ShowroomFinder.com Announces Online Showroom for Southern California Furniture and Fashion Consignment Stores

Southern California shoppers can find consignment bargains every day on ShowroomFinder.com; Virtual showroom features one-of-a-kind home furnishings, designer label women’s fashions and unique antiques available at local consignment stores.

Irvine, California (PRWEB) November 14, 2005 -- Not every bargain or collectible can be found on eBay. Just ask Laurine Blanton, a resident of Riverside, California, an hour East of Los Angeles. She regularly visits Southern California consignment stores for brand name bargains and unique collectibles. But rather than spending hours driving in and around Los Angeles, she browses the latest arrivals at her favorite stores without ever leaving home.

"I visit ShowroomFinder every day to see what’s new," Blanton says. "If I see something I like then I can drive to that store and buy it. I don’t have to hassle with auctions or shipping fees. I can bring it home the same day."

Laurine is not alone in her shopping habits. The Wall Street Journal estimates that 74% of Internet users go online to search for local information. Although using the Internet is great for finding local restaurant reviews and movie show times, finding one-of-kind bargains or unique antiques online has usually meant searching eBay. But for shoppers who like to see and touch before buying, or who don’t like the hassles of auctions and paying extra for shipping, the Internet has offered few options.

Now ShowroomFinder.com is connecting bargain shoppers with furniture and fashion consignment stores in a new way. ShowroomFinder brings together over 100 Southern California stores that collectively showcase over 1,500 upscale home furnishings, brand name fashions, and rare European and Asian antiques. Every item is one-of-a-kind and available for sale only at a local store that posted the item. In fact, ShowroomFinder does not feature online ordering or auctions. When a shopper finds something they like on ShowroomFinder they must visit the store to see and buy it in person. As a result, ShowroomFinder is popular with both store owners and locals shoppers who want an alternative to eBay.

If ShowroomFinder’s lack of online buying capabilities sounds like the Internet circa 1995, then that’s exactly what founder Russell Droullard is intending. "Our shoppers already know about the great bargains and unique treasures at our member’s stores. What they want is a fast and easy way to peek into these stores to see the latest arrivals. A few clicks and you’ve just saved an afternoon of driving all over town. Now that’s a bargain anyone can appreciate."

ShowroomFinder’s growing popularity is the result of several trends. First is the explosive growth of local search on the Internet. Google, Yahoo and MSN are investing millions developing online directories for people to find local businesses and information. A 2004 survey of online consumers by Kelsey Group-BizRate.com found that 74% of respondents had conducted local searches, and that 45% of them had a buying intent. The use of the Internet to find local information, especially local businesses, will only grow as search engines add and refine their local offerings for consumers.

Another trend fueling ShowroomFinder is the popularity of consignment and resale stores. The National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops (NARTS) estimates 15,000 consignment stores in the US, and that number is growing 5% a year. For those whose tastes go beyond chain stores and their mass-produced imports, these stores can be budget-friendly alternatives as well as unique conversation pieces.

The third trend is the changing demographics of Internet users. Females make up 51% of US Internet users, and they are shifting more of their shopping habits online. The widespread growth of broadband is also making it easier and faster to shop and search locally online. Stores that can effectively place themselves online will be the first to profit from this growing demographic of female shoppers.

Since debuting in 2004, ShowroomFinder has consistently ranked in the top 10 on alexa.com in the Southern California Business Directories category. ShowroomFinder features a free member newsletter, a calendar of store events and sales promotions, and an "email-a-friend" feature that allows shoppers to forward any showroom item to a friend. With more than a million hits each month, ShowroomFinder enjoys a loyal following of local shoppers who are passionate about shopping at consignment stores.

For more information please visit http://www.showroomfinder.com or email russell@showroomfinder.com.

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