Austin, Texas, and Orlando, Fla. (January 4, 2008) - Channel Intelligence Inc. (CI), a leader in Web-initiated commerce solutions, and Bazaarvoice, the leader in hosted social commerce applications that drive sales, today announced a technology partnership aimed at assisting manufacturers in accessing the benefits of customer reviews. Manufacturers as well as retailers will be able to easily implement user-generated review content, both on existing websites and now in SellPath® StoreFront online showcases.

Manufacturers are recognizing the importance their Web sites play in the sales process as consumers visit to research their product choices, and online reviews by other consumers have proven to affect purchase decisions. Now, manufacturers will be able to add carefully moderated user-generated consumer reviews to the product information displayed on their sites to further enrich the customer experience through CI’s SellPath® suite of online merchandising tools and the Bazaarvoice social commerce technology. Among the options now available to manufacturers, SellPath® StoreFront, which uses rich media to create a promotional microsite or a branded store-within-a-store at a retailer’s point-of-sale, will allow embedded solutions of an optional customer review window to further enrich the product information presented.

“Consumer reviews are clearly a powerful factor in today’s consumer empowered sales process. Retailers have long understood the need to display relevant and transparent information, and now manufacturers are beginning to understand that this influence can provide an edge for a brand at any point in the purchase process,” said Vik Murty, Vice President of SellPath®. “Bazaarvoice leads the market in social media applications that directly impact sales, and we are pleased to make the power of customer reviews available to our clients through this innovative technology.”

Chad Bockius, Managing Director of Manufacturing for Bazaarvoice commented, “With reviews widely available on retail commerce sites, consumers now expect to find reviews wherever they research products. Ninety-two percent of shoppers say that customer reviews are extremely or very helpful, and manufacturers will now be poised to harness the power of social commerce to drive sales, connect with customers, and improve loyalty and satisfaction no matter where they come into contact with the brand online.”

The customer review technology made available through the partnership can be implemented on any web site and requires no visible modification to an existing site. The technology is also suited for retail sites that wish to present product reviews to shoppers.