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ConsumerReports.Org(R) Reaches Two Million Paid SubscribersContinues Innovation Through Expansion of Shop Online

Posted on: Monday, 26 September 2005, 12:00 CDT

YONKERS, N.Y., Sept. 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- ConsumerReports.or (r), the largest publication-based subscription site on the Web, today announced its two millionth paid subscriber and the expansion of its groundbreaking "Shop Online" tool to include 40 categories of products ranging from appliances to digital cameras to strollers. By satisfying the increasing demand for objective and unbiased Ratings and Recommendations of the products and services consumers rely on every day, ConsumerReports.org has become one of the most popular and trusted online media sources for consumers.

In reaching two million, active, paid subscribers -- a significant milestone among traditional media outlets and a first for a Web site of its kind -- ConsumerReports.org added more than 400,000 subscribers in the last twelve months -- which represents about half of the more than 800,000 subscriptions added in the last 12 months for all Consumer Reports information products. ConsumerReports.org also created unique content distribution affiliations with Internet powerhouses Yahoo! and MSN that expand consumers' access to information.

"Consumers are being inundated with questionable sources of information, and ConsumerReports.org's success demonstrates the growing appetite for trustworthy online media," said John Sateja, vice president of publishing for Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org. "ConsumerReports.org's steady growth confirms that consumers are seeking dependable information, and we want to thank each of our two million subscribers for continuing to support Consumer Reports' mission."

Continued Innovation

In its effort to inform the public and protect consumers in the 21st century, ConsumerReports.org plans to continue offering innovations online including the expansion of "Shop Online," a tool that provides consumers with a safer online shopping experience. "Shop Online" uses a customized Yahoo! Shopping application to combine the research and transaction phases of a purchase without compromising any of Consumer Reports' independence and integrity. Later this fall, consumers will be able to make more informed purchase decisions on popular products and services in 40 categories including: camcorders; conventional, plasma and LCD TVs; cordless phones; digital cameras; DVD players; inkjet printers; PDAs; digital music players and more.

The "Shop Online" tool sorts retailers by price, lowest to highest; eliminating used or refurbished products from retailers' listings; and by providing links to only those retailers who are qualified for inclusion in Yahoo! Shopping's Buyer Protection Plan, which safeguards consumers against fraudulent online sellers. Online purchases occur directly from the online retailers participating in Yahoo! Shopping's custom-tailored version of its shopping service.

"Consumer Reports continues to bring its trusted, tested core ethics into a variety of new initiatives that make it more useful than ever for today's and tomorrow's subscribers," said Jerry Steinbrink, general manager of Information Products at Consumer Reports. "Soon we will be offering mobile delivery of Ratings and Recommendations and exciting community applications to our subscribers. While continuing our commitment to our independence and mission, ConsumerReports.org will forge ahead in creating content distribution affiliations in order to reach more consumers with objective and unbiased information where they need it."

ConsumerReports.org is a valuable companion for consumers of every age and lifestyle. First-time parents are able to research the right crib. Safety-conscious car shoppers are able to research the right car choice. Audiophiles are able to research the latest digital music players. ConsumerReports.org features Ratings and Recommendations for thousands of products and services in categories including appliances, cars, electronics and computers, home and garden, health and fitness, babies and kids, food, personal finance and travel.

Site subscribers have access to the latest issue of Consumer Reports and an archive of previous reports, as well as exclusive reliability reports, expert online forums and more. Through a feature called Consumer Opinions, ConsumerReports.org subscribers may also tap into the opinions of other subscribers who most closely match their demographic and personal description. Consumer Opinions are available in the cars section of ConsumerReports.org.

Launched in November 1997, ConsumerReports.org crossed the one millionth subscriber milestone in October 2002. In addition to the subscribers to its own site, Consumer Reports reaches online consumers through customized content distribution agreements with a broad array of outlets including Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Wall Street Journal, mysimon.com and BabyCenter.com.

About ConsumerReports.org

Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org are published by Consumers Union, which accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples, and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. With more than 2 million active, paid subscribers, ConsumerReports.org is larger than any other publication-based Web site. All site visitors have free access to helpful advice, safety alerts, recalls, e-Ratings of online commerce sites, and much more. Subscribers have access to Consumer Reports unbiased product and service Ratings and Recommendations, selections from the latest issue of Consumer Reports, a searchable archive of the past four years of ratings, Consumer Reports' exclusive product and car reliability reports, interactive decision guides, the ability to participate in expert discussions and much more There are two types of subscriptions to ConsumerReports.org (http:// www.consumerreports.org/main/commerce/agreement.jsp?source=CR21): an annual subscription for $26 (current subscribers to the magazine can join for $19 per year), or a monthly subscription for $4.95.

http://www.usnewswire.com

Source: U.S. Newswire

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