Award-Winning Web Site Launches a New Level of Customer Convenience Circuitcity.com's Consumer-Driven Redesign Easier to Shop and Browse RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- With American shoppers expected to flock to the Web in record numbers in the upcoming holiday season, Circuit City Stores, Inc. is setting a new standard for online shopping ease by launching its next-generation Web site, http://www.circuitcity.com/. The new site is the result of a year of intensive research into the needs of growing numbers of consumers who shop both online and in traditional retail settings. These multi-channel shoppers are changing the American retail landscape, and Circuit City has been a leader in responding to evolving consumer preferences. "We have conducted multiple surveys and interviewed a wide variety of online shoppers, both novice and experienced," said Fiona Dias, Circuit City's senior vice president and president of Circuit City Direct, the Company division that operates the Web site. "Popular features from our previous Web site were maintained and improved in our new online store. And we've added new features to provide what we believe is an unsurpassed shopping experience." Among circuitcity.com's most prominent customer benefits: * Greatly expanded product selection. Strengthened by more robust architecture and navigation capabilities, circuitcity.com has tripled its product offerings and now presents more than one million items for sale, including consumer electronics, music, movies, games, custom automotive accessories, downloadable PC software, and downloadable music through Circuit City's MusicNow subsidiary. * Improved navigation. Circuitcity.com's new navigation capabilities are easier and more intuitive for customers to use. The newly designed site allows shoppers to focus on products rather than Web site mechanics. And customers who want to hone in on specific products will find them faster and more effectively with one-click sorting options. * Award-winning customer service. Independent ratings firm BizRate.com repeatedly has recognized Circuit City's Web site for superior performance. Based on feedback from more than one million online shoppers, circuitcity.com was one of only seven retailers on the Internet to achieve BizRate's "Circle of Excellence" award three years in a row. In August 2004, Vividence, a leading market research firm, ranked circuitcity.com among the top three online retailers for consumer satisfaction. In addition, circuitcity.com shoppers who need assistance can speak with product advisors seven days a week via 1 800 THE CITY, a toll-free telephone line. * Pioneering multi-channel options. Circuitcity.com shoppers can see in real time if the consumer electronics items they want are in stock at any of Circuit City's more than 600 stores. The online shopper can choose to pick up a purchase within minutes at a nearby store or have it shipped to them. Vividence rated circuitcity.com's in-store pickup feature "Best of the Web." In addition, sales associates in Circuit City stores can tap into the Web site's expanded product selection to meet customer needs. * Industry-leading product information. Circuitcity.com empowers shoppers with the knowledge they need to make the right choices, including unbiased product reviews from more than 125,000 customers. Regularly updated "Click and Learn" articles explain technical jargon in plain language. Circuitcity.com shoppers also can sign up to receive email newsletters focusing on new products and new movie, music and game releases. In addition, Web shoppers can view 360-degree and close-up images of many consumer electronics products. * Promotional offers. To celebrate its "grand opening," the new circuitcity.com will offer daily specials and giveaways for several weeks following its September launch. In addition, shoppers can enter several sweepstakes, including a "Plasma TV Makeover" contest that offers a grand prize of five flat screen TVs and a wide array of home theatre equipment worth more than $20,000. Going forward, circuitcity.com will feature innovative limited-time Web-only specials and new consumer financing options. Circuitcity.com first launched in July 1999. The site had been continuously upgraded over the years, but the re-launch represents circuitcity.com's first complete makeover. To help create the ultimate online shopping experience for consumer electronics, Circuit City turned to industry leaders R/GA for design and strategy and BroadVision for software architecture. "Together, these two firms helped create a site that welcomes and delights shoppers," said Dias. "Having worked with Circuit City on their initial Web site launch in 1999, we are proud to be a part of this recent launch as their e-business solution provider," said Pehong Chen, CEO of BroadVision. "As we mark the tenth anniversary of e-business, BroadVision is excited about helping to build the framework of Circuit City's future e-business initiatives. Through high performance and easy to implement technology and services, we are helping companies like Circuit City meet the demands of their increasing customer base." "Our goal was to create the ultimate e-commerce experience in the consumer electronics category that was both intuitive and personalized," said Bob Greenberg, chairman, CEO and chief creative officer of R/GA. "To improve the overall customer experience, we integrated enhanced merchandising opportunities, robust research tools and an innovative navigation system. All were designed with the customer in mind, enabling them to make more highly informed purchase decisions." About Circuit City Stores, Inc. Richmond, Va.-based Circuit City Stores is a leading specialty retailer of consumer electronics. Circuit City operates 608 Superstores and five mall- based stores in 158 U.S. markets. Its International segment operates through more than 1,000 retail stores and dealer outlets in Canada. Circuit City also operates a Web site at http://www.circuitcity.com/. About R/GA: R/GA (http://www.rga.com/) is the New York-based interactive advertising agency that serves as the lead digital partner for Fortune 500 companies and world-class brands. R/GA focuses on creating optimized, user-centric experiences that sell products, engage customers and build brands across channels, from the Web to broadband/enhanced television and wireless devices. Named Interactive Agency of the Year in 2004 by Adweek, R/GA is a creative powerhouse with a strong expertise in innovative technology, including the software development of the 23-story Reuters sign in Times Square. Clients include Avaya, Bank of America, Bed Bath & Beyond, Circuit City, Estee Lauder, IBM, Levi Strauss, Nestle Purina, New York Stock Exchange, Reuters and Verizon. Founded in 1977, R/GA is the world's most award-winning interactive agency and has received the top creative awards for film, broadcast and interactive. R/GA is part of The Interpublic Group (NYSE:IPG), one of the world's largest advertising and marketing services organizations. About BroadVision BroadVision is a global provider of personalized self-service web applications. Our integrated suite of process, commerce, portal, and content solutions helps customers rapidly increase revenues and reduce costs. Over 1,000 organizations -- including Wal-Mart, Vodafone, Cardinal Health, Hewlett- Packard, Toyota, Japan Airlines and the U.S. Air Force -- serving nearly 60 million registered users, rely on BroadVision's open solutions to power and personalize their mission-critical web initiatives. For more information about BroadVision, Inc., call 650.542.5100, email or visit http://www.broadvision.com/. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010709/CCLOGO ) http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010709/CCLOGODATASOURCE: Circuit City Stores, Inc. CONTACT: Jim Babb of Circuit City Stores, Inc., +1-804-527-4003, ; David Friedman of BroadVision, +1-415-593-8449, ; or Karen Spiegel of R-GA, +1-212-946-4055, Web site: http://www.circuitcity.com/ http://www.rga.com/ http://www.broadvision.com/

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