Leading online women’s network iVillage
Inc. lit the candle Tuesday on its new e-commerce retail program,
reaching sponsorship agreements with eight high-profile companies that
totaled $36.1 million.
Dubbed “Shopping Solutions,” more than $21.1 million of the total came
under the aegis of new sponsorship, with the remaining $15 million coming
from Planet Rx.com.
Sponsors include Gap.com, Garden.com, Gloss.com, Macys.com, Nordstrom.com, Petopia.com, PlanetRx.com and Tavolo.com.
These companies pledge to offer relevant, high-quality products in a
familiar, user friendly-environment.
iVillage (IVIL)
will create a new section appearing on its site’s home page that will
provide links to “members only” specials, or leading products from the
partners listed in the deal.
“Women love to shop, but are often too busy to search through all the
different locations for the different products that they need and want,”
said Candice Carpenter, chief executive officer of iVillage.
“As shopping
environments get more cluttered, we have developed a Web-based resource
that can solve those shopping hassles for women and simplify their lives.”
The move is part of iVillage’s expansion plan, which was bolstered last
June when the company teamed up with iMaternity in an e-commerce agreement.