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Socially Reponsible Consumers Give High Marks to New Online Shopping Site

Socially Reponsible Consumers Give High Marks to New Online Shopping Site

Published 04-22-02

Submitted by IdealsWork, Inc.

Portland, ME - IdealsWork.com (www.idealswork.com), a new online shopping site that allows consumers to weigh the social responsibility of companies and brands before making their purchasing decisions, commenced operations last week and is earning rave reviews from users making their first "socially responsible purchases" through the site:

"Hi - I just found your site and am so impressed, inspired, and encouraged."

"Congratulations IdealsWork!!! It's mighty good to know the site is up and working. You guys are heroes! I'll be a frequent visitor."

"I checked out your web site. It's great. Great Information, Easy to navigate, Enjoyed the Frances Moore Lappe Interview. Wow! Thanks for all your hard work and effort."

"You guys totally ROCK! I just spent a good hour on the site, and I love it!"

"Congratulations. I so look forward to getting to know more about the fabulous possibilities of this grand idea."

IdealsWork.com allows consumers to shop and compare brands on the basis of companies' records on issues that include diversity, the environment, labor practices, women's issues, human rights and animal cruelty. A wide range of products and services are available through the site, including health and beauty supplies, clothing and accessories, home and garden items, tools and hardware, computers and electronics, office supplies, automotive, travel, music, toys, games and pets supplies. Products include well-known brands such as J. Crew, The Sharper Image, Office Furniture.com, The Sports Authority, Coldwater Creek and Tom's of Maine.

"Until now, information on companies' social and environmental records has only been available to the investment community, and has been used primarily by socially responsible investors," said Dan Porter, co-CEO and Chief Strategist of IdealsWork. "IdealsWork.com makes this information available to consumers for the first time. Now, people who care about corporate citizenship can incorporate social and environmental criteria into their purchasing decisions as well as their investment decisions."

IdealsWork.com's innovative search engine provides consumers with ratings of thousands of brands, personalized according to their individual concerns and value preferences. These ratings are based on one of the largest databases on corporate responsibility in the world, assembled from highly respected research organizations. Consumers are able to compare the social and environmental performance of thousands of product brands - using criteria they select and weight according to their own preferences. An individual's personalized ratings and search results are then linked to merchants and one-click communication to companies, providing a convenient way for users not only to purchase products but also to register their concerns (or support) via direct feedback to companies.

IdealsWork.com also dedicates a portion of revenues to charity. Each purchase made through the site generates a commission paid by participating merchants, a portion of which is shared with charities and non-profits chosen by individual members/purchasers.

"A nearsighted focus on share price and quarterly earnings often blurs the long-term consequences of business practices," says IdealsWork's Porter. "Our approach is to make social and environmental issues show up on companies' short-term radar, by directly tying a company's record on those issues to its sales and business success. We are trying to eliminate the choice businesses face between doing the right thing and doing the profitable thing - by making them one and the same."

IdealsWork, Inc.

IdealsWork, Inc.

IdealsWork is committed to helping people align their economic decisions with their ideals and values, providing web based solutions that make it easy for people to evaluate the practices of companies. Through idealswork.com, the company provides shoppers with a convenient and personalized way to evaluate purchase decisions.

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