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Facts - Archives -
Month of April 2011Current
Week
April 15, 2011
Finance Committee Gearing up for Vote on Governor’s Tax
Package
Members Call your Legislators
Lean and Green Update
Retail News and Notes
• With a deadline of April 27th looming, the Finance Revenue
and Bonding Committee is looking towards next Thursday as the
day they vote out their version of a tax package.
• And it may look an awful lot like what the Governor has
proposed.
• The Co-Chairs of the Finance Committee have been very tight
lipped about what is and is not in their package so we can
only assume that everything we hate about the tax package and
there is a lot, is still viable.
• CRMA lobbyist will continue to pound away at members of the
General Assembly and of the Finance Committee, but we need
your help.
Members Call your Legislators
• We need you to please reach out and contact your State
Representative and State Senator today and tell them that you
oppose the changes that the Governor has proposed in his tax
package.
• Here are the major talking points that you can use:
• The Governor’s tax package asked for too much shared
sacrifice on the retail industry.
• He proposes increasing the overall sales tax rate, which
would be ok, not something we like but something we understand
given the State’s fiscal situation, but he compounds the
burden on retailers and consumers by:
• Eliminating the clothing exemption allowance.
• Imposing a first in the nation luxury tax on clothing and
jewelry.
• Changes to the way coupons are calculated.
• Elimination of the sales tax holiday.
• All of these changes will force more customers to shop
ONLINE or out of state, where nobody benefits. Not the state
and certainly not the retailer.
• Remind your State legislator that you are located here in CT
and that you contribute to the State’s economy by providing
jobs and paying your fair share of taxes.
• And remind them THAT YOU CAN’T JUST MOVE YOUR STORE TO
ANOTHER STATE!
• If you have any questions about who your State legislator is
please call our office today and we will give you that
information.
• Please reach out to them TODAY. It is very important.
• Thank you.
Lean and Green Update
• Here is a friendly reminder about our Lean and Green
campaign.
• The "Lean & Green" energy efficiency program is helping
retailers and other businesses save energy and money.
• Learn how you can join the thousands of other Connecticut
retailers and small businesses who have cut their overhead and
reduced their energy costs!
• Participants in the program receive a no-cost energy
assessment that shows what efficiency measures they need to
take in order to lower their energy costs.
• Financial incentives are available to all participants and
interest-free financing is available for qualified retailers.
Most program participants see a net monthly savings even after
factoring in any costs for energy efficiency measures!
• “Lean & Green" – CRMA’s Energy Efficiency Program is now on
Facebook! You can find us on facebook by searching for "Lean &
Green CT Retail Merchants Association” Please visit our site
and make sure you "Like" us.
Retail News and Notes
•
Home Depot's charitable arm to improve veterans' housing
The Home Depot Foundation will shift much of its charitable
giving from organizations that build new homes for low-income
people to focus on improving housing for military veterans.
The philanthropic arm of the home-improvement retailer said it
plans to contribute $30 million during the next three years to
organizations that rehabilitate housing for veterans.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (4/13)        
•
Are consumers better prepared for high fuel costs now?
Consumers who weathered sticker shock at the pump when prices
broke the $3 barrier and stayed there in 2008 may be more
prepared this time around, with middle- and upper-income
consumers likely to absorb the higher prices with few changes
to their shopping habits, say some industry experts. For lower
income consumers, the estimated $750 more they'll spend on gas
this year may mean a continuation of the recession-era rivalry
between discount chains and dollar stores.
CNBC (4/13) 
•
Three-quarters of U.S. women claim to be bargain hunters,
about 76% of women say they're bargain hunters, with 10%
claiming to enjoy the challenge while 40% say they do it to
save money on a limited budget, according to a national survey
in Consumers Union's ShopSmart magazine. Additionally, 65% say
they'll wait for a sale before making a purchase, and 37%
profess to feeling guilty for paying full price.
Yahoo!/LiveScience (4/12)
April 8, 2011
OPM Secretary Barnes Guest at CRMA Board Meeting
Tax Package Still Undecided
CRMA Successful in Moving Internet Bill out of Committee
Other News and Notes from the Capitol
Member Services Update
Retail News and Notes
• This past Tuesday, OPM Secretary Ben Barnes was a guest
speaker at the CMRA 1st Qtr. Board Meeting.
• We appreciate Sec. Barnes taking time away from his schedule
to meet with us. We had a very candid, direct give and take
with him about the retail industry’s deep concern over the
Malloy tax package.
• We reviewed each of the 5 major portions of the tax package
that will negatively impact retailers and our customers:
elimination of the clothing exemption allowance, changes to
the way coupons are taxed, a first in the nation luxury tax on
clothing and jewelry, elimination of the sales tax free week
and the overall increase in the sales tax rate.
• Sec. Barnes of course, made no concessions to us during the
meeting, only to say that he was meeting weekly with the
co-chairs of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committees about
the tax package and he was sure that these items would
continue to come up in those meetings.
• And, that he would share our concerns with the Governor.
Tax Package Still Undecided
• Of course we have been constantly contacting and speaking to
members of the Finance Committee as well regarding the tax
package and the word we are hearing is that no decisions have
been made yet.
• But, the Committee is working hard behind the scenes to work
up a package so we know that we need to keep the pressure on
legislators.
• The Finance Committee has until April 27th, to make a final
recommendation regarding the tax package.
• One thing we have heard is that whatever the Committee
ultimately decides to do they would like that to be the final
package considered with little or no changes after the bill
gets out of Committee.
• Keep the pressure on!
• All the more reason for us to keep contacting legislators to
let know of our concerns with the proposed changes.
• We continue to urge members to reach out to their local
legislators.
• Even if you have already done so once, do it again. Let them
know that if any of the 5 changes mentioned above go into law,
it would really hurt your business.
• Tell them we understand that there must be a shared
sacrifice made on the part of all Connecticut residents, but
this is too much of one industry to share.
• If you are not sure who your state representative or state
senator is, please call our office today and we will give you
that information. It has a great impact when you call or write
your legislator so please do so today!
CRMA Successful in Moving Internet Bill
out of Committee
• We are very pleased to report today that the Finance
Committee took our recommendations and passed overwhelming out
of committee yesterday, HB 6624 “AAC the Collection and
Remittance of the Sales Tax by Remote Sellers”.
• This bill is an important victory for brick and mortar
retailers because if passed by both chambers and signed by the
Governor, it will force online retailers with affiliates in CT
to charge customers the same sales tax that you do.
• Simply put, it levels the playing field, and allows everyone
to compete at the same level – which is all that anybody can
ask for.
• We want to thank ALL of the members of the Finance, Revenue
and Bonding Committees who voted in favor of this bill. We
still have a ways to go, but this is a big first step.
Other News and Notes from the Capitol
• Still no agreement between the Governor and state employees
on concessions.
• The Governor is preparing for the worst and has instructed
Sec. Barnes to get agencies ready in case he has to lay folks
off.
Read more here
• Also, no movement on the paid sick leave bill.
• All of our eyes continue to be on the Finance Committee as
their deadline looms, but don’t forget that the spending side
of the budget also has to take some action too.
• The Appropriations Committee has until April the 26th to
vote out their version of the Malloy budget and that should be
fun too.
• We will keep everybody updated on all the comings and goings
of the Legislature during our next Legislative Committee call
that is scheduled for next Wednesday April l3, 2011 at 11:00
EST.
• We will send a reminder notice out early next week. Call us
if you would like more information.
Member Services Update
• Join the Group today!
• CRMA and Hanover Insurance have teamed up to form a
Retailer’s only Workers Compensation Safety Group that offers
members upfront discounts and the possibility of a dividend on
the back end.
• The program is gaining some momentum, with 3 new members
this year already and a number still pending.
• If you are interested in learning more about the Group, give
Cathy in office a call today at 860-527-1044 or email her at
cathy@crmaonline.com
Retail News and Notes
•
Retailers report better-than-expected March sales
Retail sales in March proved stronger than economists and
analysts expected, according to same-store sales reports from
several national chains on Thursday. Costco, B.J.'s Wholesale
Club, Limited Brands and teen retailer Zumiez were among those
reporting higher-than-expected March sales, while chains
including Target and Hot Topic reported drops that weren't as
steep as analysts feared. Higher gas prices, chillier weather
and an Easter holiday that falls three weeks later than last
year had some industry watchers predicting the first monthly
same-store sales decline since August 2009.
The Wall Street Journal (4/7),
The Washington Post/The Associated Press (4/7),
Reuters (4/7)
•
Target calls for Canada stores to push total sales over $100
billion
Target's plan to open about 200 stores in Canada in the coming
years is likely to eventually add about $6 billion in annual
sales and take the retail chain's revenue past the $100
billion mark for the first time, Chief Financial Officer
Douglas Scovanner said Wednesday. In January, Target announced
plans to take over leases at 220 Zellers stores from owner
Hudson's Bay in a deal valued at $1.83 billion, and start
turning them into Target stores in 2013.
National Post (Canada)/Reuters (4/6)
•
Walgreen sponsors 5,000 walking events
Walgreen is encouraging shoppers to exercise by sponsoring
5,000 walking events nationwide. Consumers can earn discounts
from partner brands by tracking steps online. "We're not just
saying we stand for wellness in an ad; we're getting out into
local communities and proving it," said Leslie Meredith,
account director at Arc Worldwide, which created the program.
MediaPost Communications/Marketing Daily (4/6),
Drug Store News (4/6)
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