Webvan teams with InformLink to launch online coupons

Webvan Group Inc. is partnering with InformLink, a software and services provider, to enable webvan.com customers to receive targeted promotions from manufacturers. The service will be launched in late February on www.webvan.com in Atlanta, Chicago, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco. Webvan anticipates launching on-line coupons in Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Orange County, Calif., Portland, Ore., and Seattle over the next several months.

"Utilizing the InformLink platform to add coupons to our Web store is one of several initiatives Webvan is taking to improve the value-price proposition of shopping for groceries on-line," said George T. Shaheen, chairman and CEO of Webvan Group Inc. "Any Webvan.com customer will be able to take advantage of manufacturer-sponsored incentives that match customer shopping habits," said Michael McCarroll, InformLink's president. "With one click of the mouse, a webvan.com customer will be able to redeem a coupon, add the promoted item to his or her shopping cart, and immediately realize a discounted price."

In a pilot program, the InformLink's Electronic Consumer Incentive technology demonstrated significant increases in the frequency by which consumers return to shop at the on-line store. "Qualitative and quantitative feedback from the pilot program demonstrated that consumers are more satisfied with the on-line shopping experience," added McCarroll. The InformLink technology also proved effective at increasing the average shopping cart size. "When presented with cross-merchandising offers, impulse offers and product up-sells, consumers redeeming the ECI coupons are checking out with 10% larger shopping baskets," said McCarroll.