This morning, Omaha-based online retailer, NetShops, launched what they call a “revolutionary online retail experience: hayneedle.com.”
Besides changing their look and feel, the new site introduces shoppers to a universal shopping cart that works across all stores as well as an updated navigation system that allows customers to move between related stores with just one click.
Hayneedle Inc, formerly NetShops, was founded in 2002 by Omahans Doug Nielsen, Mark Hasebroock, and Julie Mahloch when they launched their first store, hammocks.com. Today, it includes 220 stores and counting, each devoted to a single product category, such as telescopes.com and patioumbrellas.com. New stores open almost weekly to fulfill customer needs.
“Consumers deserve choice in categories where retailers can’t provide it. For example, most retailers would carry about three hammocks, but with hayneedle, you get over 100,” explains Carter Cast, CEO of hayneedle. “By offering niche stores dedicated to a specific line of products and connecting them together under hayneedle, we’ll make it easier for our customers to find what they want for their home and lifestyle.”
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The company has been recognized by Internet Retailer as a Top 100 site and by Inc. Magazine as one of America’s fastest growing companies. With over $200 million in annual revenue, the company is privately held and funded by Insight Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital.
Over the last two years, a new executive team was assembled to draw upon decades of online retail experience. A couple of notable additions include: President & CEO, Carter Cast in 2007, who, while with the Walmart.com division Wal-Mart Stores, Inc as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Merchandising and Site and then President and CEO, helped launch Walmart.com and lead it to profitability as it became one of the highest volume e-commerce sites in the world; and Chief Operating Officer, Jon Barker in 2008, who, while with Cornerstone Brands as Senior Vice President of Distribution and Logistics, led the team in the start-up and long-term strategy for a distribution network operating 2 million square feet of fulfillment, helping grow the company to over $1 billion in sales in less than 7 years.
Hear are a couple screenshots: first, of the old netshops.com and second, of the rebranded site launched today, hayneedle.com:
