AOL UK and ASDA form alliance and take a stake in ShopSmart.com

AOL UK and Wal-Mart Europe announced a four-year strategic marketing agreement to cross promote their products and services. Wal-Mart Europe's ASDA UK operation will distribute specially branded AOL discs in its stores. As part of the agreement, the two companies will also promote ShopSmart.com's price-comparison services, in which they will jointly take a 22.5 percent stake.

ASDA will be integrated into the AOL UK Shopping, Interests and Lifestyle Channels as a preferred food and drink retailer, and ASDA will have special online promotions on AOL UK for jointly acquired members.

ShopSmart.com will receive permanent exposure in ASDA stores in the UK and in Wal-Mart stores in Germany. ShopSmart will become the exclusive integrated price comparison service on AOL UK and Germany, with an additional guaranteed banner package in each country.

Under the agreement, ASDA will secure its stake in exchange for featuring and promoting ShopSmart in its stores in both the UK and Germany and by transferring its shopping comparison facility, Valuemad, to ShopSmart.

ShopSmart.com, the UK's number three retail site after amazon.com and amazon.co.uk (source: MMXI Europe), provides shoppers access to information to help them make informed purchasing decisions.

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08/09/00 Source: America Online