America Online, Inc. Debuts New Consumer Shopping Experience Across Its Portfolio of Brands.DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 26, 1999-- New Destinations Deliver Most Convenient and Comprehensive Online Shopping Experience -- Shop@AOL (A division of Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, www.aol.com) The world's largest online information service with access to the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and a variety of databases and services. , Shop@AOL.COM, Shop@CompuServe, Shop@Netscape, Shop@Digital City First Phase of Rollout Gives Consumers First Look at Next-Generation Features that will Revolutionize rev·o·lu·tion·ize tr.v. rev·o·lu·tion·ized, rev·o·lu·tion·iz·ing, rev·o·lu·tion·iz·es 1. To bring about a radical change in: Television has revolutionized news coverage. 2. Online Shopping Experience Company Releases Next Generation of "Wallet See digital wallet. " Technology America Online See AOL. , Inc., the world's leading interactive services company, today announced the debut of its new Shop@AOL consumer online shopping destination, introducing a cutting-edge product design and state-of-the-art merchandising merchandising Element of marketing concerned especially with the sale of goods and services to customers. One aspect of merchandising is advertising, which aims to capture the interest of the segment of the population most likely to buy the product. features designed to support the next wave of online shoppers and deliver an even more comprehensive and consumer-friendly online shopping experience across AOL's network of interactive brands. Using the "Shop@" identifier, these new e-commerce destinations are branded Shop@AOL, Shop@AOL.COM, Shop@CompuServe, Shop@Netscape and Shop@Digital City. In a related release, the Company also announced today that it has entered into a new partnership with Chic Simple, publishers of the hottest-selling series on style advice, that will offer visitors to AOL, Inc. shopping destinations immediate interactive solutions to their modern-day wardrobe A wardrobe (sometimes called an "armoire") is a cabinet used for storing clothes. The earliest wardrobe was a chest, and it was not until some degree of luxury was attained in regal palaces and the castles of powerful nobles that separate accommodation was provided for the questions. The new Shop@AOL marketplace will begin to roll out to consumers on July 26 and will culminate culminate, in astronomy, the maximum height in the sky reached by a celestial body on a given day. At the culminate the body is crossing the observer's celestial meridian and is said to be in upper transit. with the introduction of new shopping services in October 1999. Once the rollout is complete, the experience will be available to the more than 46 million people who use AOL's network of interactive brands, or 70% of all those who visit online services or Web sites every month, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Media Metrix research. As a result of its extensive reach, Shop@AOL will be the largest consumer shopping destination in the world, and the most important online retail channel for merchants. Developed by the Company's new team of veteran retailers and supported by an experienced team of AOL and Netscape technology experts, Shop@AOL includes a series of state-of-the-art merchandising features designed to deliver a more sophisticated and dynamic shopping experience. These next-generation features include Commerce Centers, Online Catalogs Similar to an online library or databases in the information storage respect, ‘’’online catalogs’’’ allow potential customers to browse a company’s items for sale from a different location using the internet. , Personal Buying Guides, and a next-generation Web-based version of its Quick Checkout "wallet" technology, available to both AOL members and users of AOL's Web-based brands. Bob Pittman, President and Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. , America Online, Inc., said: "With this new initiative AOL is able to deliver our members and visitors to our Web brands even more of what they are looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. -- a dynamic shopping experience, more product selection, the best brands from both the online and offline worlds, and ease-of-use -- in a one-stop shopping destination. Building on what was already the No. 1 online consumer e-commerce destination, we believe Shop@AOL will further extend our position as the online commerce leader, while delivering to our members an even more valuable and convenient online shopping experience." Mr. Pittman added: "The new Shop@AOL experience -- with its new interface and merchandising tools -- goes well beyond a simple redesign re·de·sign tr.v. re·de·signed, re·de·sign·ing, re·de·signs To make a revision in the appearance or function of. re . It reflects years of listening to our members' needs, analyzing their shopping behavior, and understanding exactly what they want from their online shopping experience. We're building on our relationship with the largest audience of shoppers in cyberspace Coined by William Gibson in his 1984 novel "Neuromancer," it is a futuristic computer network that people use by plugging their minds into it! The term now refers to the Internet or to the online or digital world in general. See Internet and virtual reality. Contrast with meatspace. to create a shopping destination that delivers exactly