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August 11, 2010

An open letter to the digital retail community from Shop.org executive director Scott Silverman:

I’m very fortunate. That’s how I feel about the last decade I spent as Shop.org’s executive director. I’ve been fortunate to work with passionate, innovative people in the retail industry. Fortunate to work with amazing and visionary entrepreneurs, authors, professors, researchers…even a rabbi!

Due to the passion and hard work of people in ecommerce, I have watched our community evolve from a small part of retail – sometimes run from a single office in the basement – to the industry’s growth engine and a regular agenda item in board rooms of the world’s largest companies.

As I prepare to move on to a new adventure, I have found myself thinking back on the people whose leadership and commitment made Shop.org what it is. For starters, we’ve got a great team in place that is inspired by the vision of Shop.org as the world’s leading membership community for digital retail. From the people who put together our conference education to those who dive headfirst into research, I don’t believe there’s a more dedicated or talented association staff out there. With the unwavering support and resources of NRF, Shop.org’s parent organization, I know our best days are ahead of us.

And I’ve always been impressed by the time commitment, expertise and true dedication of our Board of Directors. Specifically, the two chairmen who served while I was executive director – Elaine Rubin, a Shop.org co-founder who shepherded us through the dot-com bubble burst and Rich Last, who has taken us to the next level over the last three years – have worked tirelessly to make this a better organization, and I’m honored to consider both of them close friends.

As I reflect on how online retail has evolved during my time here, I’d like to offer three recommendations for the industry.

1. Believe in the power of the community. The need for the Shop.org community – to share best practices, learn about new trends, hire people, find new jobs and, sometimes, to commiserate – is needed just as much now as when Shop.org was founded in 1996. Innovation never stops and it moves particularly fast in this industry. Those who attempt to navigate these complex waters on their own will never be able to keep up and will make expensive mistakes. Get involved and stay involved.

2. Closely monitor the online privacy debate in Washington. Technology and social networking are redefining how people think about privacy and what information will be collected and used. New laws will be proposed and eventually some will be passed. It’s critical that the digital retail industry participate in the debate and provide a point of view from the very beginning. Find time to be an industry advocate.

3. Stay passionate. The passion of Shop.org members never ceases to amaze me, even after more than ten years. Shop.org members believe in the power of online retail more than anyone else. This is why the industry is as big and impressive as it is now.

Shop.org will always be an important part of my life and I look forward to watching it grow and deliver value to the digital retail community. Over the next several months and years, I’ll be interacting with Shop.org from a completely different vantage point – as a member – and experiencing what our impressive group of leaders and staff has planned for us next.

Regards,