Introducing The Only Online Shopping Resource With Local Store Product Information And E-Commerce Options: The New ShopLocal.com™

This Holiday Season, Search Millions of Items From Local Small Businesses Side-by-Side with Major Chains on the Web’s First All-In-One Shopping Tool

CHICAGO – November 8, 2005 – Just in time for Holiday 2005, leading Web shopping company ShopLocal, LLC has unveiled the new www.ShopLocal.com, the Web’s first all-in-one shopping tool. Combining the ease of online shopping with the convenience of local search, the new ShopLocal.com is the only place on the Web to find information on products from local stores side-by-side with e-commerce options. Now, whether you’re browsing for items to pick up in-store, or in the mood to buy immediately online, all you need to do is visit ShopLocal.com.

Simply type in your zip code, or city and state and search for products anywhere from a 1- to 50-mile radius, or browse e-commerce options available from hundreds of retailers. You can search by category, brand, price range, or retailer and then choose how you want to shop – online or in-store. Currently one of the largest shopping comparison sites on the Web, the new ShopLocal.com offers the following benefits to shoppers:

One-of-a-kind content

• In-store deals and promotions are presented side-by-side with e-commerce sales options.
• Ads from small and regional businesses are integrated alongside sales circulars from major retail chains.
• Featuring more than 1 million products from over 400 national retailers and 10,000 local, small businesses.

Easy-to-use navigation

• Products can be quickly sorted by category, brand, price range and retailer, making it easier for shoppers to find relevant items and offers.
• Consumers have the power to choose how they want to shop: Many items are available as both in-store deals and e-commerce options.

Personal tools to make shopping easier

• My List allows for custom shopping lists that consumers can create, print, and bring to the store.
• Sales Alerts let consumers plug in specific items and receive an e-mail alert when the item or a similar item goes on sale, empowering them to act fast and save time and money.
• Local Directories feature company contact listings for dozens of local businesses related to the user’s specified search.
• Seasonal Pages are the perfect place for timely gift ideas, special content like Holiday decorations, and tips for making shopping easier – and more fun!
  

“The new ShopLocal.com combines two areas on the Web with the greatest potential – local search and online shopping,” says Brian Hand, Founder/CEO of ShopLocal. “Our research has shown that consumers want choice. They want information. Sometimes they want to buy over the Web, but with certain items, or when time is a factor, they prefer to research online and then purchase at a local store. ShopLocal.com delivers on both fronts – with local product information that goes beyond store listings and e-commerce options for stores consumers know and trust.”

Recent findings from The Dieringer Research Group show the Web is influencing shopping decisions like never before, with 96 percent of shoppers surveyed indicating that online information is equally or more important than other types of shopping information.[1] And while e-commerce is expected to increase by 17 percent in 2005,[2] the number of consumers who research online but then buy at local stores continues to grow, with 48 percent of those surveyed saying they plan to do more online research in the coming year.[3] While many still think of the Web only in terms of e-commerce, retailers are increasingly viewing the Web as a valuable tool for driving customers to their stores.

“Despite users growing comfort with searching for product information online, fewer than 30% actually buy online, suggesting that the Web is actually an ally to brick-and-mortar stores,” says Jupiter Media analyst Chris Sherman. “This offers big-time potential for savvy retailers who figure out how to draw online shoppers into their stores to make a purchase.”

A History of Helping Shoppers Harness the Web

ShopLocal.com is a free consumer resource launched in August 2004 to help shoppers navigate online sales circulars and compare prices on everything from MP3 players and Xboxes to snow tires and kitchen furniture. Created to improve “Shop-ability” – that warm sense of assurance and satisfaction shoppers of all kinds experience when they find a great deal or save valuable time – ShopLocal.com has revolutionized online shopping by providing product information from thousands of stores all in one convenient place.

With its new and improved Web site, ShopLocal leverages more than six years of knowledge managing and hosting local promotional content for retailers of all sizes. And because ShopLocal.com’s content comes directly from retailers, information is always up-to-date and geographically relevant. Owned by Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), and Knight Ridder, Inc. (NYSE: KRI), ShopLocal delivers an expansive online and print network to help connect shoppers with thousands of retailers. ShopLocal is the only site that provides a 360 degree view of the shopping landscape – from the boutique shoe store down the block, to the major retail chain that just opened across town, to e-commerce options from hundreds of other retailers.

About ShopLocal

ShopLocal, LLC is the leading Web shopping company for consumers and retailers. With ShopLocal.com and The ShopLocal Network -- made up of more than 200 affiliate media, search, and shopping sites -- consumers have access to the only place on the Web with information on products from local stores side-by-side with e-commerce options. With ShopLocal’s SmartCircular and Smart Catalog services, retailers can distribute sales and promotional content through The ShopLocal Network as well as their own Web sites

[1] The Dieringer Research Group, “2005 Mid-term W2S Study”
[2] Jupiter Research, "Market Forecast: U.S. Retail 2004-2008"
[3] The Dieringer Research Group, “2005 Mid-term W2S Study”