Three newspapers launch a local online search option
A new Internet service, backed by three of the nation’s largest newspaper chains, has debuted to help consumers find local retailers. ShopLocal.com will allow consumers to search for local retailers by store name, brand of items they want to purchase or by specific products they want to buy. ShopLocal.com is owned by CrossMedia Services Inc., which provides online information to consumers and has part owners in Gannet Co. Inc., Tribune Co. and Knight Ridder.
“The role we play in the Internet is to take people who are looking for products online and find them a store that has what they want and that is located near them. We are not an e-commerce site per se,” explains a corporate spokesman. Many of the consumers that visit the site come from the newspaper partners who promote the service on their 145 newspaper web sites.
Consumers using the site can search for specific products and even print out product listings or sales information that they can take to the stores when they make a purchase.
Initially, CrossMedia began signing up retailers on its own and mainly signed up large chains with local outlets. More recently, the newspaper chains have brought on board many of locally owned retail outlets that already advertise on their online news services. CrossMedia also offers other operations dedicated to bringing information and services to consumers online such as CareerBuilders.com, Cars.com and Apartments.com.
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