ATG Survey Shows Leading Brands Plan to Maintain and Increase e-Commerce Investments
96 Percent of ATG Customers Surveyed Will Continue to Spend on e-Commerce Tools and Strategies Aimed at Strengthening the e-Commerce Experience for Customers
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - May 29, 2008 - ATG (Art Technology Group, Inc.), the top ranked
e-commerce platform and optimization services provider, today announced survey
results proving many of the largest and most recognizable Web merchants expect to maintain or
increase their e-commerce investments in the near future. Despite the reported
decline in consumer spending, a majority of survey respondents believed that the slowing U.S.
economy would either not significantly impact their e-commerce business overall,
or it might even have a positive impact resulting in e-commerce growth.
The survey, conducted at ATG's annual user conference ATG Insight Live 2008, collected data
from representatives of more than 50 global brands in industries ranging from retail, media and
entertainment, financial services and insurance, telecommunications, consumer product
manufacturing, healthcare, and technology consulting. While all respondents reported annual Web
sales of at least $10 million, the majority (a combined 58 percent of participants) reported
annual Web sales of $100 million or more. Within the majority, 26 percent reported annual Web
sales of $1 billion or more. Representatives included e-commerce, marketing, IT
and sales professionals from ATG customers and partners such as American Eagle Outfitters,
AT&T, Handango, Intuit, Louis Vuitton, Urban Outfitters, Vitamin Shoppe and Viking
Range.
ATG's research showed that:
- 96 percent of respondents plan to either maintain or increase their level
of investment in e-commerce strategies or tools to strengthen the online
experience for customers
- 4 percent of respondents said they would invest less in
e-commerce in order to focus on other marketing and sales channels
- 48 percent of respondents reported that the slowing U.S. economy would not
significantly impact their e-commerce business
- 22 percent of respondents believed the slowing U.S. economy might have a
positive impact on their Web business, resulting in e-commerce growth
The survey of ATG customers underscores recent findings(1) from Shop.org and Forrester
Research pointing to their belief that online retail will continue to be a bright spot in the
industry with retail sales(2) rising 17 percent this year to $204 billion. ATG-powered sellers
cited tools such as automated recommendations technologies and searchandising strategies as
important for capturing digital dollars with a focus on building loyalty, since consumers have
fewer dollars to spend overall.
"Every year, ATG customers come together to discuss how new e-commerce
technologies will help them take their business to the next level and create personalized
online shopping experiences for their customers," said Cliff Conneighton, ATG senior vice
president of marketing. "This year, concern about the U.S. economy was a topic on
everyone's mind - yet we were pleased to see the majority of merchants were enthusiastic about
the future and committed to strengthening their presence on the Web. Research has shown
consumers looking to bargain hunt and save gas increasingly turn to the Web, so the time is now
to take advantage of the opportunity to delight new customers and turn them into repeat
buyers."
About ATG
ATG (Art Technology Group, Inc., NASDAQ: ARTG) provides the e-commerce platform
and e-commerce optimization services that the world's most customer-conscious
companies use to power their e-commerce Web sites, attract prospects, convert them
to buyers and ensure their satisfaction so they become loyal, repeat, profitable customers. Our
e-commerce suite is ranked the #1 current offering and #1 in strategy by the
industry's most influential analyst firms, and powers more of the top 300 internet retailers
than any other vendor. Our eStara brand of e-commerce optimization services -
including the world's most widely used click to call offering - dramatically increase
conversions and order size and enhance customer support. ATG's solutions are used by over 900
major brands, including AT&T, Best Buy, Bulgari, Coca Cola, Continental Airlines, CVS,
Dell, Diane von Furstenberg, DirecTV, eLuxury, El Corte Ingles, Expedia, France Telecom,
Harvard Business School Publishing, Hewlett-Packard, Hilton, HSBC, Intuit, Jenny Craig, Louis
Vuitton, Macy's, Mercedes Benz, Meredith, Microsoft, Neiman Marcus, New York & Company,
NutriSystem, OfficeMax, PayPal, Philips, Procter & Gamble, Sears, Sony, Symantec, Target,
T-Mobile, Tommy Hilfiger, Urban Outfitters, Verizon, Viacom, Vodafone and Walgreens. For more
information, please visit http://www.atg.com.
1 The State of Retailing Online 2008: Marketing Report, Shop.org / Forrester
Research, Inc.
2 Shop.org defines "retail sales" by excluding travel and including the
following categories: apparel, accessories, and footwear; appliances and tools; autos and auto
parts; baby products; books; computer hardware, software, and peripherals; consumer
electronics; cosmetics and fragrances; flowers and cards; food, beverages, and groceries; gift
cards and gift certificates; home furnishings; jewelry; movie tickets; music and videos; office
supplies; over-the-counter medicines and personal care; event tickets; pet supplies; sporting
goods and apparel; and toys and video games.
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor
provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Further details on these
risks are set forth in ATG's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings
are available free of charge on a website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Additional risk factors related to the
subject matter of this press release include: the possibility that eStara's product and service
deployments will not be successful, on time or significantly enhance the user's Internet
experience; the need to adapt to rapid changes so products and services do not become obsolete;
the possibility of errors in eStara's software products and services; the possibility that
eStara's offerings will not enhance its customers' online sales or otherwise provide the
expected benefits to its customers; and the possibility that eStara's product strategy may
change in the future. eStara and ATG undertake no obligation to update any of the
forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.