USA: Jos. A. Bank Website Takes Customers Into Account

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc (JOSB) announced the launch of its new, robust customer-friendly Internet site at www.josbank.com . The new site was activated on August 23. The "soft launch" of the new system of the past week has been successful and the company is initiating its promotion of the site this week. Robert N. Wildrick, CEO stated: "Our new site gives us a strategic edge over our competition and it supports our multi-channel growth strategy. The site is very scalable and can grow as our business grows. Our customer will be able to quickly search for menswear, place an order and receive instant confirmation that the inventory is available. If a customer requests expedited shipping, orders that are received before noon eastern time can usually be shipped out of our warehouse the same day." Jos. A. Bank initiated its Internet e-commerce business in 1998, capitalising on its existing store and catalogue base to reach new customers. Internet sales increased 269 per cent in the first half of fiscal 2000 and the company projects Internet sales to grow to over $30m by fiscal 2003. The company's strategy is to capitalise on the strength of the Jos. A. Bank name and reputation by offering its customers multiple convenient channels to purchase product, including its 110 retail stores, Internet site and catalog. The company operates its three channels of selling as an integrated business and believes the synergy between its stores, Internet site and catalogue offer an important convenience to its customers and a competitive advantage to the company. Jos. A. Bank Clothiers used three of the industry's leading e-commerce technology providers, InterWorld Corporation, CommercialWare, Inc and Arthur Andersen, LLP to implement its new site. The features of the new website include: