WONDER! Announces Hiring of Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer and Chief Technology Officer

DEERFIELD, Ill., June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- WONDER!, the first-of-its-kind children's retailer set to open in early 2011, announced today the appointment of retail industry expert, Mary Drolet, to Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer and e-commerce industry expert, Joe Milano, to Chief Technology Officer.

Drolet and Milano join WONDER!'s experienced and growing senior leadership team headed up by former Walmart Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer for Central America, Bill Colaianni.

In her role as WONDER! Chief Marketing and Merchandising Officer, Drolet will be responsible for overseeing marketing, merchandising and WONDER!'s in-store customer experience. Drolet previously founded and served as CEO of Club Libby Lu, an experiential tween apparel retailer acquired by Saks, Inc. in 2004. Prior to founding Club Libby Lu, Drolet worked at Montgomery Ward & Co. and Claire's Stores, Inc., where she held various executive roles in merchandising, marketing, and product development.

As Chief Technology Officer, Milano will oversee all technology and e-commerce functions for WONDER!. He previously served as Vice President and General Merchandise Manager for Shopbop.com, an online women's apparel retailer acquired by Amazon.com in 2006. Milano held several positions during his tenure at Shopbop.com including various roles in information technology, operations, finance and administration.

"We are pleased to attract such talented and experienced professionals as Mary Drolet and Joe Milano to our senior leadership team," said Bill Colaianni, President and CEO of WONDER!. "Both of these individuals share our company's passion and vision for creating a retailer that will forever change the children's retail market."

About WONDER!

WONDER!, based in Deerfield, Illinois, is the first-of-its-kind children's retailer that will provide the world's largest collection of young children's products and services under one roof. The 135,000-square-foot store will focus on children ages birth to seven and offer a wide assortment of brand name, value-priced children's basics and consumables that will include everything from apparel and shoes to toys, electronics and furniture, as well as unique, high-quality specialty and boutique merchandise. Focused on a Passion for Parents™ philosophy, WONDER! will also feature a 21,000 square-foot indoor park, as well as party areas and a restaurant, coffee bar and bakery to create a one-stop shopping solution for parents. For more information about WONDER! visit www.wonderwarehouse.com.

SOURCE WONDER!