<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;line-height:130%"> Arlington, VA</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By Eric Anderson<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">3.14.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/retail-association-leaders-association-banner.jpg" alt="03/14/2013 - IMAGES" />Despite obstacles caused by extreme weather in the Northeast in February, retail sales exceeded expectations, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Sales for February totaled $421.4 billion, up 4.6% from last year’s figure.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img class="small-cropped-image" src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacySmallCroppedImages/sandy-kennedy.jpg" alt="03/14/2013 - IMAGES" />“While gasoline prices helped lift the overall sales in February, core retail sales were also strong and demonstrate the resilience of consumers in a slowly recovering economy,” said Retail Industry Leaders Association President Sandy Kennedy. “Recognizing the continued challenges consumers face, retailers remain nimble, adjusting marketing, promotions and product assortments to earn their share of consumer spending.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Gorcery retailers saw substantial growth in February, while sales at department stores, sporting goods retailers, and home furnishing retailers slipped over the previous month, according to a press release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The February retail sales gains come as retailers draw closer to action on federal legislation to level the playing field between brick and mortar retailers and their online-only competitors. Non-store retailers were up 15.7% February of last year as many continue to exploit a loophole that allows them to avoid collecting the state sales tax due on every sale made. This special treatment gives them a perceived price advantage over brick and mortar stores, in some states as high as ten percent. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Bipartisan legislation, known as the Marketplace Fairness Act, under consideration in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, is gaining momentum and is likely to receive consideration soon as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle argue that government should stop distorting the marketplace and treat all retailers the same, whether they are online or on Main Street.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.rila.org/Pages/default.aspx" target="_new">Retail Industry Leaders Association</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
