BRISBANE, Calif. and PARIS, April 12, 2005 -- Shopping.com (Nasdaq: SHOP), a global leader in online comparison shopping, today announced that it has been selected by the world`s leading interactive service provider, America Online, Inc. to power the AOL(R) shopping channel in France. Now, more than 3.5 million AOL French visitors will have access to Shopping.com`s global product catalog through the AOL service in France and www.aol.fr.
From merchant, brand, product specifications, pricing, availability and reviews, the broad range of data that Shopping.com offers to help make informed purchasing decisions will provide even more value to the experience of the AOL shoppers in France. Shopping.com also brings some of the largest and most well-known French retailers to the site in hundreds of categories, ranging from children`s car seats to mobile phones. These include leading clothing merchant La Redoute, part of the PPR group; electronics specialist Pixmania; Apple computers; and Chateauonline, one of the leading online wine merchants in Europe.
"AOL in France was voted best overall ISP service for the second year in a row in a national survey of over 8,000 qualified Internet users in France, organized by the French famous online publication Linternaute.com," said Carlo d`Asaro Biondo, CEO of AOL in France. "Benefiting from the global experience, our partnership with Shopping.com will be a key driver in continuing to increase our leadership position while offering services that make consumers` lives easier and, in this case, their online shopping experience more enjoyable."
France is perfectly positioned for such a collaboration to drive further choice and offerings for online shopping. AOL`s visitors in France spent 19 percent more money online during the 2004 holiday season than the average French Internet user. Nearly 25 percent of these shoppers did half of their holiday shopping online.
"Expanding globally is a top priority for Shopping.com. Our partnership with AOL is a great validation of where the market is headed and our role in delivering against the global needs surrounding a superior online shopping experience," said Daniel Ciporin, Chairman and CEO of Shopping.com. "Additionally, our alliance with AOL in France further extends the ability of our merchants to reach as wide an audience of online shoppers as possible."
Shopping.com launched its service in France last month. The service represents a major step forward in building a common European market, providing consumers with the information they need to find, compare and buy products regardless of differences related to geography, language or price. With Shopping.com consumers can compare offers across borders, with the site automatically managing currency and language conversions and calculating the cost of shipping. More than 20 percent of merchants at Shopping.com in France are from foreign countries.
Shopping.com also powers the shopping channel for AOL in the UK.
About AOL in France
AOL is the only ISP in France who offers its members the AOL 9.0, software, an entire set of Internet services, included in the subscription at no extra cost: connection performance and reliability (AOL TopSpeed(TM), AOL Computer Check-up, AOL Autoconnect), reinforced security devices (intelligent anti-spam filter, Firewall for AOL DSL members, enhanced Parental Control, Mail Antivirus), advanced communication tools (AOL Top Mail, audio video AIM for AOL DSL members, AOL Photos, etc.). For more information, call 32 52, 7-7 from 8 a.m. to midnight (for the price of a local call from a fixed phone).
About Shopping.com
Shopping.com Ltd. is a leading online comparison shopping service. The Company gathers product and merchant data from across the Internet, organizes and structures it into a comprehensive catalog, and presents the resulting information to consumers in a user-friendly interface. Shopping.com was launched in 2003 as the new brand and corporate identity of Dealtime.com, founded in 1997, and Epinions.com, founded in 1999.
Safe Harbor Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our future business opportunities. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially due to many factors, including our ability to forecast consumer behavior and recognize or respond to emerging trends, competitive factors, the market acceptance of our new products and product enhancements, our ability to manage our international expansion, and other risks and uncertainties. Please consult the various reports and documents filed by Shopping.com with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K for factors that may affect the Company`s future financial results. All forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and Shopping.com does not undertake any responsibility to update or revise any forward-looking statement provided in this release.
CONTACT:
Lynn Brinton, VP, Corporate Communications
Shopping.com
+1-650-616-6532
lbrinton@shopping.com
Lindsay Scalisi
Access Communications
+1-415-844-6217
lscalisi@accesspr.com
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