Certona's Real-Time Personalization Solution Helps Raise PETCO's Online Sales and Average Order Value on PETCO.com

Service Engages First-Time and Returning Visitors With Recommendations That Match Their Current Shopping Behavior and Past Purchases


SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - February 2, 2009) - Certona, a provider of real-time personalization and revenue optimization solutions for multi-channel retailers, announced today that PETCO achieved significant results in increased online sales and order values on its Web site, www.PETCO.com, using Certona's Resonance® solution in the last quarter of 2008.

Since the system's implementation last September, PETCO has seen average online shopping order values increase more than 26 percent and average items per order rise nearly 30 percent for visitors who took advantage of Resonance's personalized product recommendations.

"Resonance is a valuable service for multi-channel retailers like PETCO, and works particularly well for our customers because the service provides them with targeted recommendations based on what they are shopping for and purchasing during the same online shopping session," said John Lazarchic, Vice President of E-commerce at PETCO. "We've found that Recommendations were found in more than 10 percent of all orders and we expect that number to continue to grow in 2009."

Resonance is a SaaS platform that enables retailers to provide relevant, individualized content to customers based on their current shopping behavior as well as their historical buying patterns. Companies can offer cross-sell/up-sell recommendations from various locations on their Web site by simply monitoring the traffic patterns of their visitors. Resonance uses a predictive model to deliver the best results based on the individual visitor's behavior during the current shopping session only after 3-4 clicks or interactions with the web site, as opposed to other tools that rely only on purchase history or visitor preferences.

PETCO also plans to take advantage of Resonance® Email™ to dynamically incorporate personalized product recommendations into its online purchase confirmation and outbound customer marketing emails.

"Resonance has proven to be successful in not only helping retailers increase their profits, but also providing customers a better shopping experience for their first time and subsequent visits," said Meyar Sheik, CEO of Certona Corporation. "We've been extremely happy with the results PETCO has achieved thus far and how our service has contributed to their top line, but also how it has helped pet owners purchase more products that cater specifically to their pet."

About Certona Corporation

Certona Corporation is the creator of Resonance®, a real-time personalization and revenue optimization platform for multi-channel retailers. Resonance automates a company's ability to provide relevant, individualized content and experience in real-time, which calls visitors to an online sales or other marketing-related action. The "self-optimizing" system is powered by a sophisticated neural network to deliver real-time product, content, and promotional offers through multiple channels -- web, email, call center, point-of-sale, and mobile. Clients are typically up and running in less than a month, and include some of the most recognized online and multi-channel retail brands across all popular verticals. For more information, visit www.certona.com.

About PETCO

PETCO is a privately held specialty retailer that provides products, services and advice that make it easier for our customers to be great pet parents. We operate more than 950 stores in 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as a leading pet products and information destination at www.PETCO.com. Our nonprofit organization, The PETCO Foundation, has raised more than $49 million since its inception in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the Foundation, we work with and support approximately 5,700 local animal welfare groups across the country to help find homes for more than 200,000 adoptable animals every year.

© 2009 by Certona Corporation. All rights reserved.

Contact Information: Contact: Alyson Rybar Stalwart Communications (858) 740-7252

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