As if independent bookstores don't have enough to deal with, trying to compete with Amazon, the giant online retailer has just introduced a new app that will make it even harder to compete. The free price check app allows readers to scan a book in a store and then price check it against Amazon AND get a 5% discount (up to $5.) for doing so. So, take advantage of a bookstore, shop their products, see, touch, scan through the books you want before buying from Amazon. The Retail Industry Leaders Association is leading the charge against this new app, saying,
“Amazon’s aggressive promotion of its Price Check App shows the lengths they are willing to go to exploit this tax loophole, and is a stark reminder of why Congress needs to act to protect retailers on Main Street. A failure to act is an implicit endorsement of a subsidy of Amazon, a subsidy that distorts the free market and puts jobs on Main Street at risk,” - Katherine Lugar, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs (Read the rest of the press release here)
Whether or not Amazon is stopped (doubtful at this point), it does appear that this action will help push the collection of sales tax for internet sales into the realm of reality.
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