Back in 1994, when Amazon was just a book seller, online sales tax was a thought as far away as standard same-day delivery. But today, the biggest online retailer and its constituents—eBay, Etsy, Walmart—are keeping states from collecting billions of dollars in tax revenue, and they aren't too happy about it. 

According to the National Retail Federation, 45 states lose a combined estimated $24 billion annually from unreported internet purchases. In turn, the Marketplace Fairness Act—legislation that would force online merchants to collect sales tax for America's approximately 9,600 state and local taxing authorities—was recently approved by the US Senate. While e-commerce giants like Amazon and Walmart support the bill, others like eBay, which have large communities of sellers, are fighting back against the mandate. 

eBay CEO John Donahoe is reportedly sending emails to the site's 40 million users asking them to email Congress and let them know that the Marketplace Fairness Act is actually unfair to online small business owners, and places an inordinate amount of burden on sellers, who should be exempt.Continue reading...

NYSE Euronext is in merger talks with the IntercontinentalExchange. (Update: Sold!)

Foursquare starts using Facebook data for recommendations.

General Mills announces more than 100 new products for 2013.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos among retail leaders honored by NRF.

Apple feels heat in Brazil over iPhone brand and sees "pinch to zoom" patent rejected.

Barack Obama pledges to take action on gun control.

Best Buy digital chief resigns.

Darden takes new tack to spur U.S. restraurant brands.

Deutsche Bank image remake suffers.

Disney raises bar on customer experience with new Fantasy Land.

eBay stops advertising inside mobile apps.Continue reading...

You think only your friends are checking out your social-media postings? Think again. Checking out what the hoi polloi is putting up on social-media sites is a window into what the American culture is thinking a feeling. That’s a goldmine for the thinking person’s marketer.

One of those marketers apparently works at Amazon.com Inc.’s Zappos. The site, known for its shoe sales, has partnered with Pinterest to create a new site called PinPointing that will suggest Zappos products to consumers based on their Pinterest posts.Continue reading...

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble no more on eBay after August 30th.

Sales of all potions, psychic readings, voodoo dolls and “powerful money and wealth” spells will no longer be sold by eBay.com, the online auction and shopping website founded in 1995, one of the most noted success stories of the original dot-com era and a multi-billion dollar global business.

Gone, gone, gone will be a “magical demon destroyer potion” ($51), “Windfall Money Riches Fortune Gambling Good Luck Spell” ($8.99), a “djinn genie potion” ($14.97), “powerful spell of vampire transformation” ($15.68), and the “powerful female succubus lover spell” ($24.99).

Any attempts (no matter their sphere of origin or personage) to sell items of this nature will be blocked, and by September 1, eBay.com will return to selling flatware, toys, garden supplies, and the other pedestrian paraphernalia of this planet. Continue reading...

A&P to make CEO its spokesman in new marketing campaign.

Bed Bath & Beyond sees novelty in buying Cost Plus.

Brad Pitt is the new face of Chanel No. 5.

Burger King spurs sales with turnaround efforts.

Cadillac to debut instrument console that functions like an iPad.

Cisco sees grim outlook for tech sector.

Coca-Cola redefines its marketing around Super Bowl, and signs Danica Patrick as ambassador.Continue reading...

In a bid to outdo last year's April Fool's Day jokes, a few April Foolin' Around branded fake gags today include:

• Richard Branson's next adventure, Virgin Volcanic, will take the intrepid billionaire to the center of the earth with Tom Hanks;

• in addition to really advanced search and Google TV Click, perennial prankster Google brings its self-driving car to NASCAR racing (above) and, below, announces Morse Code-based Gmail Tap (double your typing speed!) with LL Cool J, plus 8-bit Google Maps for the neglected Nintendo Entertainment System, and more:Continue reading...

We have already taken a long look at the extensive official merchandise from the phenomenal film The Hunger Games. Now, a look at a few things that fans can pick up that do not bear the stamp of approval from Lionsgate, Scholastic or any other Hunger Games copyright holder. To Etsy we go!

First up (above): The Hunger Games Capitol Serving Platter ($35) Serve up some delicious nosh during your next Reaping watch party!Continue reading...

Pinterest, the virtual pin board at the crossroads of social and style, covered here in December when the buzz was reaching fever pitch, has burgeoned into a marketplace for consumer brands, offering a visual and demonstrable platform for engagement.

A wide range of major brands are using Pinterest to engage fans through social curation and as an online focus group to see what clicks with consumers, including:Continue reading...