Eastwood.com Selects Magento to Power Next Generation Online eCommerce System

Magento Platform Enables Flexibility, Advanced Features and Provides Enhanced Online Shopping Experience

Los Angeles, CA and Pottstown, PA -- September 17th, 2009 -- Varien, the Magento Company, provider of the premier Open Source eCommerce Platform, and The Eastwood Company, a premier national source for automotive restoration tools and chemicals an- nounced today the rollout of the new Eastwood.com site, powered by the Magento platform.

The Eastwood Company required an eCommerce platform which would improve the usability and sales of the online channel and enable social commerce capabilities. Limited by their previous platform in making updates to the frontend interface to improve usability, and in flexibility and access to the platform to differentiate from competitors, Eastwood looked to find a solution which would meet their business requirements while still offering their customers a truly unique, immersive and superior online shopping experience.

"We needed a platform that was robust with out of the box features, while being flexible enough that we could make changes to suit our business now and with a roadmap that would enable it to grow with us in the future," said Nick Capinski, Eastwood`s E- Commerce Marketing Manager.

In Magento, Eastwood found a flexible and powerful platform, easily adapted to suit their business processes and workflow, in- cluding integration to an Ecometry ERP system on the backend. "We have a very solid back end business system in Ecometry Direct Commerce software. It was imperative that our eCommerce software integrated smoothly with Ecometry in order to maintain our high level of customer service and customer satisfaction. The consultants at Varien did a great job helping us to create that smooth interface," said Olin Mittan, Eastwood`s Information Systems Manager. This deep integration matching specific business require- ments helped Eastwood focus on providing their customers a multi-channel sales experience highlighted by an exceptional online shopping experience and lots of interactivity with social shopping tools.

"The Magento platform is designed to integrate with rich social media and other value adding options, allowing retailers to build a flexible platform that is easily managed and supports community building amongst the customer base. Tools that help create a high level of social interaction will help retailers build community--that continues to drive customer loyalty," said Roy Rubin, CEO of Varien, the Magento Company.

Implementing the Magento eCommerce platform allowed Eastwood total control over their online channel and provided the abil- ity to add innovative features, such as a Buyer`s Club for their members, product videos and reviews. Through such cutting edge features, Eastwood successfully increased interaction with the site and consumer loyalty.

This ability to offer a unique engagement allowed for fine-tuned crafting of a much enhanced experience and provided Eastwood the true edge it needed to differentiate itself from its competitors.

The speed with which the site was implemented, four months, also allowed Eastwood to transition their online channel quickly and seamlessly.

"With the new site, we had a very tight deadline to go live. Using Magento, we were able to hit our deadline, even while adding a few additional changes into the project." said Capinski. The transition enabled Eastwood to decrease operating expendi- tures through a decrease in licensing fees to their previous eCommerce platform provider. This lower Total Cost of Ownership has enabled Eastwood to invest in further marketing and merchandising efforts to further grow their sales.

"Total cost of ownership has always been a key measurement and will continue to be important for any retailer looking to implement an eCommerce platform, especially these days," said Rubin. "We designed Magento to provide a technically advanced platform which is easy to use, customize and also integrate into an already operating environment and Eastwood really took advantage of all those factors, and put together a well knit plan to get the most of Magento and their investment in a new eCommerce platform. They made a well calculated decision to focus on value and we look forward to working with Eastwood."

For more information about Magento, visit www.MagentoCommerce.com. To keep up with Magento news, please visit www.magen- tocommerce.com/company/press-releases and www.magentocommerce.com/blog.

About Eastwood
The Eastwood Company has been serving the Automotive Restoration Market since 1978, when Curt Strohacker founded the company to alleviate the frustration common when trying to locate the right tools and supplies. Eastwood offers many products that you won`t find anywhere else. From powder coating, to metal shaping, to detailing, Eastwood products make Do-It-Yourself projects easier for beginners and professionals alike.

Whether you are looking for product information, trying a restoration process for the first time, or need assistance in using any of our products, members of the Eastwood team are always glad to help. Our staff has the technical knowledge to help you get the job done right! www.eastwood.com

About Magento

Magento is a feature-rich, professional Open Source eCommerce platform solution that offers merchants complete flexibility and control over the presentation, content, and functionality of their online channel.

Magento`s intuitive administration interface features powerful market- ing tools, a catalog-management engine and is SEO optimized to give merchants the power to create sites that provide an unrivaled and rich online shopping experience for their customers, tailored to their unique business needs. The groundbreaking Magento platform is the fastest growing eCommerce platform on the market with over 1,000,000+ downloads to date. De- signed to be completely scalable and backed by an extensive support network, Magento is the ultimate eCommerce solution.

Inquiries

Koby Oz Director of Marketing Varien, Inc. 11832 W. Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064 oz@varien.com 310-954-8012 x223