MSN Shopping Again Leads the Charge in Online Holiday Gift Buying

MSN Shopping Again Leads the Charge in Online Holiday Gift Buying

Choice, Confidence and Convenience Fuel 30 Percent Spike in Spending and Traffic on MSN Shopping in November

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sales on the MSN(R) Shopping channel are on course to top last year's. Total spending and site traffic rose 30 percent over that of November 2003, fueled by great bargains, an expanded selection of gift guides, holiday specials and exclusive promotions, along with other features shoppers have come to expect: familiar, trustworthy brands; easy-to-use search and compare features; and a hosted free shipping page and returns center. This year's increase builds on last year's preholiday sales spike, when spending and site traffic increased by 50 percent in November.

(Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )

"The continued increase in sales and traffic on MSN Shopping is proof that our site enables people to make smarter gift-giving decisions while avoiding jam-packed parking lots, long lines in stores and high gas prices," said Jim Barr, general manager of Commerce Services at MSN. "MSN Shopping brings comprehensive gift guides, easy-to-use comparison tools, a wide selection, and the top brands and stores all together in one convenient location."

Consumers, Merchants and Advertisers Continue to Turn to MSN Shopping

Testifying to the effectiveness of MSN Shopping in reaching a massive, engaged audience and advertisers' satisfaction in working with MSN Shopping, some 90 percent of merchants that advertised on the site in 2003 will do so again this year. For 2004, specific services and discounts include the following:

-- Gift guides. Compiled by category experts, the gift guides on MSN
Shopping eliminate the hassle of sorting through thousands of products
by identifying the best gifts in each category. Of note this year are
Corporate Gifts, Gifts that Wow and Gifts under $25.
-- Procrastination Central. This service offers a daily cheat sheet for
those who put off holiday shopping, including up-to-the-minute listings
of merchants that can deliver gifts in time for Christmas.
-- Comparison Tools. The MSN Shopping Comparison Tools allow shoppers to
compare gifts side by side based on product features, price and
reviews.
-- Return Center. Shoppers can easily access information on returns,
shipping, taxes and customer service policies for brand-name retailers
at one location.
-- Search. MSN Shopping Search helps consumers get the gift they want at
the price they want by comparing products from dozens of merchants.
-- Days of Deals. This promotional special ran Nov. 2-23, offering savvy
shoppers access to heavily discounted and hot-selling items.

About MSN


MSN attracts more than 360 million unique users worldwide per month. With localized versions available globally in 40 markets and 20 languages, MSN is a world leader in delivering Web services to consumers and online advertising opportunities to businesses worldwide. The most useful and innovative online service today, MSN brings consumers everything they need from the Web to make the most of their time online. MSN is located on the Web at http://www.msn.com/ . MSN worldwide sites are located at http://www.msn.com/worldwide.ashx .

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

NOTE: Microsoft and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Microsoft Corp.

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