The National Retail Federation, one of the world’s largest retail trade association, recently founded an
e-commerce group called the Internet Commerce Council.
Members include business development executives from leading e-commerce companies. The NRF said the new group’s mission is to help its retail members
evaluate their choices among Internet retailing solutions.
Initial activities will focus on Internet-related customer service, marketing
and merchandising issues being addressed by NRF’s existing Internet Retailing
Advisory Council. NRF’s IRAC includes interactive executives from more
than 40 NRF member companies.
Founding members of the ICC include IBM (IBM) and Oracle Corp. (ORCL) along with Be Free Inc., eGain Communications, Intel, Netcentives and Net Perceptions.
“As retailers do business on the Web, they often have [of NRF. “The ICC will
provide a forum for NRF members to discuss strategic issues and share ideas
to determine the solutions that best fit their needs.”
The OCC is open to NRF Associate members who develop tools that enable and enhance Internet retailing.
“The ICC provides a powerful complement to NRF’s IRAC,” said Pat Barry, CFO and executive vice president of operations at Bluefly.com and an IRAC founding member.
“With the IRAC’s focus on online marketing, merchandising and marketing
issues, and the ICC’s focus on the tools that enable and enhance these
critical retail processes , these groups provide a natural place for Internet
retailers and e-commerce vendors to come together to discuss and act upon a
variety of e-commerce issues.”
ICC co-chairs are Michael Hungerford of eGain and Pat George of Be Free. The council will meet again during
the NRF’s upcoming e-commerce and Internet retailing event, NRF.com —
Retailing and Technology in the New Economy — to be held at the Philadelphia
Convention Center, Sept. 26 – 29.