what our users expect from online shopping, and a platform that we are confident will drive increased sales for our merchants." The introduction of Shop@AOL is an integral part of the Company's strategy to enhance its users' overall shopping experience and drive increased retail sales for its rapidly growing roster of merchant partners. By streamlining the online shopping experience and creating a more compelling interactive shopping environment, the new marketplace provides AOL merchants with the unique opportunity to display and sell the widest variety of products to the largest audience of buyers online or on the Web. Specifically, the design of the new brand provides merchants with increased merchandising opportunities; the seamless integration An addition of a new application, routine or device that works smoothly with the existing system. It implies that the new feature or program can be installed and used without problems. Contrast with "transparent," which implies that there is no discernible change after installation. from the Shop @ AOL brand to their Web sites; larger image "panels" for more robust product displays; tracking and reporting benefits of new customer-friendly shopping services; and more text for product descriptions. By leveraging the tremendous reach of its portfolio of brands, AOL's e-commerce strategy allows Shop@AOL merchants to substantially broaden their audience of buyers both at home and at work, while providing them the unique opportunity to market their goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a "bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. to cyberspace's most diverse and highly valued group of consumers: AOL: AOL's mass-market audience brings together the largest concentration of customers in the media world. Of the service's more than 17 million members, more than half -- or 10.2 million -- are now shopping online, according to Bennett, Petts & Blumenthal research. Repeat purchase patterns are also strong. According to Internet Research This article is about using the Internet for research; for the field of research about the Internet, see Internet studies. Internet research is the practice of using the Internet, especially the World Wide Web, for research. Group, a full 30% of AOL members are shopping every month; and 79% of AOL members who shop indicate they are "also likely to purchase again next month." AOL.COM: Almost 30 million people use AOL.COM every month at home and work, according to Media Metrix's June 1999 research. It is the only destination in cyberspace where the largest interactive audiences - Web users and AOL members - come together. CompuServe: With more than 2 million members worldwide, CompuServe is relevant tool for Internet users Internet user n → internauta m/f Internet user Internet n → internaute m/f who want serious and timely information, in-depth research and professional communities backed by state-of-the-art technologies. Educated, professional, and business purchasing decision makers, CompuServe's members drove a 300% increase in usage for CompuServe's Shopping Channel Shopping channels are television specialty channels that present shopping related content, particularly for home shopping enthusiasts. Home shopping pioneers:
Digital City: With a presence in 60 metropolitan cities and more than 5 million unique users every month, according to Media Metrix research, Digital City (DCI (Display Control Interface) An Intel/Microsoft programming interface for full-motion video and games in Windows. It allowed applications to take advantage of video accelerator features built into the display adapter. ) is the nation's largest local content network. For marketers, the network provides the tools and services they need to market their brands at the regional and local levels, drive increased customers to their local stores, and allow them to stay connected to their target audience wherever they may be. An @Plan Spring 1999 research survey indicated that Digital City users are 28% more likely than the average Internet user to purchase online. Netscape: One of the fastest growing portals and the Web site of choice among active professionals and Internet-savvy users, Netscape Netcenter is a leading business resource that enhances the way in which people live, communicate, work and learn on the Internet. More than 19 million people use Netscape Netcenter every month, according to Media Metrix research. Netcenter users are also active online shoppers, spending, on average, $2,595 on goods and services online per year, according to CyberDialogue. To best provide these distinct audiences with relevant and compelling products, select content and merchandising opportunities will be modified from one brand to the next. All tools and services, however, will remain consistent. Member Benefits AOL, Inc.'s new shopping experience reflects years of the Company's research of members' buying habits, and extensive analysis of their consumer shopping behavior. From the new streamlined and simplified interface to new revolutionary merchandising features, every element of the marketplace's design is intended to allow shoppers quickly and easily find, locate and purchase products which interest them, and help them find solutions to their situational shopping problems and behaviors: Specifically, -- For "Brand Shoppers," Shop @ AOL offers consumers direct access to the widest selection of products and brands that they know and