BuyItOnline,
a
soon to-be-launched virtual shopping center and Super Coups, a subsidiary of ADVO,
announced a joint sales and marketing strategy to enable
local businesses to establish and market an online presence.
Through the partnership, Super Coups’ national network of 310 franchise
units
in nearly 30 states will begin offering an Internet solution for small,
neighborhood businesses.
The alliance with BuyItOnline–which will accept and redeem both Web
banner
and print coupons online–expands Super Coups’ integrated advertising
solution for consumer-focused, neighborhood businesses, combining direct
mail,
online promotions and cable television advertising.
The BuyItOnline site complements Super Coups’ existing online coupon
delivery program,
which offers consumers personalized Internet access to coupons which may
be
redeemed in-person at local merchants.
Through BuyItOnline, Super Coups’ franchisees can offer an affordable
Internet
package to local merchants, including storefront creation using Online
Merchant, hosting services in the BuyItOnline shopping center; and a
variety
of value-added services, including redeemable online coupons and banner
advertisements.
“The opportunity for very small merchants to extend their sales channels
to
the `Net has been left untapped by giant Web malls, which often focus on
the
brand-name `anchor’ stores found in any real-world mall,” said Michael
Clebnik, vice president and chief operating officer at Stumpworld Systems Inc., the parent
company of BuyItOnline. “Super Coups’ franchisees will help ease local
neighborhood merchants into the Internet age.”
Super Coups direct mail program delivers 50 million coupon packs to U.S.
households annually.
Stumpworld Systems, Inc. is a technology company specializing in re-
engineering clients’ businesses into the online medium. BuyItOnline,
scheduled for launch soon,
will include secure transaction capabilities, guaranteed shipping services
and
product tracking, mall-wide policies and 24×7 customer service, as well as
frequent-buyer value-added shopping services, online coupon redemption
and information/entertainment content relevant to the shopping experience.
