Atlas DMT Unwraps Fourth-Annual Online Holiday Shopping Study.

SEATTLE -- Consumers' comfort and confidence with holiday shopping online increased to the highest and latest peak to date, according to Atlas DMT's annual holiday shopping study. The study, now in its fourth year, also predicts the 2004 online holiday shopping season's busiest day will occur during the workweek of December 13th, most likely at the end of that week.

The study by Atlas DMT(R), a digital marketing technology provider and an operating unit of aQuantive(R) Inc. (Nasdaq:AQNT), also revealed the following results and marketer insights:

--Mondays remain the busiest online shopping day. This is a sharp contrast to the rest of the year and is indicative of consumers who shop in the stores during the weekend and then log online for comparison or bargain shopping on Monday. Fridays -- traditionally a weak day for online shopping -- are also stronger than usual during the holidays.

--The most active online shopping day last year was December 15, as compared to December 10, in 2002, and recorded a 140 percent increase in sales over an average holiday shopping day.

--Weekdays again are the most active online shopping days during the holidays, most notably between noon and 3 p.m. EST , during employee lunch breaks. Marketers can take advantage of this trend by tailoring advertising messages to the at-work audience through the ability to purchase day-part advertising placements to target online shoppers during the middle of the workday.

--Both November and January, not just December, are strong months for retail advertisers demonstrating an approximate 20 percent increase in sales, as compared to September, October and February.

--The holiday season for every e-commerce industry is not necessarily the day after Thanksgiving through the week before Christmas, as evidenced by travel's dramatic surge in sales in January, as compared to December.

"Holiday shopping online isn't a novelty anymore. During this critical season, consumers are shopping in stores on the weekends and then continuing that shopping experience online during the workweek," said Young-Bean Song, director of analytics, Atlas DMT. "With more than 50 percent of U.S. households now wired with high speed internet connections and the growing consumer confidence in retailers' ability to deliver goods on time, the industry should be gearing up for a great holiday season."

Atlas DMT anonymously analyzed holiday shopping behavior from November 23, 2003 to January 31, 2004 across 28 leading e-commerce companies whose online campaigns are managed using the Atlas(TM) Digital Marketing Suite. The study, which is designed to help marketers improve the results of their digital marketing campaigns, included billions of impressions and millions of sale transactions. To read the complete "2003-2004 Online Holiday Shopping Patterns Revealed" study, go to: http://atlasdmt.com/insights/.

About Atlas DMT

Atlas DMT (www.atlasdmt.com) is a marketing technology provider and creator of the Atlas(R) Digital Marketing Suite, the industry's first fully integrated online campaign management platform built by and for marketers. The Atlas Suite helps advertising agencies and advertisers deliver efficient, profitable digital marketing programs. The Suite manages online media planning, buying, creative management, analysis and optimization, and offers an integrated paid search management toolset. Atlas Suite clients include Carat Interactive, OMDi, Euro RSCG Worldwide, Tribal DDB, Foote, Cone & Belding, and ID Media. Atlas DMT serves its clients from offices in Seattle, San Francisco, New York, and London, delivering the industry's most complete service and support. Atlas DMT is an operating unit of aQuantive, Inc (Nasdaq:AQNT). Atlas DMT is a member of the NAI and adheres to the NAI privacy principles that have been applauded by the FTC. These principles are designed to help ensure Internet user privacy. For more information about online data collection associated with ad serving, including online preference marketing and an opportunity to opt-out of the Atlas DMT cookie, go to: www.networkadvertising.org.