July 7, 2009

Shopster.com's free merchant network brings social networking to online retail
Businesses can now integrate online commerce activities under one portal

Calgary-based Shopster.com has launched The Shopster Merchant Network, the world's largest one-stop shop for online sellers and suppliers to manage all aspects of their business. Users of the network are empowered with tools to manage their buying and selling relationships. In an industry first, it is free to join.

“Shopster.com is introducing social networking for your products,” says Sarath Samarasekera, CEO and co-founder of Shopster.com. “Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn struggle to monetize, but the Shopster network is about making money for our users which aligns our interests. Your success is our success, and it's free to join, so there really is no risk.”

According to Paul McCluskey, Shopster's EVP Research and Development, the Network is the product of five years of e-commerce development and extensive research with Shopster's large existing user base.

“We wanted to release something that not only met, but exceeded the expectations of the market,” says McCluskey. "The Merchant Network takes traditional software as a service (SaaS) and pushes it farther than ever before, growing more powerful and more useful with each new user. You don't use Shopster to run your business, Shopster is your business. Cheaper, faster, more powerful. What every network and every platform has been striving for.”

In addition to providing a proven, stable platform for building online stores, the new Shopster Merchant Network will allow you to:

• Dramatically reduce inventory costs
• Connect with suppliers and sellers immediately and manage those relationships
• Integrate online commerce activities under one portal
• Enhance search engine discoverability