WASHINGTON — The National Retail Federation (NRF) has applauded the inclusion of the “Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces (INFORM) for Consumers Act” in year-end congressional omnibus legislation.

“On behalf of the retail industry, we are extremely pleased negotiators included the INFORM Consumers Act in the omnibus package,” NRF senior vice president of government relations David French said in a statement.

“The INFORM Consumers Act will bring transparency to online marketplaces by requiring them to verify the identities of high-volume third-party sellers,” he said. “Doing so will help curb the fencing of stolen merchandise and address the sale of counterfeit goods, which are common tactics of organized retail crime (ORC) groups.”

French added that the “NRF’s 2022 National Retail Security Survey found that retail shrink, when taken as a percentage of total retail sales in 2021, accounted for $94.5 billion in losses last year.”

NRF has been a vocal advocate to pass legislation that helps curb the threat of organized retail crime.

The trade group has led industrywide efforts, including a successful grassroots campaign, in support of both the INFORM Consumers Act and the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act.