Amazon.co.uk is ranked number one in Europe as the most visited shopping site, followed by
Amazon.com and Amazon.de (Germany).(a) Amazon.co.uk has recorded an average growth
of more than 125,000 new customers each month this year.
Notice the wording. There was no mention of sales I may be mistaken and it is difficult to know since BOL is still private but look at this:
uk.bol.com
I believe BOL sells more thoughout Europe. See the following:
"
Press Release
bol.com Becomes GetMusic's Exclusive Online Merchant
For Localized Destinations Outside the U.S.
bol.com Becomes GetMusic's Exclusive Online Merchant For Localized
Destinations Outside the U.S.
Munich/ New York/ Baar (Switzerland), August, 30, 2000 - bol.com (Bertelsmann Online),
Bertelsmann's international Internet media and entertainment shop, and GetMusic LLC,
the comprehensive online music and lifestyle company backed by BMG Entertainment and
Universal Music Group, today announced that they have entered into a strategic content
and commerce partnership.
Under the agreement, bol.com becomes the exclusive online merchant handling physical
sales and fulfillment for localized GetMusic sites that are launching outside of the United
States. This relationship, which initially includes Germany, France, the United Kingdom,
Switzerland and the Netherlands, follows GetMusic's international expansion
announcement issued this spring, in which the U.S.-based company detailed plans to
establish overseas destinations by adding country-specific content and language to its
current offerings.
In addition, GetMusic (www.getmusic.com) will provide bol.com with music content in the
partnered territories. This rich content, including artist interviews and performance
footage, will be seamlessly integrated throughout a cobranded bol.com music section in
each specified country. The cobranded sections launch today with superstar content
featuring Whitney Houston, Santana, No Doubt and Hanson, among others.
Furthermore, GetMusic's joint owners, Universal Music Group and BMG Entertainment, will
also link to bol.com from various online properties that have a presence in the partnered
territories.
The GetMusic-bol.com partnership is expected to expand beyond the initial phase as
GetMusic launches new localized destinations in territories where BOL is introducing
music-related commerce. BOL launched its first shops in February 1999 and is now
present in 14 countries. After initially offering books in the BOL shops, it started to add
music in November 1999. The partnership with GetMusic helps bol.com to become one of
the most compelling music shopping destinations on the Internet.
"This relationship represents a great marriage of content and commerce. It will help BOL
to offer a unique music shopping experience in the Internet. This deal creates a clear
win-win situation for both partners, allowing each of us to capitalize on the strengths of
the other," said Heinz B. Wermelinger, president and CEO of bol.com. "We look forward to
working with GetMusic, a premier online music company, as they establish
country-specific music destinations."
"We are committed to moving quickly on our international expansion plans, and
partnering with bol.com is a key step toward facilitating this process," said Andrew Nibley,
president and CEO of GetMusic. "By joining forces with this global e-Commerce leader we
will be greatly increasing our ability to offer music fans overseas a complete online music
experience, from regional music content and localized language to e-commerce
opportunities."
Andreas Schmidt, President and CEO of Bertelsmann e-Commerce Group (BeCG), said,
"GetMusic is a wonderful partner for bol.com, and our relationship with them contributes
to BeCG's ability to offer an exciting combination of e-content, community and commerce
to our global customers. This partnership, along with the recently announced acquisition of
CDNOW, will help BeCG further to reach our goal of creating the premier community and
commerce network across all technologies and platforms."
About bol.com (Bertelsmann Online)
BOL is the world's most international Internet media and entertainment shop. Since
February 1999, BOL shops have gone online in Germany (www.bol.de), France
(www.bol.fr), United Kingdom (www.uk.bol.com), the Netherlands (www.nl.bol.com),
Spain (www.es.bol.com) and Switzerland (www.bol.ch). In March 2000 BOL added further
shops in Hongkong, Singapore and Malaysia and acquired 50% of bokus.com, the leading
Internet bookshop in Scandinavia and Finland. BOL Japan launched in June, and further
BOL shops in 2000 are scheduled for Italy and China. BOL customers have access to
more than 5 million book titles and approximately 800,000 music CD's in the company's
databases.
About GetMusic LLC
Based in New York, GetMusic LLC is the comprehensive online music and lifestyle
company financed by Universal Music Group and BMG Entertainment, corporations which
represent a 45 percent combined market share of the U.S. music industry. The GetMusic
Web site (http://www.getmusic.com) features a combination of cutting-edge content,
community and commerce, offering music fans unprecedented access to their favorite
artists and songs. Appealing to a wide range of musical tastes, the GetMusic Network of
genre channels covers adult contemporary, alternative, classical, country, pop, rock, and
urban music. The GetMusic Store features more than 250,000 music titles and distinctive
value-adds.
Contacts:
Ulrich Schmidt-Marwede, bol.com,
PR Manager
Phone: 0041 41 768 1834
mobile: 0049 172 671 3733
E-Mail: uschmidt-marwede@bol.com
Laurie Rubenstein,
Vice President, Public Relations
GetMusic
Phone: 001-917-464-0637
E-Mail: laurie.rubenstein@getmusic.com" |
