Where2Net, an application service
provider (ASP) of e-commerce and mobile-commerce
solutions, is partnering with ConsumerREVIEW.com to deliver
consumer-generated product reviews into real-world retail stores.
Where2Net will integrate content from ConsumerREVIEW.com into its trademarked
Touch and Mortar eMerchandising solution. As consumers begin their shopping
in retail stores, they can find product information tailored to their needs
and delivered via wireless and broadband access.
Financial arrangements
between the companies were not disclosed.
This ‘what to buy’ information is also made available to non-Internet users,
who may opt to obtain information via touch screen terminals in participating
stores.
For retailers, Where2Net selects from the 18 product categories hosted by
ConsumerREVIEW.com that match a store’s merchandise offerings.
In addition to
product reviews, Touch and Mortar delivers manufacturers’ product information
and cross-selling recommendations from a variety of sources.
Acting like a
‘digital’ assistant, Touch and Mortar provides shoppers and sales staffs with
intelligently packaged
information specifically for merchandise offered in those stores.
“Touch and Mortar reduces shoppers’ frustration where product information is
not available at the ‘point of purchase’ or is deemed biased,” said Alan
Yeung, Where2Net’s resident and chief executive officer.
“Shoppers are faced with the dilemma of
either making a purchase, planned or on impulse, without knowing much about
the product, or leaving the store
without buying. Now, through our partnership with ConsumerREVIEW.com,
consumers can access product reviews and research their purchases without
leaving the stores.”
“We believe our unbiased product reviews, delivered through Where2Net’s
hosted retail applications, will meet the in- store needs of shoppers and
help drive same-store sales for
retailers,” said Max Mancini, CEO of ConsumerREVIEW.com.
Where2Net is an application service provider for multi-channel retailing. Its
Touch and Mortar solution, a single-source solution covering in-store
e-commerce and
customer relationship management (CRM), comprises several applications
including eGift Registry, eMerchandising, eCustomer Service and eData Mining.
Founded in 1998, ConsumerREVIEW.com develops and manages Web communities
around common product interests to meet the needs of consumers researching
purchases on the Web.