NEW YORK (AP) — Some of the country's largest retailers are banding together in hopes of protecting consumers' personal and financial information from hackers and thieves.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association, along with several top retailers ranging from Gap Inc. to Walgreen Co., on Wednesday launched an intelligence sharing center focused on the prevention of cybercrimes against retailers.

RILA says the center will allow retailers to share information about data breaches and potential threats and also inform members of law enforcement and industry analysts.

Other participating retailers include Nike Inc., Lowes Cos. and Target Corp., which was hit with a massive data breach at the height of last year's holiday shopping season. The incident touched millions of Americans who shop at the retailer's stores and shined a spotlight on the growing problem of cybercrime.