Partners to boost Buy.com's customer reach

Online computer retailer Buy.com has launched an affiliate programme aimed at companies with web trading facilities.

Online computer retailer Buy.com has launched an affiliate programme aimed at companies with web trading facilities.

Firms that join the Buy.com UK affiliate programme recommend products available on Buy.com's website by featuring a link on their own site. In return they are eligible for a five per cent commission on any sales generated at Buy.com.

Anyone with a website is eligible to join and membership is free. When users click through to the Buy.com website via a member's site and make a Buy.com purchase, that member is entitled to commission on the sale.

The six-month-old company is hoping to enjoy similar results to its US parent, which signed up more than 10,000 affiliates in less than three months.

Gordon Henderson, Buy.com's marketing vice-president, is confident about the scheme. "A lot of internet companies advertise on TV and in the press, but we have aimed our marketing drive directly at the target audience: people already online," he said.

"It doesn't matter how big or small the affiliate websites are. We have already signed up 100 new sites in the first week, and if we get just one new customer from those sites, that's 100 customers we wouldn't have had."

Meanwhile, US parent firm Buy.com reported a loss of $33.6m (£22.5) for its second quarter 2000, compared with a $28.1m loss for the same period last year. Turnover for the quarter was $193.2m, up 49 per cent on the same quarter last year.