Ten years ago, Shopatron founder Ed Stevens had a choice of where he wanted to live and do business. He sat down with his family, considered a number of cities and decided upon San Luis Obispo. "San Luis Obispo seemed like the perfect place,” said Stevens. “A great location, fantastic weather, good schools, a strong technical university and friendly people. What more could I want for both my business and my family?"

Stevens had come up with a novel idea that would revolutionize the eCommerce industry and eventually become the preferred eCommerce solution for brands worldwide. The idea, based on his experience growing up in retail and owning a hobby brand, was simple—branded manufacturers can take advantage of the online sales channel and boost their retail distribution by sharing online sales with their trusted retail partners.

“I knew from my years of experience in retail that branded manufacturers needed an eCommerce solution that supported their traditional business model,” says Stevens. “Brands generally get 95 percent or more of their sales through brick-and-mortar retail stores, and they were afraid to dive into eCommerce because they didn’t want to upset these retail partners by competing with them. My idea solved that problem.”

Since putting down roots in San Luis Obispo, Shopatron has grown from a few people to over 120 eCommerce experts, with another 15 in the UK. Ed feels his choice of location supported this growth and shaped Shopatron into an exciting, positive place to work. "San Luis Obispo has been a wonderful place to start a business, and a surprisingly good place to expand our business into one of the fastest growing eCommerce platforms in the world," said Stevens. "Our employees have a sense of pride and a competitive spirit that has helped turn Shopatron into a global eCommerce leader."

Over the last ten years, the company has grown from a specialty solution in the toy and hobby industry to a global solution that works with over 1,000 brands and 18,000 retailers in more than 35 industries. It has become one of the top eCommerce solutions in the world for brands, and it is the only solution that promotes more sales both online and in stores.

Shopatron will celebrate its anniversary with a host of promotions and events. As a nod to the competitive spirit that has helped the company succeed, 45 of Shopatron's eCommerce experts will be showing off their company colors in Scott Tinley’s Adventures triathlon, the SLO Gran Fondo cycling event and the City-to-Sea running event. In addition to participating in the events, Shopatron will be passing out healthy snacks, waters and fan support items to event competitors and attendees.

"Shopatron has spent the last decade keeping pace with eCommerce giants like eBay and Amazon," noted Stevens. "These races through some of the most beautiful scenery in California should seem like a breeze in comparison."

For more information about Shopatron, visit www.ecommerce.shopatron.com or call 866-625-5050.