trust; -- For "Browsers", the new experience offers an increased number of categories and departments, each highly visual and entertaining to shop; -- For "Impulse Buyers," AOL offers dynamic promotions, including tempting exclusive offers; -- For "Researchers," the new brand design includes Personal Buying Guides. Powered by Personal Logic. (TM)Personal Buying Guides help consumers make informed decisions on a wide variety of products from popular shopping categories, ranging from automobiles to travel. New Shop@AOL Merchandising Features Launched today, Shop@AOL's cornerstone cornerstone Ceremonial building block, dated or otherwise inscribed, usually placed in an outer wall of a building to commemorate its dedication. Often the stone is hollowed out to contain newspapers, photographs, or other documents reflecting current customs, with a view to features and tools include: "Wallet" Technology: America Online is also introducing a next-generation, Web-based version of its Quick Checkout "wallet" technology and extending it to the CompuServe and Netscape shopping destinations. This easy-to-use wallet solution is even easier for merchant partners to integrate into their shopping areas, and enables more cyber-consumers than ever to take advantage of the secure, convenient Quick Checkout experience. By safely storing routinely requested credit card and shipping information online, including 10 credit card numbers and up to 50 shipping addresses, Quick Checkout allows users to more quickly execute a purchase online. Once the information is stored in a shopper's Quick Checkout account, they do not have to retype the information each time they make a purchase. Commerce Centers: Highly visual and created with a distinct merchandising focus, Shop@AOL includes 17 category-specific Commerce Centers on topics ranging from Apparel to Consumer Electronics. In addition, for category browsers or those with an idea of what they are looking for, each Commerce Center includes a prominently positioned "Departments" listing to help direct shoppers to their specific area of interest. Online Catalogs: An important component of the Company's new merchandising strategy, Shop @ AOL's Catalogs are designed to highlight and deliver topical topical /top·i·cal/ (top´i-k'l) pertaining to a particular area, as a topical antiinfective applied to a certain area of the skin and affecting only the area to which it is applied. top·i·cal adj. and distinctive merchandise offerings in a timely manner. A revolutionary new e-commerce concept, each Catalog catalog, descriptive list, on cards or in a book, of the contents of a library. Assurbanipal's library at Nineveh was cataloged on shelves of slate. The first known subject catalog was compiled by Callimachus at the Alexandrian Library in the 3d cent. B.C. offers a distinctive display of products and services to support a particular theme, season or noteworthy occasion, including holidays and anniversaries. Katherine Borsecnik, AOL's Senior Vice President, Strategic Businesses, said: "We think the key to converting "window-shoppers" to online buyers is to understand the obstacles to shopping online and provide solutions to each. Shop@AOL was designed with this strategy in mind, enhancing convenience features like our Quick Checkout 'wallet' technology and developing Commerce Centers and Online Catalogs to address the many ways people shop." The Shop@AOL Apparel and Kids & Babies Commerce Centers debut today, with the remaining 15 scheduled to roll out throughout the summer and early fall. About AOL Founded in 1985, America Online, Inc., based in Dulles, Virginia Dulles, Virginia is an unincorporated census-designated place located in Loudoun County, Virginia, part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. The headquarters of AOL, Orbital Sciences Corporation and ODIN technologies and the former headquarters of MCI Inc. are located in Dulles. , is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies, and e-commerce services. America Online, Inc. operates: two worldwide Internet services, America Online, with more than 17 million members, and CompuServe, with approximately 2 million members; several leading Internet brands including ICQ ("I Seek You") A conferencing program for the Internet from Mirabilis, Tel Aviv, Israel (www.icq.com). It provides interactive chat, e-mail and file transfer and can alert you when someone on your predefined list has also come online. , AOL Instant Messenger See AIM. and Digital City, Inc.; the Netscape Netcenter and AOL.COM portals; the Netscape Navigator An earlier Web browser for Windows, Macintosh and X Windows from Netscape that provided secure transmission over the Internet. Soon after its introduction in 1994, Navigator, or just "Netscape," as it was commonly called, quickly became the leading browser on the Web. and Communicator browsers; AOL MovieFone, the nation's No. 1 movie listing guide and ticketing service; and Spinner Networks and NullSoft, Inc., leaders in Internet music. Through its strategic alliance with Sun Microsystems Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAVA[3]) is an American vendor of computers, computer components, computer software, and information-technology services, founded on 24 February 1982. , the Company develops and offers easy-to-deploy, end-to-end e-commerce and enterprise solutions for companies operating in the Net Economy. |
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