THE CUTTING EDGE : HEARD ON THE BEAT / TECHNOLOGY : Consumers Union to Use BizRate.com Data
Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports and Consumer Reports Online, will use the ratings from Marina del Rey-based BizRate.com as part of an upcoming evaluation of Internet retailers due out in October, the companies plan to announce today.
New York-based Consumers Union, a nonprofit organization that does not accept any sponsorships or advertising for its magazines or Web site, will use BizRate’s ratings compiled through surveys of millions of customers of more than 1,000 online stores.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Consumer Reports Online is one of a handful of Web publications that has succeeded in charging mainstream Internet users subscription fees. The Web site, launched two years ago, has 310,000 subscribers, said Nancy Macagno, director of new media at Consumers Union.
By way of comparison, the Wall Street Journal Interactive last month said they had 306,000 subscribers.
For BizRate, the deal represents an opportunity to increase its credibility among consumers, on whom they rely for their survey data. BizRate asks customers to evaluate online retailers on 10 categories, including on-time delivery, product selection, price, customer support and shipping and handling.
BizRate makes its money by analyzing the responses and selling market research.
“The more people who use our ratings, the more relevant our research becomes,” said Farhad Mohit, president and chief executive of BizRate.com.
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