.asp?articleid=13709&zoneid=8

Continents Apart Now Exclusive Drop Shipping Reps for Classic Touch Decor

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Agreement gives Continents Apart Exclusive Right To Sell to eCommerce, Catalog and TV Home Shopping Channels Worldwide

Brooklyn, NEW YORK, USA FEB 14,2012: Effective immediately Continents Apart, LLC, known as “The first national rep group specializing in drop shipping for home, gift and Lifestyles” will assume exclusive representation of the Classic Touch Decor branded product lines by Classic Touch Decor, Inc., including their eight current lines and all future releases.
According to Classic Touch CEO Joshua Deutsch,“As the dominant supplier of gift, home, and table accessories, Classic Touch has a reputation of superior quality and customer- first focus. The professionalism and competence of the Continents Apart team make it the appropriate choice to represent these goals.”
Classic Touch Sales Manager Henry Spitzer asserts, “At Classic Touch, every staff member has a commitment to provide customers with quality and service excellence.
“This is why we sought out the skill of the Continents Apart staff, to enable us to achieve these principles in new and expanding markets.”
Continents Apart CEO Steven Husak stated that, “We are very excited to be working with a first class organization like Classic Touch, with products designed with materials that include Murano, European Lead Crystal and Swarovski to name a few in their lines of lamps, gifts, flatware, tabletop and so much more!”

About Classic Touch, Inc.
For close to a decade, Classic Touch has been the prevailing source of modern to traditional home décor, gift, and tabletop accessories.
Located in Brooklyn, NY Classic Touch has showrooms in LA, Florida, and Manhattan.
Classic Touch showcases designer centerpieces, servers, stemware, and more. Its range of products is rapidly expanding to meet the needs of its diverse clientele cross country and abroad. Yet, its mission to provide craftsmanship of excellence at lowest prices continues.
At Classic Touch, customer service is of paramount importance. Thus, upholding the values of team spirit, respect, courtesy, and reliability is the goal.
By combining innovative style and customer-first focus, Classic Touch has become the hallmark of superiority in the line of gifts. The lines include the well known collections Decos, Oriental, Relic, Tervy, Triumph, Trophy, Vivid and Wynn.

About Continents Apart, LLC

Based in Sarasota, FL, Continents Apart, LLC is a nationwide sales and marketing representative organization that specializes in the home and garden furnishings, gift and licensed sports products space. Their focus is on Drop Ship. In addition to catering printed catalogs, television shopping and eCommerce retailers, a category we refer to as “Modern Day Catalogers”, A substantial part of the company’s activities involves consulting to companies entering the dropship channel to expand their distribution. More information is available through this link.

Executive Contacts
Classic Touch:
Henry Spitzer, Sales Manager
48 Spencer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Tel: 347-362-0489

Continents Apart:
Steven J. Husak, CEO
Gardiners Bay Circle
Sarasota, FL 34238 USA
Office (951)824-6400
Fax (310)388-0301

###

eCommerce Technology Patents Battles Heat Up...Merchants Large and Small are Being Singled Out

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:44:00 GMT

E-retailers have been hit by a flurry of lawsuits and threatening letters from companies that claim to own e-commerce technology patents. Patent holders are not just targeting the biggest online retailers. Smaller merchants say they also are being singled out.

By Mark Brohan, Research Director Internet Retailer

Online retailers increasingly face e-commerce patent infringement lawsuits or the threat of litigation aimed at forcing them to pay hefty licensing fees to avoid a possible court date. And it’s not just the biggest retailers being targeted with lawsuits and threatening letters from patent holders and their lawyers.

E-commerce technology patent holders are aggressively targeting retailers ranked from 100 to 500 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, those with annual web sales that range from about $180 million to $20 million or less. In some cases, these web retailers tell Internet Retailer, they’ve been sent as many as 10 e-commerce technology patent infringement letters in the last 12 months.

The letters typically advise the online retailer they are in violation of a particular technology patent, and demand the retailer sign a licensing agreement for fees that can range from $50,000 to several hundred thousand dollars or face a possible lawsuit. “Just getting one of these letters costs me up to $25,000 to have our attorney investigate the claim and respond, and we’ve been hit by 10 of these just in the last year,” says one web merchant, who asked not to be identified. “Dealing with these threatening patent infringement letters is becoming one of my biggest cost centers.”

