NEW WEB CATALOGS

PartStore

Need a replacement remote control or an obscure printer cable? With an inventory of more than 7 million parts and accessories, PartStore probably has you covered.

The new Website sells every imaginable sort of consumer electronics part, from cell phone replacement batteries ($6.89) to audio video connectors ($23.99) to lithium batteries for your laptop ($199.00).

A division of New York-based gadgets and parts reseller Partsearch Technologies, PartStore went live in summer 2004 and was revamped this past February with improved search capability. “Consumers have very specific needs, and they need to know quickly if you have the exact part,” says Dan Sachs, vice president of operations.

Thanks to the improved searching functions and the addition of a “Did You Mean” pop-up box for misspellings, the site's sales and conversion rates have improved 15% since the redesign, says director of e-commerce Jack Matarasso. To promote the site, PartStore is marketing through search engines and on shopping sites such as Bizrate and C/Net.

URL: www.partstore.com

Product category: parts and accessories for the home and computer

Target customer: consumers; a small department handles corporate accounts

Phone: 212-201-0330

Competitors: Radio Shack, WeHaveParts.com

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Goody's

A $1.2 billion retailer with 360 department stores in 20 states, Knoxville, TN-based retailer Goody's Family Clothing is venturing online as well. The retailer of moderately priced apparel just launched a Website in March.

This isn't Goody's initial foray online, says vice president of e-commerce Brett Trent; the company had had a Website previously. but it wasn't transactional. “We took a real hard look at the market and decided this was what we needed to do in order to compete,” Trent says. “The site is easy to navigate by design, we wanted to do without the gimmicks and gadgetry,” he says.

Founded by Mike Goodfriend in 1953, Goody's sells apparel made specifically for it by manufacturers such as Duck Head, Pierre Cardin, and Hawaiian Tropic, as well as national brands such as Docker's, Levi's, Russell, and Adidas. The vast majority of items on the Website, Trent says, fall in the $8-$30 range.

URL: www.goodysonline.com

Product category: moderately priced apparel

Launched: March 2005

Target customer: middle-income women, teen girls, families

Phone: 865-966-2000

Competitors: Kohl's; J.C. Penney

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D.L. Ferrier's

Former writer/editor Donna Ferrier responded to an ad from Web service provider Internet Speedway in the back pages of the SkyMall catalog, and it changed her life. From Internet Speedway Ferrier bought the software and products to set up her Website and launch a business.

The D.L. Ferrier's site sells discounted products in more than a dozen merchandise categories, including apparel, bedding, outdoor gear, and consumer electronics. Internet Speedway hosts the site and supplies Ferrier with the products, which are drop-shipped from the manufacturers.

So far sales are meeting expectations, but Ferrier admits that building up a business takes time. She's drawing people to the site via pay per clicks and search engine optimization. Ferrier has also found radio advertising to be effective in pushing visitors to the Website.

URL: www.dlferriers.com

Product category: general merchandise

Launched: October 2004

Target customer: women

Phone: 580-310-6151

Competitors: Overstock.com, Brands on Sale