CUSTOMER TRUST, PARTNERSHIPS EMPHASIZED IN WEB-BASED RETAILER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1, 2000   

Contact: Alison Eckman Bieser      
         713-623-0050, x317
    abieser@frontera.com
      

HOUSTON, TEXAS...It is difficult to sell furniture online without first
developing customers' trust in a brand, according to Frontera's CEO Harvin
C. Moore, who gave the keynote address at this year's Home Furnishings
Online Conference in Chicago.
The retailing executive outlined several key elements of his company's
successful Web strategy, based on building customer trust through
old-fashioned brand management techniques and partnering with fine furniture
makers.
"When you are selling a product that 80% of Americans say is unpleasant to
shop for, you have to do something to make it more appealing," said Moore,
citing a recent study by the Home Furnishings Council. "It's important to
provide more helpful and comprehensive product information than is available
in physical stores or mail-order catalogs."
Frontera has seen its customers growing more comfortable making big-ticket
furniture purchases on the Web without the benefit of seeing or touching the
actual pieces--as long as they are well informed, have trust in the brands,
and can view high-quality images.
"When you add detailed product information to a program of excellent
customer service and a collection of strong brand names, you have the
formula for empowering the customer to make a purchasing decision," Moore
said.
Ranked third among online furniture stores in the Gomez.com summer ratings,
Frontera at www.frontera.com measures its success in part by an average
online sale of $1400, approximately double the industry average, and a
return rate below 3%, just a fraction of the industry average.
"Furniture cannot be amazonned," Moore said, as he described Frontera's
approach of partnering with fine furniture makers to earn the status of
"authorized Internet dealer." Because most furniture makers are wary of
bestowing this designation, many online furniture stores carry private label
products or less well-known brands. Frontera's partnerships boost
credibility, a major factor in building customer confidence online.
To provide a superior shopping experience, Frontera.com makes the decision
process easier with a showcase feature allowing prospective buyers to email
or print out choices to show a spouse or family members. Featuring attentive
customer care from selection through delivery, the company provides a wealth
of information both online and by telephone about its fine furniture
offerings, helping consumers make informed decisions before they buy. The
website publishes both a newsletter and a design magazine.

About Frontera.com
   Frontera.com is the leading online source for fine brand-name
furniture, with 10,000 products from 170 manufacturers worldwide. Frontera
provides a superior shopping experience, offering unparalleled convenience,
outstanding value and excellent customer service. With the goal of helping
people enjoy their homes more with furniture they can always be proud to
own, Frontera was founded in 1992 and launched one of the first online
furniture sites in 1995. Frontera is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and
operates two Houston stores and a national mail-order catalog.

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