Patent infringement disputes are not a new industry problem, but the number and types of patent holders looking to collect licensing fees and other monetary damages from web retailers they see as illegally using their technology is accelerating. In some cases the patent holders developed the technology in question, but oftentimes they are companies who acquired patents over time through mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy auctions and built a business out of deriving licensing fees from those patents. And the patent holders aren’t afraid to take web retailers to court.

In the last several months, Select Retrieval LLC, which says it holds various patents covering site search technology, has filed suit against a number of big and smaller web merchants. The company filed its latest complaint Jan. 3 against Winchester Carpet & Rug Co., No. 356 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia. Since September, Select Retrieval LLC has filed suit against nearly 100 retailers, including 75 retailers ranked in the Top 500 Guide.

Other e-commerce technology patent holders actively filing lawsuits against web merchants or sendng infringement letters to retailers include Kelora Systems LLC, which says it holds patents for a certain type of site search application and faceted navigation; SpeedTrack Inc., which says its patents incorporate applications for document, search, analytics and related technology; and Lodsys LLC, which claims to hold various patents for e-commerce customer service and merchandising software. “Over the last 12 months there has been a flood of infringement letters and lawsuits unleashed against web retailers of all sizes and that trend has accelerated,” says David Donoghue, an attorney with Holland & Knight LLP in Chicago who specializes in retail industry patent infringement law. “Many of these companies seeking damages or a licensing agreement from smaller retailers are targeting them because oftentimes they don’t have any in-house counsel or their company lawyer is typically focused on other trends. These small retailers usually don’t have an expertise in dealing with patent law.”

It remains to be seen how aggressive online retailers, especially many smaller merchants with limited legal resources, will be in reacting to patent infringement threat. At least one online retailer who asked not to be identified says his company has spent at least $50,000 to buy a license agreement from one patent holder. The online retailer is considering several more settlements. “The cost to defend yourself against just one of these infringement threats is too prohibitive and we chose to settle and acquire a license,” the retailer says. “Now we are getting multiple threatening letters and don’t know when this will stop. These letters are a huge worry to us and a drain on resources we should be using to invest in the business.”

Patent lawyers say technology infringement complaints against online retailers escalated last summer right before the America Invents Act, an overhaul of the patent system, took effect Sept. 16. Under the new law companies filing infringement issues can no longer include numerous parties in a single complaint. Instead, each company must now be sued separately. “You can’t just roll up and lump in anyone you want to like you could before,” says Peter Brann, a partner with Lewiston, ME-based law firm Brann & Isaacson who has defended e-retailers against patent infringement claims. “Now each complaint must be entered into separately.”

The latest flurry of patent infringement court cases and threatening letters to web retailers over patent violations also raises the issue of whether merchants who purchase and use software from an e-commerce platform application developer are protected by indemnification conditions in the licensing agreements with those vendors. In some instances a customer that licenses e-commerce software may be covered for some costs and damages from intellectual property claims by an indemnification clause in its contract. “Retailers should be looking at what they have in the way of indemnification in their software contracts,” says Donoghue. “They need to know the details and formulate a plan.”

Many retailers say patent infringement threats are becoming a large and complex industry problem. But so far retailers do not appear to be moving to form a trade organization or collective body to deal with patent infringement litigation issues. “I am not aware of any trade groups being formed in our segment of the industry, but it would be a very good tactic for small online retailers to pursue,” says Bill Crutchfield, CEO and co-founder of Crutchfield Corp., who also is a vocal critic of unnecessary patent litigation. “Most don’t have the financial resources or legal sophistication to fight patent trolls on their own.” A patent troll is a term sometimes used to describe a person or company who buys and enforces patents against infringers in a way considered to be extremely aggressive.

With a wave of patent infringement problems now hitting more retailers, merchants need to keep abreast of changes to how patent law is changing, says Lee Cheng, general counsel, corporate secretary and vice president of human resources for e-retailer Newegg Inc. (No. 12). “The best thing to do is to fight each infringement issue when it comes up," says Cheng. “The worst thing would be to nothing and get labeled as a potentially easy mark.”

Newegg and Overstock.com Inc. (No. 27) won a patent infringement case involving e-commerce technology in October, a ruling that patent attorneys call significant, and which could make it harder for patent holders to pursue similar cases. Cheng will speak on patent infringement issues on June 6 from 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition in Chicago in session entitled “Fighting back against patent suits: What to do and how to do it.”

LEGAL/REGULATORY
Five retailers seek to block Akamai patent suit

WEB-ONLY
A flurry of patents suits hits AmazonLEGAL/REGULATORY

E-commerce patent suits nearly double in 2011

eCommerce Technology Patents Battles Heat Up

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

E-retailers have been hit by a flurry of lawsuits and threatening letters from companies that claim to own e-commerce technology patents. Patent holders are not just targeting the biggest online retailers. Smaller merchants say they also are being singled out.

