MSN Shopping Adds Six Merchants to Its Collection of Top Retailers

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 27, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the addition of six new merchants to its online shopping site, MSN
™
Shopping on MSN.com. The expansion of MSN Shopping offers consumers a wide array of merchants across 16 departments, and the addition of these merchants increases the number of products consumers can reach through the MSN Shopping site.

The new and enhanced layout of MSN provides customers with quicker and easier ways to shop online. MSN recently relaunched with a new look, easier personalization and navigation common to all MSN sites, making it easier for customers to enter the MSN Shopping site ( http://shopping.MSN.com/ ).

“Our new MSN Shopping merchants are excited about coming on board partly because of the new portal redesign,”
said Deborah Levinger, business manager, MSN Shopping.
“We anticipate increased merchant revenue opportunities as customers find it even easier to shop online at MSN Shopping.”

MSN Shopping is integrated into the MSN network of Internet services ( http://MSN.com/ ), which helps consumers to keep in touch, stay informed and get more done online. MSN Shopping provides customers with access to some of the most popular top-quality merchant sites online, including barnesandnoble.com, 1-800-FLOWERS, Eddie Bauer and the Gap Online Store. With MSN Shopping, customers can search for merchandise online, purchase items through secure transactions, and arrange shipping to their front doors. The Shopping channel lets customers browse and buy 24 hours a day, seven days a week – right from the comfort of their desktops. MSN Shopping, which features dozens of best-of-breed retailers, combines well-known products with easy navigation to create a commerce site that benefits both customers and merchants.

“More and more people are going online to make purchases, and the trend will only increase,”
said Michael T. Heylin, Creative Strategies Inc., an analyst firm with offices in San Francisco and the Silicon Valley.
“With sites such as MSN Shopping, users can successfully locate and purchase high-quality products safely and easily.”

The six new top-quality retailers recently added to the MSN Shopping site are 911Gifts, BUYCOMP.COM, COMPUTAINMENT.COM, Crutchfield, Harry and David, and K-Tel . When expanding the number of merchants included on the MSN Shopping site, Microsoft pursues relationships with those that represent the highest-quality shopping experience available, based on variety, value and customer service.

“MSN understands what shoppers are looking for online – convenience, quick access to products, reliability and brand name,”
said Peter Baltaxe, CEO of 911Gifts.com.
“These are exactly the qualities that 911Gifts provides to online shoppers in search of the perfect gift. We’re excited to bring our service to their audience.”

“We are very pleased to be associated with one of the largest Web site portals,”
said Bernie Slome, vice president of sales and marketing, COMPUTAINMENT.COM.
“Our association will combine the draw of the MSN shopping site with the only true one-stop source for computer software.”

“K-Tel is excited to become a member of the MSN Shopping network,”
said Scott Blum, vice president of corporation development, K-Tel.
“We see online shopping as a cost-effective way to reach new customers and know that Microsoft is a strong player in this category, both now and in the future.”

The updated MSN gives consumers one-click access to a full range of Internet services, including shopping. With the new MSN Shopping site, users can enjoy a more consistent browsing experience. The new look incorporates common navigation elements that appear across the network, making it easier for customers to find and use some of the Internet’s most popular features.

“Crutchfield is excited to offer our wide selection of consumer electronics on the MSN Shopping Channel,”
said Dave Dierolf, vice president of Crutchfield.
“The redesign makes it really clear to us that MSN puts an emphasis on some of the same qualities that have shaped our own site – like clear navigation and a convenient, secure shopping experience.”

The new MSN Shopping site is organized like a real store, guiding customers through 16 departments to help them locate what they need quickly. Departments include home & garden, clothes & beauty, computers, electronics, groceries, books and gifts.

“We’ve taken the feedback from customers and combined that with decades of retail experience to develop a shopping site that helps customers find and purchase products quickly and easily,”
Levinger said.
“Customers will now have more direct access to MSN Shopping, and retailers will gain widespread exposure for their products via direct links across the complete Microsoft® network of products and services.”

In addition to the improved layout, MSN Shopping now features increased integration with other MSN channels. Links to the MSN CarPoint
™
online automotive service in the cars

department, the MSN Expedia
™
travel service in the travel department, and MSN HomeAdvisor
™
online real estate service in the home & garden department make it easier for customers to find the information they need to make informed purchase decisions.

“We have been recognized year after year as having one of the best Web sites of its kind in the country,”
said Bill Ihle, vice president corporate relations, Harry and David.
“Coupled with fact that we are America’s favorite gift giver, our venture with MSN Shopping is a winning combination.”

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, MSN, CarPoint, Expedia and HomeAdvisor are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to editors : If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.

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