News
The Online Sellers’ Bill of Rights Sounds Good. Sellers Should Look More Closely.
A “Bill of Rights” for online sellers sounds like something every small business should support. If you sell on an online marketplace, you should know why your account was suspended, have a meaningful opportunity to appeal a decision, and get clear information when marketplace policies change. No legitimate seller should be left wondering what happened…
Texas Small Businesses Celebrate the End of Tax on Online Marketplace Fees
AUSTIN (Sept. 30, 2026) — Texas small business owners today applauded Comptroller Don Huffines for ending the state’s taxes on marketplace fees tied to sellers offering products on platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. Comptroller Huffines signed an executive order directing the Comptroller’s office to amend Rule 3.330 and remove marketplace and platform fees from…
3C Urges FTC to Protect Small Businesses’ Access to Digital Pricing and Promotional Tools
The Connected Commerce Council (3C) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) Proposed Enforcement Policy Statement on Personalized Pricing. 3C represents digitally empowered small businesses, many of which use digital pricing, promotional, and customer-engagement tools to compete with larger businesses. 3C supports the Commission’s efforts to protect consumers from deceptive or…
3C Responds to Release of Remedies Following Ruling in Google Adtech Case
WASHINGTON (Sept. 17, 2026) — Connected Commerce Council (3C) Executive Director Rob Retzlaff released the following statement in response to the remedies released by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema in the wake of the Court’s Sept. 2 ruling in the Google Adtech remedies trial. “The court’s decision to reject a highly disruptive breakup of…
California Small Businesses Breathe Sigh of Relief at Failure of Bill That Would Have Made It Harder to Offer Popular Discounts
SACRAMENTO (Sept. 4, 2026) — California small businesses today welcomed news that a sweeping data-informed pricing bill, AB 2564, failed to pass the state legislature this session. The bill, which proposed strict limitations and broad disclosure requirements on data-informed pricing practices, would have made it harder for small businesses to offer common discounts and promotions…
Texas Comptroller Commits to Addressing Tax Concerns Raised by Small Businesses
AUSTIN (Sept. 4, 2026) — After a roundtable discussion with small business owners, Comptroller Don Huffines today committed to working with them to address concerns about Texas Rule 3.330, which taxes the fees sellers pay online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. “I’m grateful these business owners took the time to meet with me on…
3C Statement Regarding DOJ Ad Tech Ruling
Statement from Connected Commerce Council Executive Director Rob Retzlaff in response to today’s ruling in the DOJ Google ad tech case: 3C and small business advertisers applaud Judge Brinkema for rejecting the DOJ’s radical proposal to break apart Google’s integrated display advertising stack. Google powers affordable, effective advertising that helps small businesses find new customers…
New Pricing Technologies Help Small Businesses — But Overly Broad Legislation Could Ban Them
Small businesses often operate on razor-thin margins. Rising costs, economic uncertainty, and fierce competition mean there is little room for error when pricing goods and services. But setting the right price can be extremely difficult for small business owners. A recent survey from Intuit QuickBooks found that accurately predicting costs and profit margins is the…
“If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It”
3C talks with James Kelly, co-founder of Seattle-based Woolly Clothing, about how digital tools helped him build a successful apparel business Tell us about Woolly Clothing. What inspired you to start the business? I started Woolly Clothing in 2012. At the time, I was working at Amazon and learning about e-commerce and all the cool…