WASHINGTON, April 4, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Shop.org, the online division of the National Retail Federation (NRF), announced today that Joan Broughton has joined the organization as Vice President of Content and Education. In this position, Broughton will create and deliver valuable and relevant information to all Shop.org members and continue to build on the organization's deep history as a community and network for online retailing. She will oversee all Shop.org events, which include speakers, format, content, and networking for all its conferences, retailer-only workshops, tele-seminars, and regional events and meetings. Broughton will also oversee Shop.org research and publications.
"Shop.org prides itself on delivering the very best content, education and information-sharing opportunities to our members," said Shop.org Executive Director Scott Silverman. "Adding an accomplished e-commerce executive and Internet veteran like Joan to our team demonstrates the importance Shop.org places on the delivery of relevant and valuable information to our members."
Broughton comes to Shop.org from REI, where she was Vice President of Multi-channel Programs. There she managed website operations and REI Adventures. She also launched the "order online, pickup at a store" option for customers, and implemented a number of web services for REI customers. Prior to REI, Broughton worked with Office Depot where she was Director of Web Publishing and has spent more than 12 years in the online and Internet industry including roles at O'Reilly & Associates and America Online. Broughton was elected by the Shop.org membership to serve on the organization's Board of Directors for a two-year term between 2003 through 2005.
"I had the pleasure of working with Joan when she served on the Shop.org Board of Directors. We worked closely together on the Executive Committee and I have seen first-hand the vision, experience and insights into Internet and multichannel retailing that Joan brings to Shop.org and its members," said Elaine Rubin, Shop.org Chairman and Vice President, Enterprise Solutions, Amazon Services. "It is Shop.org's excellent reputation as the leading association for online retailers and an authority in the industry that allowed Shop.org to attract an industry icon like Joan."
"I'm very excited to be joining the Shop.org staff," said Broughton. "As an e-commerce professional, one of my main goals was to improve the customer experience when people used the Web to research or buy products. At Shop.org, the 'customers' are the members and I look forward to improving the already excellent products and services that Shop.org provides.
"As a Shop.org member, I learned so much from my fellow members. I hope to keep learning and to help Shop.org members learn from one another so that they can become more successful in their careers as online professionals," Broughton continued.
Shop.org is the network for retailers online. Its 600 members include the 10 largest retailers in the U.S., and 70 percent of the Internet Retailer Top 100 E-Retailers. It's where the best retail minds come together to gain the insight, knowledge, and intelligence to make smarter, more informed decisions in the evolving world of the Internet and multichannel retailing. Founded in 1996, Shop.org became a division of the National Retail Federation in January, 2001. Shop.org programs and activities include benchmarking research, events and networking communities. Shop.org produces the largest eCommerce trade shows in the world, which are all conceived and directed by its members.
The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet, independent stores, chain restaurants, drug stores and grocery stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services. NRF represents an industry with more than 1.4 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 23 million employees -- about one in five American workers -- and 2005 sales of $4.4 trillion. As the industry umbrella group, NRF also represents more than 100 state, national and international retail associations. www.nrf.com.