This NEWS is bigger than one might think. Everyone knows what happens to a potential buyer when they actually get to sample the awsome ATHM speed!
Excite@Home and Circuit City Announce National Retail Merchandising ProgramFor Cable Internet Solutions
Customers Can Now Test Drive and Sign-up for @Home High-Speed Cable Internet
Service at Circuit City Stores
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Excite@Home (Nasdaq: ATHM), a global media company, has entered into an agreement with Circuit City, the nation's premier consumer electronics retailer, to bring Excite@Home's high-speed cable Internet service to consumers. Circuit City will participate in Excite@Home's Retail Merchandising Program and sell the @Home Cable Internet Pre-Installation Kit. This retail program will enable Circuit City stores to merchandise Excite@Home's high-speed Internet service, @Home, through selected retail locations in major markets in the U.S. The signing of Circuit City as a key retail chain marks another milestone in Excite@Home's aggressive distribution strategy. The @Home Cable Internet Pre-Installation Kit will be available shortly in an initial group of stores, and will expand to additional stores over the course of the year.
In many areas where the @Home service is available, consumers will be able to go to their local Circuit City store to try the @Home service and, where available, use the @Home hotline phone to speak with a cable company representative to sign-up and arrange an installation time. The customer can then purchase the @Home Cable Internet Pre-installation Kit. The kit offers coupons worth up to $90 in savings for the consumer; $50 off the standard installation price and a free month of service, valued at $40 in most markets. The kit also features the @Home Preview CD-ROM and the @Home Welcome Guide, which provides consumers a preview of the @Home service even before they are completely wired. The suggested retail price for the @Home Cable Internet Pre-Installation Kit is $39.95. Customers will also be able to purchase their modems from Circuit City in the near future.
"Through this new relationship with Circuit City stores, we have an opportunity to increase exposure to the @Home service and leverage the superior customer service of Circuit City sales counselors to increase the number of subscribers," said Dean Gilbert, vice president and general manager of Excite@Home. "Our experience shows that once potential customers test drive the @Home service, they really get hooked."
"Broadband cable services are an extremely compelling technology for consumers who are looking for high-speed, always-on Internet access," said John Froman, senior vice president at Circuit City. "The addition of the Excite@Home product expands our offering of the latest technologies from leading suppliers."
About Excite@Home
Excite@Home is a global media company based in Redwood City, Calif. Through the company's narrowband portal, Excite (www.excite.com), and broadband services, @Home and @Work, the company uniquely offers consumers content and interactive services across both narrowband and broadband, and advertisers highly targeted marketing solutions across all platforms of delivery. Leveraging the high-speed, always-on attributes of cable, Excite@Home empowers unique multimedia applications that go beyond current Web experiences. The company will combine the Excite brand -- one of the best known names on the Internet with 70 percent recognition among Web users -- with @Home's broad distribution, a worldwide footprint of more than 65 million cable homes, to deliver on its vision of "All Band, All Device, All the Time."
About Circuit City
Circuit City is a leading national retailer of brand-name consumer electronics, personal computers, major appliances and entertainment software. With headquarters in Richmond, Va., Circuit City Stores, Inc. operates 548 Circuit City Superstores, two consumer electronics-only stores and 46 mall-based Circuit City Express stores.
Ron Dior |
