Online Swapping Big Hit with Small Businesses
SwapThing.com Enables Easy Distribution for Online Specialty Stores
Cupertino, California - June 3, 2006 - As America prepares for another
economic slump, businesses are once again looking for ways to cut costs
and increase profits. Consumers are looking to keep a lifestyle while
pinching pennies. How can they succeed in accomplishing both? American
Consumers and small business owners can take advantage of online bartering.
As a small business owner our family has discovered the benefits of
bartering with friends, family and clients near our home and afar.
SwapThing.com
based in Cupertino, CA now makes it easier than ever,
by creating a one-stop barter shop to trade for the unlimited necessities
everyone needs. Since Swapthing's formal Grand Opening just over 2 months
ago, the company has increased its swapping community by 40 percent.
According to KYW radio in Philly:
"SwapThing.com is the place to shop if you're a little short on cash.
Created by greenback-challenged shoppers in San Francisco, the site has
grown to be one of the most popular swap meets on the Internet. Simply
register your name and begin shopping."
SwapThing.com now has a Partner Program enabling small businesses with a
new venue of distribution and quick transactions for inventory. SwapThing
makes it easy for the small business owner to get a risk-free presence on
the Internet. After announcing its worldwide grand opening last month and
adding 3,000 new online swappers, SwapThing.com is seeing growth from a new
market-online retailers.
Jeff Loos owner of Backtrack Records in Lincoln, Nebraska uses SwapThing
to distribute and trade vintage vinyl albums and 45's. "With the new
partner program uploading is quick and very easy. It has to be since I have
about 8,000 records listed on the site. My customers have noticed how user
friendly the site is," he says.
Loos says his customers are collectors who appreciate the warm, analog
sound only vinyl records can give. "We move lots of Beatles and
classic rock but also jazz, blues, movie soundtracks and country. Our
customers can't go to Best Buy and find albums so the albums we trade
must be very clean-that's most important."
SwapThing.com enables the exchange of any combination of items or services
between consumers and small businesses, using cash, trades or cash to offset
unequal deals. The SwapThing small business distribution program allows swaps
for a dollar or less-with discounts for 25 or more swaps a month.
The new SwapThing Partner Program makes it easier for businesses upload
items and graphics with a single click of a button. Online stores already
using a feed to other sites can reuse the same feed. Partners can also
easily upload Excel or other spreadsheet files by converting the file to
a .txt format. The new functionality allows pictures for each item, which
attracts users and often leads to higher sales. The flexibility of the
SwapThing system makes it easy for storeowners to offer their inventory
for swap and/or cash.
"It's a natural fit for any businesses with inventory. And our
SwapCircles allows retailers with unique products to find the right
audiences and build community," Jessica Hardwick SwapThing Founder
and CEO says.
The new online service allows users to join SwapCircles, a social
network layer, which creates communities within SwapThing based on
geography and/or common interests.
"Businesses are discovering new ways to utilize the internet to
exchange items and services with or without cash," SwapThing CEO
Jessica Hardwick says. "SwapThing brings a whole new era of commerce
online."
About SwapThing
SwapThing
enables the trade and barter of any combination of items
and services between consumers and small businesses, using cash to
offset unequal exchanges. SwapThing offers free registration and
listing, with transaction fees of $1.00 for each exchange of goods,
no matter how many items are in the swap. Unlike competitors,
SwapThing is barter-based as opposed auction-based, allowing
completely private, one-on-one negotiations.
The SwapThing search engine matches items offered to items wanted, a
unique system of direct exchange between users, and a rating system to
build trustworthiness. Based in Cupertino, CA SwapThing, also enables
the creation and joining of SwapCircles to build strong communities and
social networks for traders of like interests. www.swapthing.com
Contact: Karen Gleason
(949) 702-3409
