Shopatron
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| Shopatron, Inc. | |
|---|---|
| Type | eCommerce |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | San Luis Obispo, California, U.S. |
| Key people | Brian Clausen, President Sean Collier, CTO & COO Shaun Moores, General Manager, United Kingdom Ed Stevens, Founder & CEO |
| Website | Shopatron.com |
| Launched | 2001 |
| Current status | active |
Shopatron is an American eCommerce technology company based in California that provides eCommerce solutions to branded manufacturers and retailers of consumer goods products. Company founder and CEO Ed Stevens developed the core idea for Shopatron while working for a Russian military factory and observing the competition between manufacturers and retailers for business.[1]
Shopatron was originally the product name for the system under the corporate name FirePoppy Inc., officially launched in 2001. In 2006 the company name was changed to Shopatron, partially because most people already called it Shopatron.
Shopatron’s corporate headquarters is located in San Luis Obispo, California, situated on the Pacific Coast midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. In 2008, Shopatron expanded its operations to Europe with an office in Swindon, United Kingdom, about 80 miles west of London.[2]
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[edit] How it works
Manufacturers accept orders online and fulfill them through retailers or dealer channels to avoid the marketing problem known as channel conflict.
Shopatron’s retailer integration product is the basis of the system. Orders placed on a manufacturer’s Web site are placed in a pool, which retailers view through a Web portal. Each day orders are assigned to the retailer closest to the consumer who has indicated it has the product in stock.
[edit] In-Store Pickup
Retailers on the Shopatron system make products ordered online available for pickup in-store. Wal-Mart, Circuit City, and REI are examples of large retailers that have been offering this option to shoppers for several years and have led the way in terms of consumer demand for in-store pickup.[3] Smaller manufacturers and retailers can offer shoppers the same service. When they accept orders from the pool made available by the manufacturers, they fulfill the order through shipment or by alerting shoppers that items are available to be picked up at a nearby location.
[edit] Funding
Shopatron received its Series A financing from Rivenrock Capital, a Los Angeles-based venture firm for an undisclosed sum. On October 1, 2007, Shopatron announced a $6 million Series B financing led by Kern Whelan Capital with participation from Rivenrock Capital.[4]
[edit] Customers
Shopatron customers include Avent, Brine, Brooks Running, Callaway Golf, Diadora, Johnson Outdoors, Panasonic, Spy Optic, Sugoi, Thule.
