From Forklifts to Modular Buildings, Business Buyers and Sellers Take Advantage of Comparison Shopping Web Sites for Non-Office Purchases
BuyerZone Online Marketplace Expands Product Categories, Now Offers Request-for-Quotes Service for Industrial, Facilities and Retail Products

WATERTOWN, Mass., (April 26, 2005) - Industrial and retail business managers are using the Internet as a key resource for research and price comparison of non-traditional business products, notes BuyerZone, the leading online marketplace for business purchasing. BuyerZone, known for its success in offering a fast and easy "Request for Quotes" service that connects buyers and sellers of business products and services, recently embarked on a major expansion into the industrial, facilities and retail sectors, a market estimated at $700 billion. In the last 12 months, BuyerZone has facilitated more than 75,000 purchases worth about $280 million.

With its expansion, BuyerZone added 30 industry-specific purchases to its marketplace including industrial equipment such as forklifts capable of moving 5 tons of product, CNC routers that can carve intricate moldings, and generators big enough to power a medical clinic. For facilities buyers, BuyerZone now offers quotes for 20,000-square foot modular buildings or elevators for an 8-story building. Retail purchasers can turn to BuyerZone for kiosks to sell tickets, wireless credit card terminals to process orders, and drop safes to store incoming cash.

"We have found that the core needs of any business buyer - regardless of industry - are all the same. Whether it's a forklift or a phone system, buyers want to quickly find relevant suppliers for their purchase. They don't want to lose time with heavy research and comparison of vendors, product specifications and pricing quotes," said Sam Zales, CEO of BuyerZone. "Clearly, comparison web sites like BuyerZone provide a direct solution. By expanding our marketplace categories, BuyerZone now enables manufacturers, facilities managers and retailers to find the right suppliers and best pricing for their purchases more quickly and cost-effectively."

BuyerZone's free Request for Quotes service allows businesses to request and compare competitive quotes from top national and local suppliers across more than 100 high-value business and industrial purchasing categories. By matching buyers with sellers online to facilitate offline purchases, the service enables a more efficient purchasing process, saving buyers time and money. Buyers also benefit from access to expert purchasing advice through BuyerZone's award-winning Buyers Guides.

BuyerZone has been named to Deloitte's "Technology Fast 50" program for New England for three consecutive years. BuyerZone is a profitable, privately held, venture-backed company whose investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, Commonwealth Capital Ventures, BancBoston Ventures, Flagship Ventures and Women's Capital Growth Fund. Supplier Partners include First Data Corporation, Intuit, Lanier, Mitsubishi, Nortel, Pitney Bowes, Sharp and Toshiba.

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