Stand up and be counted for the Second 500

We at Internet Retailer have the privilege of compiling a ranking of the biggest web merchants for the annual Top 500 Guide, but each year we find ourselves frustrated about what to do with those web retailers that deserve recognition but don’t make the final cut. (Each year as the big keep getting bigger, the cut-off number goes higher; last year companies needed annual sales of more than $10 million to secure a ranking.)

Many notable companies don’t qualify for the Top 500 because they fall under the web sales amount posted by No. 500. We get countless requests to identify those up-and-coming web retailers who aren’t yet in the Top 500, but who will be someday. We haven’t had a forum to recognize those e-retailers. Until now.

Next July as a companion to the Top 500 Guide we are publishing the Second 500, a comprehensive publication that will rank the web retailing market’s next generation of fast-track companies based on their annual web sales. Each profile also will include other important metrics, such as monthly traffic, average ticket and conversion rate.

We are developing this new guide to showcase the Second 500 web retailers and we are seeking candidates. If your company is growing and ready for some well-deserved recognition, we want to know about you. Or if you know of a good candidate, please pass along the company name, the name of a top executive and contact information to me at billb@verticalwebmedia.com.  We’ll take it from there and make the contact.

After publishing the Top 500 Guide for the past seven years, we know there are hundreds more retailers out there who are growing their online sales every year. We’re gathering the names of these up-and-coming online retailers now and will continue to do so through next spring.

We aren’t waiting to identify which companies are on the fast track and neither should you. It’s your time to shine—drop me a line at billb@verticalwebmedia.com today.