By Mark Brohan, Research Director Internet Retailer

Continents Apart CEO to Return as Guest on The Nilon Report

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Continents Apart CEO and SPAN (Successful Professionals Alliance Network) Founder Steven Husak will be a returning guest on the Nilon Report on Monday January 16 during the 5 o'clock hour (Eastern Time), speaking about the SPAN After Hours Event coming up this Thursday and how SPAN is helping grow local businesses in the Sarasota area!

Listen at http://sarasotatalkradio.com/ or 106.9 FM or 1220 AM. Listeners may call in at (941)373-1220.

Continents Apart to be named exclusive drop ship reps for Classic Touch

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

According to Classic Touch CEO Joshua Deutsch and Continents Apart CEO Steven J. Husak an agreement has been reached and details are to follow. Continents Apart is expected to represent the entire 400+ items in the line.

Classic Touch is based in Brooklyn, NY and has showrooms has showrooms in LA, Florida, and Manhattan.

Over the past decade, Classic Touch has been the prevailing source of modern to traditional home décor, gift, and tabletop accessories.

Continents Apart is the dominant drop ship rep firm world-wide and is based in Sarasota, FL.

Continents Apart to be named exclusive drop ship reps for Classic Touch

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Classic Touch is based in Brooklyn, NY and has showrooms has showrooms in LA, Florida, and Manhattan. Over the past decade, Classic Touch has been the prevailing source of modern to traditional home décor, gift, and tabletop accessories.

Continents Apart is the dominant drop ship rep firm world-wide and is based in Sarasota, FL.

Online Retailers Surging Through Record Shattering Holiday Season

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Online shoppers have spent nearly $25 billion so far this holiday season, up 15% from a year ago, comScore says in its latest estimate. That bodes well for online purchases this week, as retailers scramble for sales as free shipping deadlines loom.

Allison Enright
Senior Editor

Consumers have spent $24.6 billion with online retailers since Nov. 1, up 15.0% from the $21.4 billion spent online at the same point a year ago, comScore Inc. says in its latest e-commerce spending estimate. The web measurement firm’s figures account for spending between Nov. 1 and Dec. 9.

Online sales for the week ending Dec. 9 reached $5.9 billion, up 15.7% from $5.1 billion for the same week last year. Last week’s sales estimates show that consumers continued to strongly shop online despite the fact that e-retailers have reduced their promotional activity level since the week following Thanksgiving.

“The most recent week of the online holiday shopping season saw growth rates remain in line with the season-to-date,” says Gian Fulgoni, chairman of comScore. He notes that sales surpassed the $1 billion mark three times last week, on Monday ($1.18 billion), Tuesday ($1.11 billion) and Thursday ($1.02 billion). The top online spending day this season remains the Monday following Thanksgiving, commonly known as Cyber Monday, at $1.25 billion. “These highlights represent another very positive sign for the holiday shopping season, as the week following ‘Cyber Week’ often experiences relative softness in spending momentum due to retailers pulling back on promotional activity.” Cyber Week is the marketing label for the week following Thanksgiving.

Consumers’ strong spending last week bodes well for sales this week, Fulgoni says. The second week in December is when e-retailers typically offer discounts or promotions aimed at luring consumers to buy with them before free shipping deadlines start to expire. Today, the second Monday in December, is sometimes referred to by marketers as Green Monday because it traditionally is one of the top online spending days of the season. Consumers on the corresponding day last year spent $954 million online, according to comScore data.

Promotional activity will continue throughout the week and nearly 1,900 e-retailers are expected to close the week Friday by participating in Free Shipping Day, a marketing event organized by the web site FreeShipping.org. Last year, 1,750 e-retailers participated in the event that promotes free shipping opportunities with e-retailers. Consumers spent approximately $942 million online on Free Shipping Day last year, which at that time made it the third-highest day for online sales ever, comScore says.

