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NRF: Steve Jobs leaves 'a legacy that will inspire retail companies for decades to come'

October 5, 2011

National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay released the following statement on news of the passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs:

"The National Retail Federation and the entire retail industry mourn news of the passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs, one of the most innovative leaders of our time who created an iconic retail brand through innovation and design. In a challenging economy, Jobs and the entire Apple team invented discretionary products that many Americans now consider necessities, from the iPod to the iPhone and the iPad. As a prime example of modern day ingenuity and creativity, Steve Jobs offered the world an inside look at what the future of consumer electronics can and will become, with generations of consumers now able to thank him for his brilliant innovations. He leaves behind a legacy that will inspire retail companies for decades to come."

Watch this video to see a very young Steve Jobs, in 1983, introducing what some would say is the greatest television advertisement ever made – directed by Ridley Scott ("Alien"), it aired once during the 1984 Superbowl and was never shown again: