SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(MARKET WIRE)--Sep 29, 2008 -- With the holidays fast approaching, shoppers are turning to the Internet for the best deals and eCommerce professionals must prepare for the increase in traffic, insuring their sites are well stocked and well equipped to handle customers' needs.

According to a recent online survey of 200 consumers commissioned by Avail Intelligence, a leading provider of eCommerce optimization software, nearly 80 percent of the respondents confirmed they plan to shop online the same amount or more than they did during last year's holiday season. This data could indicate another year of high sales.

In a report from Internet audience metrics firm comScore, consumers spent a record breaking $733 million last Cyber Monday. This was a 21 percent increase over 2006. The number of shoppers who elect to browse and shop online continues to grow be it during the holidays or not. The number one reason for this increase is convenience. Over 50 percent of the participants of Avail Intelligence's survey confirmed that avoiding the hustle and bustle of the crowds was more important than saving time and gasoline.

"Retailers are now required to capture the mindset of the cross-channel consumer -- the same consumer that spends 120 percent more per transaction than the in-store-only shopper," said Ivano Ortis, EMEA research director, Global Retail Insights, an IDC Company. "Retail eCommerce technology capable of supporting this requirement will need to blend the unique business-to-consumer (B2C) usability functions with tight integration to legacy systems and core retail applications."

Another factor contributing to increased sales is the advanced technology deployed by eCommerce and retail sites. For example, recommendation engines and peer-driven reviews are features consumers have come to rely on. 42 percent of the respondents of the survey stated they seek a high volume of positive reviews when making their purchasing decisions. It is clear that Websites that do not include this function risk losing customers and potential revenue.

"We expect traditional merchants to expand the use of social networking technology embedded into advanced multi-channel retailing platforms," continued Ortis. "This will include links to Facebook and MySpace, consumer-directed product reviews, transparent integration with supplier product data, real-time product comparisons, 'buyer blogs' and discussion forums."

With 82 percent of the respondents to Avail Intelligence's survey confirming that they conduct the majority of their shopping at a short list of five favorite sites, it is critical that online merchants put resources against retaining customers.

"Cyber Monday is the best time for sites to be prepared for the demands of today's savvy shopper," said Dr. Rolf Elmér, CEO, Avail Intelligence. "Deploying a social behavioral merchandizing technology platform that integrates collaborative search, landing page optimization and intelligent predictive recommendation engines offers the support necessary to gain the trust of consumers. This will convert browsers into buyers and lead to an uplift in sales."

About Avail Intelligence:

Avail Intelligence is the leader in maximizing the value of visitor traffic to eCommerce Websites. Using advanced mathematical techniques from its research arm Avail Labs; Avail Intelligence has created the Avail eMarketing Suite(TM). The suite is comprised of a set of modules, which improve relevance when merchandising to and communicating with individual visitors across the entire Customer Interaction Cycle(TM) of a single Website or across multiple Websites.

Avail Intelligence's technology is being used by over 80% of the leading Scandinavian eCommerce sites. Key UK customers include Woolworths, Berry Brothers and DVD.co.uk. For more information please visit, http://www.avail.net. The Avail US division's phone number is 888.GR8.EBIZ / 888.478.3249 or the team can be reached via email at sales.us@avail.net.

     Contacts:
     Katherine Cadwell
     LEWIS PR for Avail Intelligence
     617-226-8840
     availus@lewispr.com