Crutchfield Launches Online Tools for Building the Perfect Home Entertainment System; Home System Planning Center™ Helps Shoppers Assemble Their Ideal Audio/Video Setup

Business Wire, Sept 6, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Creating and customizing a great home entertainment center out of the literally thousands of different components on the market just got faster and easier with Crutchfield's new Home System Planning Center(TM).

The Home System Planning Center is a suite of online tools that customers can use to integrate the audio/video components they already own with new ones they want to buy. Interactive Product Recommenders(TM) help users narrow down their choices for items such as TVs, receivers, DVD players, and home speaker systems, by answering a few simple questions. Users can also identify their existing components from a vast database of over 6,000 new and older products.

In just a few minutes, the user can compile a personalized list of components and save these possible combinations for later reference. Once they return and log in to their Crutchfield account, users can make notes on their system, revise their list of components, add items to their online cart for purchase, or contact a knowledgeable Crutchfield Sales Advisor for advice.

Crutchfield, the nation's first integrated marketer of consumer electronics products, collected extensive feedback from customers, as well as input from their Sales and Technical Advisors to design the Home System Planning Center.

"For decades, Crutchfield has been helping people build their car and home audio/video systems," said Dave Weisman, senior director of business development for Crutchfield. "All that experience has taught us how our customers like to plan their systems -- exploring multiple possibilities, mixing and matching components. Essentially, the Home System Planning center takes 'wishlists' to an exciting new level and effectively puts an end to 'plug-and-pray' or 'one-size-fits-all' shopping."

The Home System Planning Center links to many of Crutchfield's other proprietary information centers, including the Home DIY Center and HDTV Headquarters(TM). Another helpful shopping tool, Crutchfield's TV Fit Finder(TM), helps users quickly find a TV to match an existing cabinet or stand, or furniture to fit their TV.

The Home System Planning Center is free to visitors on Crutchfield.com. The tool is also available to Spanish-speaking shoppers on crutchfieldenespanol.com. Crutchfield designs all its tools and online reference guides to make its customers the most informed shoppers, ensuring that their purchases provide years of enjoyment.

About Crutchfield Corporation

Crutchfield Corporation, which celebrated its 32nd anniversary in 2006, is the nation's first integrated marketer (catalog, call center, and Internet) of consumer electronics products. Since its introduction in 1974, the Crutchfield catalog has been a respected authority on car and home entertainment products, winning multiple awards for quality, design, and usefulness. Crutchfield's Sales and Technical Advisors, the core of Crutchfield's commitment to superior customer service, are noted for their high integrity, product expertise, and technical support. They are available by phone, e-mail, and live online chat. Crutchfield.com offers a convenient, full-service shopping destination to buyers of car and home audio/video products. CrutchfieldAdvisor.com is an all-information website that serves as a single comprehensive source about consumer electronics. Crutchfield was the first vendor-authorized audio/video retailer on the Internet and is one of only three retailers to have won BizRate's coveted "Circle of Excellence" award six times.