ABOUT US

MISSION STATEMENT:

National Association of Retail Buyers is an independent, non-profit, national membership organization dedicated to strengthening and developing the careers and/or education of its members.

SUMMARY:

The National Association of Retail Buyers or NARB was founded in 2009 by Andrew BeauChamp and Angela Dalby. Both founders saw a need in the industry for a forum where buyers from all different types of retail backdrops could join together.  NARB aims to unify and organize those retail professionals who desire to further their career and/or education in the retail buying, selling, planning or product development field. Through formal and informal educational programs, roundtable discussions and networking events, NARB will contribute to the professional growth of its members.

THE HISTORY OF NARB:

The idea of creating the National Association of Retail Buyers came to Co-Founder Andrew BeauChamp (a 23 year industry veteran whose past experience includes Director of Retail for Destination Cinema, General Manager for Aramark, and Senior Manger of Merchandising and Store Planning International Division for The Metropolitan Museum of Art) after watching informal groups of retail buyers and sellers gather at industry events and in on line networking sites over the years. Wonderful ideas and information exchange came out of these informal meetings and he wondered how much more powerful a unified organized exchange of information and education could be.

Andrew first shared his thoughts and ideas with NARB Co-Founder Angela Dalby ( a 17 year industry veteran who currently presides as the Director of Buying for Color Inc, previous experience includes Director of Gift Shops for Princess Cruises Resorts California and Director of Retail for Star & Crescent Boat Company) in the fall of 2008. Angela believed that the transition from informal get togethers, like the ones she often enjoyed with Andy and other retailers, into a professionally organized group where buyers and sellers from all different types of retail backgrounds could come together and exchange information, contacts and trends with one another would fill a void in the industry.

Andrew and Angela spent the next 8 months building the framework of what now is the National Association of Retail Buyers. With the help and support of Board members and key contacts in the industry, they were ready to formally launch as an independent, non-profit, national membership organization dedicated to strengthening and developing the careers and/or education of its members in July of 2009.