PlainVanillaShell was designed to be an information hub for the retail and development industry. To that end, the site features continually-updated news, hand-selected for relevance and value to our members. Thought-provoking, informative editorial provides insights and perspectives that could well provide a competitive edge. The site even provides a venue for members of the community to make deals - or simply make contacts - on its Marketplace page.

But perhaps most importantly, PlainVanillaShell offers online access to the invaluable data in The Retail Tenant Directory. For over 30 years, brokers, leasing agents, suppliers, and innumerable others have depended on the detailed and painstakingly-accurate data that makes up the RTD.

PlainVanillaShell offers its members free access to search the entire Retail Tenant Directory database - and to generate lists of retailers that meet certain basic parameters. (This search feature is particularly invaluable to those who already own a print or electronic version of the directory.) Complete access to the online database - which is updated throughout the year and provides all the details on every retailer profiled - is available on a subscription basis.

A product of Westport, CT-based Trade Dimensions, PlainVanillaShell was built on a solid base of decades of experience in research and analysis, embodied not only in the Retail Tenant Directory but also in the INSIDER and Demographics USA.

No one can match the years of experience, quality of data and comprehensive view of the industry found in Trade Dimensions products.

Trade Dimensions is a part of The Nielsen Company focused on thought leadership and products geared primarily for the Retail Real Estate vertical, and small to mid-sized Consumer Goods Manufacturers.

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek), trade shows and the newspaper sector (Scarborough Research). The privately held company has more than 42,000 employees and is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.

Mario R. Gutierrez, VP, Product Management
Mario began his career with Trade Dimensions in 1994 as Circulation Coordinator for the INSIDER News Weekly. He now heads product development and business strategy to create electronic and print products for use in the retail real estate marketplace. He combined his background in programming, skill at news editing, and years of experience in marketing to begin work on several forward-thinking websites for Trade Dimensions in the 1990s. The first, RetailTenants.com, won the Cowles/SIMBA Information award for Best Online Directory in 1997.

Thomas E. Donato, Director, Editorial
As Director of Editorial at Trade Dimensions, Tom oversees the research and publication of the Retail Tenant Directory and the INSIDER newsletter, as well as Trade Dimensions' numerous other directory and database products. His previous years of experience as Senior Editor of the Retail Tenant Directory and weekly contributor to PlainVanillaShell cultivated in him a thorough knowledge of the retail industry, which he has shared through several well-received "State of the Industry" reports distributed at the annual ICSC Convention each May.

Editorial

Lynda Gutierrez, Content Director/Web Editor, PlainVanillaShell
Beginning her association with retail and development with Maclean Hunter Media's Monitor Magazine (previously National Mall Monitor), Lynda deepened her knowledge of retail as Editor of INSIDER. She later became Managing Editor for Trade Dimensions, directing research and publication of its directories and databases, a position she held until taking on PlainVanillaShell in 2000. In addition to selecting the news articles that run on the site, Lynda writes the column PlainTalk as well as the weekly email newsletter, available free to PlainVanillaShell members.

Steve Stapleton, Tenant Lead
In his capacity as Senior Editor of the Retail Tenant Directory - as well as Content Coordinator for Trade Dimensions' numerous other directories - Steve has developed a comprehensive understanding of the retail industry, which he is able to relay to readers through his weekly PlainVanillaShell Tenant Lead column. The Tenant Lead format is based on Trade Dimensions' INSIDER, The Retail Real Estate News Weekly. Steve graduated from SUNY College at Purchase in 2002.

Ron Davis, Legal Editor
Ron Davis is a legal and financial writer and editor. A North Carolina native, and a graduate of Furman University, Ron has served as editor of World Trade magazine, Southern Banker magazine, Your School & the Law, and, most recently, Hume Publishing Inc. Ron has contributed legal columns to Trade Dimensions' publication, INSIDER, The Retail Real Estate News Weekly, for more than 20 years.