Did you know that Continents Apart is the #1 Drop Ship Rep Firm in North America?
With over 23 name brand lines, thousands of skus...we make everything simple by formatting everything to your requirements. We provide hi-res photos, descriptions in 3 different lengths & bullet points, products and packages weight and dimensions and clear, concise vendor information. Daily or weekly inventory updates depending upon your requirements. Everything can be converted into your required format.
We'd love to tell you more and have the opportunity to work with you! Our catalogs can be seen at www.ContinentsApart.com/vendors

ATG Electronics
Checkolite
Continents Apart
Cush n' Shade
Decor Kitchen
Delta
Fan Mats
Get Etched
Hitchcock-Butterfield Mirrors
Home Design
Imperial Bath
iHome
Jonathan E David Furniture
LABS
Lex Lighting
Lex classic gifts
Mad Gringo
Moen
Price Pfister
Sammy
Vibe
Zodax
Zodax Holiday 2011
2nd Look Mirror

2011 holiday shopping, comScore, Cyber Week, e-commerce spending, free shipping, Free Shipping Day, Gian Fulgoni, Green Monday, holiday promotions, holiday spending, drop shipping, Continents Apart, http://ContinentsApart.com

http://www.internetretailer.com/2011/12/12/e-retailers-power-through-holiday-season

Steven J. Husak, CEO of Continents Apart, "The Drop Ship Reps" will be live on WSRQ

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:00:00 GMT

Steven will be the guest on Spotlight On Business this Wednesday, August 31 from 5 PM to 6PM ET with hosts Kent Kirschner and Susan Nilon. You can listen online at http://sarasotatalkradio.com.... He will be discussing SPAN, the Successful Professionals Alliance Network and Continents Apart. Please call in at (941)373-1220!

"In this week’s Spotlight on Sarasota Business we feature Steven Husak and his various ventures. Join Kent and Susan as the welcome him in the studio to talk about the various businesses in which he is involved.

Steven is the CEO of Continents Apart, LLC.; President of Board of Directors at The Hamptons HOA; Founder of SPaN — Successful Professionals Alliance Network; Founder – Parental and Children’s Rights on Meetup; and Founder of Drop Ship Network on LinkedIn
Following a successful international career turning around companies in Europe, Asia, Bermuda & North America Steven has become a sought after speaker, having been the keynote speaker for conventions and annual general meetings for organizations such as the Society of Interior Designers (BSID)and the Physiotherapists Association (BPA) on topics such as effective use of space vs. efficient use of space and ergonomics. He has been awarded numerous industry awards for customer focus and sales volume.
He is also sought after as a consultant by several major multi-national corporations.
Steven has led successful turnarounds of failing or under-performing companies and business units in Europe, North America, Bermuda and Asia, primarily in the Commercial Furniture, Residential Furniture and Accessories industries."

http://sarasotatalkradio.com/?p=1037

CONTINENTS APART, DROP SHIP NETWORK,SARASOTA, SPAN, STEVEN HUSAK

Federal sales tax bill introduced by Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) would end eTailers advantage over local retailers.

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 04:00:00 GMT

If passed, the legislation would overturn the status quo backed by a 1992 Supreme Court decision that prevents states from forcing Internet retailers to collect sales tax unless they have an in-state physical presence.

The Direct Marketing Association and the online retail group NetChoice, contend that a nationwide sales tax would stifle e-commerce—which for many multichannel retailers is their fastest growing channel.

Paul DemeryManaging Editor

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) today introduced a bill that would require all retailers to collect sales tax. If passed, the legislation would overturn the status quo backed by a 1992 Supreme Court decision that prevents states from forcing Internet retailers to collect sales tax unless they have an in-state physical presence.

“Main Street retailers collect sales taxes on behalf of consumers, why shouldn’t online retailers do the same?” Durbin said in announcing his legislation. “In 2012, states across the country, including Illinois, are expected to lose as much as $24 billion in uncollected state and local taxes on internet and catalogue sales. From 2005 to 2010 the state of Illinois estimated it lost $153 million each year. The Main Street Fairness Act doesn’t ask anyone to pay a single penny more in taxes. Instead, it would help governors and mayors collect taxes that are already owed.”
The bill was applauded today by both Amazon.com Inc. and the National Retail Federation, a trade group for bricks-and-mortar retailers.

