BostonProper.com Sales Surge With MarketLive E-Commerce Platform

Market Wire, April, 2005

MarketLive, Inc. (http://www.marketlive.com), the leading provider of e-commerce technology and services for Intelligent Selling® on the Web, announces the launch of a new e-commerce website for women's apparel cataloger Boston Proper (http://www.bostonproper.com). With the launch of the new site, bostonproper.com has experienced unprecedented online sales gains within the first day, followed by a record week of online sales -- an immediate, tangible return on their investment in a new online storefront.

Boston Proper is seeing an increase in the percentage of online sales to the total business, with online now running at 41% of total sales, a leap above 33% prior to launch. The increase in online sales is attributed to record online order counts, with full price sales exceeding expectations and a strong trend of higher average order sizes.

Why the sudden change? What caused the floodgates to open? The MarketLive® e-commerce platform put the power of merchandising into the hands of Boston Proper's online merchandising team. Using the MarketLive platform, the Boston Proper e-commerce team can hand select product and actively design cross sells and promotions without the need for high level programming support. The flexibility offered by the software has enabled the team to increase online orders and at the same time, create an optimal shopping experience for customers.

The site is designed as an extension of the Boston Proper brand, with imagery used extensively, a consistency with the print catalog and a simple site design that is easier to shop -- allowing customers to get to products with fewer clicks. The Boston Proper customer is typically a busy professional whose active lifestyle demands efficient time management. "We responded directly to our customers' online feedback," says Skip Hartzell, Executive Vice President, Chief Creative & Internet Officer, "We streamlined her shopping experience, enhancing usability to satisfy our customer and encourage repeat buyers."

The easy deployment of promotions and the rapid creation of administrable product categories are two vital site functions that work together to support Boston Proper's online strategy. Products from any category can be grouped into a new category or into a themed product ensemble. Discounts or promotions can be applied individually or to all products in a group for a powerful online merchandising presentation. Product grouping also facilitates efficient site organization since any product can belong to any number of product categories.

"Boston Proper selected MarketLive® technology because of its advanced online marketing tools, its ability to handle high peak traffic loads, and its capacity to scale along with their online business," said Ken Burke, CEO MarketLive, Inc. "This is extremely important in a market segment as dynamic as theirs."

"We're very pleased with the results we have gotten from the MarketLive platform," said Michael Tiernan, CEO of Boston Proper. "Already we have seen an increase in sales that can be directly attributed to the new site and the more effective implementation of our online strategies."

About MarketLive, Inc.:

MarketLive (http://www.marketlive.com) is a nationally recognized e-commerce technology company serving the catalog, direct marketing, retail, and manufacturing industries. The MarketLive® product is the company's enterprise-class Java™-based e-commerce application built specifically to address the need for a powerful, effective online e-commerce merchandising engine.

About Boston Proper, Inc.:

Boston Proper is a catalog/Internet retailer of specialty women's apparel and accessories. The brand's exclusive private-label designs are fashionable, feminine and available only through the Boston Proper catalog (800-243-4300) and Web site (www.bostonproper.com). Boston Proper customers are affluent, active females between 35 and 55 years of age and are typically busy professionals living in urban and suburban communities. This year, 32.5 million Boston Proper catalogs will be mailed and distributed through 28 mailings throughout the United States. The brand's Web site offers shoppers more than 2,200 items. Internet sales presently account for 40 percent of the brand's sales.

Contacts: Boston Proper: Jennifer Grossman Corporate Communications 1-561-241-1700 jgrossman@bostonproper.com MarketLive, Inc: Peter Loughlin Marketing Communications Manager 1-707-773-3434 peterl@marketlive.com