BEDFORD, Mass.- May 5, 2008 - Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS), a global supplier of application infrastructure software used to develop, deploy, integrate and manage business applications, announced today that Chilean retailer Cencosud selected and deployed Progress® EasyAsk® for eCommerce site search, navigation and merchandising software, to improve their customer website experience by providing accurate site search results on their e-stores. In the first three months of deployment, Cencosud improved their conversion rates by 16.2%.
Cencosud's implementation of EasyAsk for eCommerce took just under two months, much shorter than other site search software implementations, and soon yielded positive results. In the first 12 days following the completed implementation, the company realized a dramatic decrease in the number of searches yielding "no results'. The company also increased revenue generated from sales derived from search results by eight percent during this same period.
Cencosud is a retailer that operates supermarkets, home centers and department stores throughout Chile. Initially, the company's IT department created a homegrown site-search tool, which allowed potential customers to search the company's multiple e-stores for the products they wanted. As the company grew, it became apparent that the legacy system did not provide consumers with the most accurate search results, resulting in site abandonment and stagnant conversion rates. Cencosud then implemented a third party open source search application; however, this new solution delivered minimal improvement in conversion rates.
"With our original search tool, 20% of site visitor-initiated searches yielded little or no results. This was very frustrating for us as we carried the items that were being searched, but our search tool was not delivering accurate results. Essentially, our search tool could not recognize the difference between the search query entered and our inventory labels," said Rodrigo Gelinek, head of project development, Cencosud. "The expansive customizable dictionary of EasyAsk for eCommerce, and its ability to understand the intuitive meaning of each search, helped us dramatically reduce the number of searches yielding 'no results'. This has resulted in reducing site abandonment and increasing conversion rates."
"Many e-stores face problems with their search tools as site visitors do not always know exactly what to enter into the search box to best describe their need," said Dr. Larry Harris, vice president and general manager EasyAsk division, Progress Software. "EasyAsk for eCommerce eliminates this barrier by focusing on the intended meaning of the entered search, rather than simply matching words to deliver a more accurate search result than any other site search solution."
About Progress Software Corporation
Progress Software Corporation (NASDAQ: PRGS) provides application infrastructure software for the development, deployment, integration and management of business applications. Our goal is to maximize the benefits of information technology while minimizing its complexity and total cost of ownership. Progress can be reached at www.progress.com or +1-781-280-4000.
Progress and EasyAsk are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation or one of its affiliates or subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. Any other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.