The legislation is designed to authorize states to mandate sales tax collection by all retailers if the states participate in the Streamlined Sales Tax Project, or SST, which is an effort under which states are simplifying their sales tax laws to make it easier for retailers to collect sales tax across multiple states. There are 45 states plus the District of Columbia with a state sales tax; in Alaska, sales tax is charge by some cities. More than 20 states currently participate in the SST.
In a letter today to Durbin, Amazon’s vice president for global public policy, Paul Misener, wrote, “Thank you for your bill that would allow states that sufficiently simplify their rules to require collection of sales tax by out-of-state sellers … Amazon looks forward to working with you and your colleagues in Congress to help enact sales tax legislation.”
David French, senior vice president for government relations at the NRF, many of whose members already collect sales tax on web transactions because they operate physical stores, says the bill will create a more level playing field for all retailers regarding the prices they charge to customers. “We believe there should be a level playing field where all retailers follow the same rules regardless of whether they sell their merchandise in a bricks-and-mortar store, through the mail or online,” he says. “This bill would end a situation where Internet sellers have held an unfair price advantage over local stores for far too long. Tax policy should be channel neutral and not favor one segment of an industry over another.”
Other retail groups, however, including the Direct Marketing Association and the online retail group NetChoice, contend that a nationwide sales tax would stifle e-commerce—which for many multichannel retailers is their fastest growing channel. While Durbin cites a study from the University of Tennessee that projects states could gain more than $23 billion in revenue by 2012 through a nationwide Internet retail sales tax system, other studies put that estimate much lower.
Brian Bieron, senior director, federal government relations and global public policy at eBay Inc., which operates the world’s largest e-marketplace for mostly small independent sellers, says the Main Street Fairness bill would hurt small retailers. “The giant retailers jockeying for new Internet sales taxes have national store networks that they combine with their major online sales platforms, a business model they know brings some tax collection duties,” he says. “Forcing small businesses to take on the same costs and tax burdens as national retail businesses is unrealistic, unfair and will unbalance the playing field between giant retailers and small business retailers on the Internet.”
http://www.internetretailer.com/2011/07/29/federal-sales-tax-bill-introduced

Facebook Faces Antitrust Pressure For Promoting Its New Virtual Currency

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:25:00 GMT

Consumer Watchdog calls for a federal investigation into Facebook Credits.

Thad Rueter

Senior Editor

Consumer Watchdog, a nonpartisan advocacy group, has asked the Federal Trade Commission to launch an antitrust investigation of Facebook Credits, the social network’s virtual currency. The call comes right before Facebook Inc., on Friday, requires all developers of social games that appear on its site to include Facebook Credits as a payment option for the purchase of virtual goods that players can use in those games.

“Consumer Watchdog believes that Facebook is engaging in anticompetitive and unfair business practices in the market for virtual goods,” writes Harvey Rosenfield, the group’s founder, in a letter to the FTC. Specifically, the advocacy group says the terms Facebook imposes on game developers regarding the virtual currency will enable the social network to maintain a monopoly over the market for virtual goods used in social games.

Consumers generally can play games for free on Facebook. Players use Facebook Credits to buy virtual goods within games—say, extra life for a wounded video game character, or equipment for a virtual farm. Consumers can use payment cards to buy Facebook Credits; $1 buys 10 credits, though consumers can receive bonus credits for bulk purchases. (Online retailers also use Credits as promotional tools, such as rewards for purchases.)

As of Friday, developers can still include their own in-game currencies on Facebook, but consumers will have to purchase those currencies through Facebook Credits. Because Facebook commands at least 60% of the virtual goods market when it comes to social gaming, Consumer Watchdog says, the requirement means that the social network will extend its monopoly in this area via the new Credits policy.

Consumer Watchdog objects to several parts of Facebook’s terms for Credits. For instance, the social networks takes a 30% cut of Facebook Credit transactions; Consumer Watchdog says the fee for using the mandated virtual currency will make it difficult for smaller, less well-funded developers to compete on Facebook against larger developers.

The letter says Facebook also will prohibit developers from offering virtual goods and currency discounts outside Facebook—that is, offering their gaming products for lower prices elsewhere. Consumer Watchdog says because most developers cannot afford to lose access to Facebook, the rule works to ensure higher prices for virtual goods and stifle competition.

“The effect of these terms is to create a barrier to competition between social game developers, and between potential competitors to Facebook—social networks or web sites operating as a platform for games,” the complaint reads.

Facebook did not respond to requests for comment. While estimates vary, most observers agree the virtual goods market is booming, with consumers expected to spend $2.1 billion on such digital products in 2011, up 40% from 2009, according to a projection from social media research firm Inside Network; some $840 million of that total will come from social gaming. Based on the fees it might earn from spending by social gamers, Facebook could take in at least $250 million from virtual goods purchasing by its members this year, according to a rough estimate.

Another sign of the power of the virtual goods market came earlier this week, when marketing firm Ifeelgoods, which enables e-retailers to offer digital rewards such as Facebook Credits in marketing promotions, said it has raised $6.5 million in new funding. Ifeelgoods, which launched in September, has signed such retailers as Shoebuy.com, No. 87 in the Internet Retailer Top 500, Gap (24), 1-800-Flowers (45) and Gamefly.com (155).

