Online Retail Spending Increases in March 2009, Reports Coremetrics

SAN MATEO, CA, Apr 07 (MARKET WIRE) --
Online retail registered an encouraging increase in ecommerce activity in
March 2009 compared to February 2009 (month over month) according to
Coremetrics, the leading provider of online marketing and business
optimization solutions.

Consumers who shopped online in March purchased nearly 12.0 percent more
items compared to the previous month, while the average dollar value
increased by more than 4.0 percent, suggesting that not only were
consumers buying more items online, they were actually spending more
money on average than they had just the month before.

Unsurprisingly, year-over-year retail metrics for March remain down across
the board compared to March 2008. The average number of items per order,
average order value and shopping cart conversion all fell significantly --
8.1 percent, 6.3 percent and 3.4 percent respectively -- compared to March
2008.

"The constant barrage of bleak economic news essentially wore consumers
out earlier in the year. But in March, as the stock markets started to
show some signs of life, consumers regained a measure of confidence about
their purchasing power," said John Squire, chief strategy officer for
Coremetrics. "We're seeing online purchasing behavior that is strongly
tied to consumer attitudes about the bigger economic picture, and the best
retailers out there are finding ways to appeal to consumers who are
spending their money more thoughtfully."

Results-at-a-Glance

-- Health and beauty retailers were big winners in March, with the
average number of items per order increasing by 6.9 percent and the average
dollar value of their orders increasing by 5.3 percent. Furthermore,
consumer engagement with these sites, measured by page views per session
and the average time they spent on sites, rose by 3.2 and 12.0 percent
respectively from February.
-- Jewelry retailers also reported marked increases in the average number
of items per order and their corresponding average dollar value, which rose
by 13.8 and 13.4 percent respectively.
-- Intimate apparel retailers reported flat to slightly positive results
in the average number of items per order and their corresponding average
dollar value, which rose by 0.2 and 0.3 percent respectively, while page
views (1.4 percent) and average time on site (2.0 percent) rose slightly.
-- Sports apparel and gear spending was slightly down, with the average
number of items per order decreasing by nearly 2 percent while the average
dollar value of their orders decreased by 1.3 percent. Furthermore,
consumer engagement with these sites, measured by page views per session
and the average time they spent on sites, decreased by 10.8 and 1.0 percent
respectively from February.

Read the Coremetrics March 2009 Benchmark Report in PDF.

Source

These findings are based on data from Coremetrics Benchmark(TM), the
industry's only peer-level benchmarking solution that measures online
marketing results, including commerce data, against those of the
competition. More than 300 leading U.S. retailers, representing
approximately $15 billion in revenues annually, contribute their analytics
data to Benchmark. All data is aggregated and anonymized. Abercrombie &
Fitch, Alibris, Bloomingdale's, Coldwater Creek, L'OCCITANE, Macy's, PETCO
and REI are just a few of the participating companies.

About Coremetrics

Coremetrics is the leading provider of online marketing and business
optimization solutions. Its products help businesses increase revenues and
find and retain their most profitable customers by maximizing every online
interaction. More than 1,500 online brands globally, transacting more than
$20 billion this year, use Coremetrics' Software as a Service (SaaS) to
optimize their online marketing. Coremetrics' solutions encompass advanced
online analytics and integrated precision marketing applications,
including search engine bid management, email targeting and cross sell
recommendations to acquire customers more cost effectively, increase
conversion rates, and increase lifetime customer value. Coremetrics is
consistently recognized by industry analysts and thought leaders, and in
2008 was named to Deloitte's Technology Fast 50 Program for Silicon Valley
Internet, Media, Entertainment and Communications companies. The company
is privately held with funding from 3i, Accel Partners, FTV Capital and
Highland Capital Partners, and is headquartered in San Mateo, California.

To learn more about Coremetrics, visit http://www.coremetrics.com or call
866-493-2673.

Coremetrics has strongly supported online privacy since its inception. To
learn more, visit www.coremetrics.com/privacy.

Contacts:

Michela Stribling
Director, Corporate Communications
(650) 762-1433
Email Contact

Shelley Risk
Horn Group for Coremetrics
(415) 905-4037
Email Contact

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