The National Retail Federation has launched the newly-designed www.nrf.com, the trade association’s interactive and user friendly Web site, NRF said in a statement Wednesday. NRF developed the new website with Michigan-based Spartan Internet Consulting.

“The new NRF.com provides additional member benefits, promotes the association’s products and services, and offers timely information on current retail trends,” said NRF president and chief executive officer Tracy Mullin. “With a fresh new design and improved functionality, this Web site will play a critical role in helping NRF promote and guide the retail industry.”

NRF.com features what it calls “full search functionality,” allowing visitors to access a library of industry and consumer research, NRF press releases, and current news from Capitol Hill. In addition, community dashboards provide a more simplified navigation for visitors.

The new Web site is a combination of two sites, NRF’s general Web site and its members’ only Web site. Now, NRF members are able to access special information through lockout icons, rather than having to navigate a separate site. Furthermore, the new NRF.com contains industry information and statistics on retail indicators for students.

Additional features include:

* A calendar of all NRF conferences and events;
* A library of all NRF’s consumer studies and trends reports;
* Improved access to the NRF bookstore;
* A virtual press office offering reporters a variety of retail-related resources’
* Specialized information for solutions providers; and
* “Tell a friend” functionality, allowing visitors to email information to friends and colleagues.

JCK