The Consumer Watchdog complaint raises the stakes of the complaint by bringing up the possibility that consumers eventually will use Facebook Credits for a host of other digital goods. Already, consumers can use Facebook Credits for non-gaming purchases, including Facebook Deals, the social network’s daily deal offering. “Analysts predict that Facebook Credits will eventually become a payment method outside of Facebook, usable for purchases of virtual goods on other platforms Facebook forms partnerships with, or even for purchases of tangible goods from web sites integrated with Facebook,” the complaint says.

But at this month’s Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition 2011 in San Diego, David Fisch, Facebook’s director of business development, said that the social network does not have plans to expand the use of Credits to tangible merchandise.

Check out our page on Facebook and please click to "Like" us! http://www.facebook.com/Continents.Apart

http://www.internetretailer.com/2011/06/29/facebook-faces-antitrust-pressure-credits

Google’s search and ad services become the target of a U.S. antitrust investigation

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:34:00 GMT

The Federal Trade Commission issues a subpoena to the search engine giant.

Thad Rueter, Senior Editor

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has opened an antitrust investigation into Google Inc.’s search and advertising business.

In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the search engine giant says it has received a subpoena and notice of civil investigative demand from the FTC. “It’s still unclear what the FTC’s concerns are,” writes Amit Singhal, Google fellow, in a blog posting today. The FTC offered no immediate comment.

Unclear, too, is what the investigation might mean for online retailers. “In the short term, I don’t see any impact on retail advertisers, but I do think Google may revise some policies as the probes go deeper into the company,” says Kevin Lee, CEO of search marketing firm Didit.

He says the FTC probe might touch upon multiple areas of search, including Google’s methods of punishing what it considers “black hat” search engine optimization tactics, such as when retailers pay for inbound links from other web sites in an effort to increase that retailer’s search rankings, as Overstock.com recently tried do with university-affiliated bloggers. When Google found out earlier this year, the search engine pushed down Overstock’s natural search rankings for about six weeks; Overstock said the punishment resulted in a 5% revenue drop during that period.

“Google can of course change its organic search algorithm at any time,” Lee said. “However, when folks buy or trade to get links to manipulate the results, most people believe that Google must simply attempt to invalidate the links it believes are gamed rather than punish the organization it believes purchased links. Otherwise an incentive to further game the ecosystem exists—for example, Wal-Mart could buy links to Target to get Target penalized or punished.”

Singhal, in the blog, said that Google will continue to follow a principle of transparency when it comes to search. “We share more information about how our rankings work than any other search engine, through our Webmaster Central site, blog, diagnostic tools, support forum, and YouTube,” he writes. “We also give advertisers detailed information about the ad auction and tips to improve their ad quality scores.”

Late last year, the European Commission launched its own antitrust investigation of Google over allegations that it lowered the natural search rankings of companies that compete with Google properties, including Microsoft-owned Ciao, U.K.-based price comparison site Foundem, and French legal search engine ejustice.fr.

Google accounted for nearly 80% of spending on paid search ads by U.S. retailers in the first quarter of 2011, with Microsoft’s Bing accounting for the rest, according to IgnitionOne, a digital marketing company formerly known as SearchIgnite.

“For paid search, there is no doubt that Google commands the lion’s share of the market,” says Craig Macdonald, chief marketing officer of Covario Inc., a search services and technology vendor. "Antitrust suits are brought when market power leads to monopolistic pricing. The interesting issue with Google is that its ability to enforce monopolistic pricing is very limited given the way its system works—the auction allows the advertisers to set pricing—and Google, for the most part, stays out of it.”

He expects, however, the antitrust probe to focus on Google’s natural search results, which, Google says, aim to return the most relevant answers to consumers. “Relevancy is a debatable standard and the relevancy goals of the consumers and the advertisers are going to always be at odds,” he says. If the FTC determines that Google has created what he calls an unlevel playing field, the government then might force Google to disclose more information about its closely held algorithms and algorithmic changes that determine search rankings, he adds.

“Advertisers should expect that the ability of Google to continue to innovate through acquisition of other technologies and companies will slow,” Macdonald says, adding that Google is facing the same type of antitrust scrutiny experienced in recent years by the likes of Microsoft and Yahoo.

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http://www.internetretailer.com/2011/06/24/us-investigates-googles-search-and-ad-services