The Theory & Practice Of Online Sporting Goods

AppliedTheory Ltd. has been selected by E-Media Publishing, to jointly design and host a new online shopping site, to be called RealDirect.com, that will sell discounted sporting and other consumer products direct from international manufacturers. The site is scheduled to launch in January, the companies say.

     RealDirect.com will be launched with Jen Jen International Ltd., Tyngsboro, Mass., an international trading company. The RealDirect.com web site will be an e-commerce portal through which Asian and other international manufacturers can sell their products directly to consumers at manufacturer-direct prices, according to AppliedTheory. Manufacturers will receive payment only when their products are sold, it adds. By not incurring inventory costs, RealDirect.com will be able to sell the products at prices "well below" those charged by established retailers, says Jen Jen's CEO Jack Curley.

     AppliedTheory and E-Media Publishing will collaborate on the development of the site, with Northport, N.Y.-based E-Media Publishing managing the site's architecture and user interface, and New York City-based AppliedTheory providing the hosting and backend database management.

     When it first launches, RealDirect.com will sell a variety of sporting goods, including bicycles, exercise equipment, outdoor sporting gear, as well as equipment for team sports, golf, hiking, hunting, fishing and camping. Later, it will sell other consumer items, including tools and jewelry, say its developers.