Buy.com founder Scott Blum, who took the
company private last August at a price of 17 cents a share, has decided
to market its e-commerce engine on a “virtual private label” basis, letting
client companies extend their product offerings.
Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based Buy.com, the self-proclaimed “Internet
Superstore,” ran head-on into the Internet recession and Blum twice stepped
up to rescue the company, once when he bought it and again about three weeks
later when he had to provide financial support to maintain the operation’s
credit card agreements.
Now Blum has launched United Commerce Service (UCS) via
his ThinkTank portfolio of companies. UCS said it will offer its Commerce
Center Connect e-commerce product, “capable of handling hundreds of thousands
of transactions daily,” to companies providing Internet, wireless and
interactive TV applications.
“The precedent-setting technology that has powered Buy.com is now available
to companies looking to benefit from the most successful online retailing
engine available,” Blum said.
UCS said that no capital investment is required of client companies, and
partners receive an e-commerce platform with up to 10 categories and more
than 1 million SKUs of computer products, electronics, books, music, movies
and games. The service will compete with established outsourcers such as Digital River ,
among others.
“The customer provides the traffic, UCS runs the store, and we both share in
the revenue,” said Keith Allen, UCS general manager. In addition to the
turnkey “commerce in a box” solution, UCS offers site development, hosting,
transaction processing, content management, fulfillment, reconciliation,
customer service and merchandising services.
Founded in October 1999 by Blum, ThinkTank, a holding company, says it
provides technology infrastructure, financing and management expertise to its
companies.
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