New Survey Suggests That Small to Mid-Sized E-Businesses Are More Prepared for This Year's Holiday Shoppers

Internet Boutiques Will Be a Viable Source for Shoppers Seeking Unique Gifts

LOS ANGELES, November 15, 2000 -- Small and mid-sized e-businesses are more prepared for holiday shoppers this year, according to a recent survey of 1,390 Internet merchants by ePublicEye, a company that monitors e-businesses for reliability and customer satisfaction. The survey found that 93% had secure credit card processing up from 85% in October of 1999, and the need to allay consumer's privacy concerns has also caught on, as 91% reported they have privacy policies published on their web site.

Beyond the basic issues of credit card security and privacy, the survey found that 83% have inventory tracking, 92% offer order tracking, 92% have return polices posted on their web sites and 72% offer an unconditional money back guarantee. The distinguishing feature separating the merchants surveyed was on-line interactive customer service. 20% reported having on-line customer support and among those who didn't, 22% said they planned to have it in time for the holiday shopping season.

``This year we've seen the sophistication of small and mid-sized Internet merchants jump by leaps and bounds. We believe this is due in part to the ubiquitous media attention that has been given to on-line security and privacy issues and to the proliferation of turn key webstores that automatically equip small e-businesses with the fundamentals required to conduct commerce on-line,'' says Errol Smith CEO of ePublicEye.com.

69% reported that they were planning special promotions for the holidays, 28% said they planned to offer free shipping and 10% said they would be adding more help to assist during the season.

``Many small and mid-sized merchants offer unique and one-of-a-kind products that can make great gifts for the hard to impress person on your shopping list. The concern has routinely been, will boutique e-businesses deliver. Last year ePublicEye point of sale surveys indicated that boutique merchants had average customer satisfaction rating of 87%, and an average on-time delivery rating of 81%. Our recent survey suggest that Internet boutiques will be a viable source for on-line shoppers this holiday season,'' said Smith.

And who do small and mid-sized business prefer when it's time to ship their customer's orders? 66% use the U.S. Postal Service as their primary shipper while 20% reported offering Federal Express as a shipping option.

About ePublicEye.com

ePublicEye.com is the leading guide to reliable small and mid-sized e-businesses on the Internet. ePublicEye is the only global service that allows buyers to rate e-businesses for reliability, privacy and customer satisfaction in 5 languages. With over 15,000 registered merchants, in 76 countries and new registrations of over 1,000 each month, ePublicEye is the leading provider of trust services to small and medium sized business around the world. Since 1996, ePublicEye.com has maintained a focus on building confidence between consumers and e-businesses in this market segment. Pioneers in the use of consumer feedback to promote safer e-commerce, ePublicEye is trusted internationally by thousands of small and mid-sized merchants to continually survey their customers. ePublicEye is the only company offering e-business ratings in French, German, Spanish, Chinese and English, and is uniquely positioned as an enabler of e-businesses worldwide.

For more information contact : Wanda San Juan of ePublicEye, 818-547-0222, wms@epubliceye.com; or Christopher Simmons of Mindset Communications, 562-435-5702, Simmonscs@mindsetcommunications.com, for ePublicEye.

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