A group of e-commerce companies said they have teamed up,
creating Merch.net, an alliance aimed at providing
retailers with educational services highlighting “best practices” in the e-
commerce industry.
The announcement was made at the eRetailing ’98 conference in New York City.
Charter members include BizRate (of Binary Compass Enterprises); Impulse! Buy Network;
Inktomi; LinkShare Corp.; and Netcentives Inc.
Merch.net plans to host merchant forums and workshops and to publish periodic
research studies, white papers and case study reports covering all aspects of
implementing
a successful online commerce initiative.
“As more and more merchants incorporate e-commerce into their operations, it’s
important that they be fully aware of the wide range of valuable tools and
resources that are available to them,” said Mark H. Goldstein, president and
CEO of Impulse! Buy
Network.
“Merch.net’s members are independent entities each possessing keys to
unlocking the potential of the Web as a commerce tool. By engaging in this
collaborative effort, we can leverage our collective strength to benefit
merchants and promote the overall growth of the e-commerce industry.”
Merch.net will sponsor ongoing forums, designed to educate merchants on proven
practices that maximize sales and traffic. Utilizing the research
methodologies and resources of Merch.net partner Binary Company Enterprises,
the group will also conduct studies to identify trends and innovative end-to-
end e-commerce solutions. Merch.net plans on publishing these research
findings in quarterly “Best Practices” reports.
Merchants also will be able to tap into Merch.net’s resources through the Merch.net Web site, which will include e-
commerce information as well as industry news and links.
“Our goal is to become the first stop for any merchant looking for the
information and technical resources to drive their online commerce
initiatives,” said West Shell, president and CEO of Netcentives.
