The Electronic Retailing Association is standing up a competitor to the National Retail Federation’s Shop.org unit with the launch of the Online Retail Alliance.
ORA will represent the interests of multichannel retailers and marketers facing Internet-related legislative and technological issues over e-commerce. Charter members include the ERA, eBay, ShopNBC and InterActiveCorp.’s Home Shopping Network and Match.com.
“ERA is unique in that our members are exclusively electronic retailers, while Shop.org is part of NRF – that’s really brick-and-mortar,” said ERA president/CEO Barbara Tulipane from Washington.
“For example, the streamlined sales tax,” she said. “It’d be hard for brick-and-mortar to argue against streamlined sales tax, but for electronic retailers, it’s a must. We’re clear about what our niche is and that’s electronic retailing.”
The ORA also will pay attention to online industry issues like privacy and net neutrality. The alliance will meet quarterly to confabulate.
Mickey Alam Khan covers Internet marketing campaigns and e-commerce, agency news as well as circulation for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters.
