London, 28^th June 2011 – Twenga, the open shopping platform with the biggest choice online, reports a standard school supplies basket costs £199 this year, compared with £195 in 2010 – a slight increase of 1.74% compared to last year’s dramatic 30% rise.

British prices are still far higher than on the continent this year, with regular prices being £134 in France and £156 in Germany.

The study is based on a basket of 16 standard supplies such as pencils, pens, erasers and notebooks. It analysed the price of 284,650 back to school products for pupils in the UK, France and Germany and it shows:

• A regular price of £199 – this is an average price, technically the median price – which rose by 1.74% since 2010.
• A bargain price of £96– this is the price of the bottom 25% of products, technically the first quartile figure – which rose by 2.23% from the 2010 price.

There is a significant gap between bargain prices and standard prices: the standard school supplies basket is 106% more expensive than the bargain one, showing British consumers should look closely for the best deal before next term.

However, the future is promising for British consumers as prices, even though still rising, are levelling off.

The future is promising for British consumers as prices, even though still rising, are levelling off.

British prices are still far higher than in France and Germany

Methodology

Twenga put together a shopping basket of back to school equipment, choosing 16 products (see list below) used by students and marketed simultaneously across the UK, France and Germany.

The benchmarking studies showed:

• In mid-June 2011, Twenga analysed 284,650 product prices from 14,361 online shops:  5,615 in the UK, 2,340 in France and 6,406 in Germany.

• In mid-June 2010, Twenga collected 181,446 product prices from 9,111 online shops: 3,310 in the UK, 1,684 in France and 4,117 in Germany.

• In early June 2009, the study considered 98,939 product prices from 3,956 online shops: 1,339 in the UK, 1,060 in France and 1,557 in Germany.

• In August 2008, Twenga took 83,440 product prices from 1,924 online shops: 826 in the UK, 352 in France and 756 in Germany.

To calculate the ‘regular price’ shown in its study, Twenga added up the median price for each item. The ‘bargain price’ represents the price from the bottom quartile for each price (the lower price range) for each product. Twenga uses the median price to avoid the data becoming biased by extreme cases.

The list of school products used for the study includes: ballpoint pens, fountain pens, pencils, pencil erasers, binders, pen eraser rewriters, drawing compasses, A4 notebooks, pencil cases, school bags, glue sticks, academic diaries, children’s scissors, scientific calculators, flat rulers, set squares.

There are over 35,000 offers of bikinis on Twenga which is an ideal swimsuit to sunbathe on the beach. Most common styles feature tie-side bottoms and a halter neck top, but other styles such as bandeau tops and hipster bottoms have gained popularity. Those who prefer more modest styles can opt for a skirted one-piece bathing suit for a vintage-inspired look. The monokini, a cutout one-piece swimsuit that is increasingly popular, is a great alternative for those who cannot decide between a one piece or two-piece swimsuit.

A racerback swimsuit by trusted sport brands such as Speedo or Arena is perfectly adapted for exercising in the pool. Finally, the bathing suits that are best suited to practice water sports are tankinis with board shorts by brands like Roxy and Rip Curl.

London, 8^th May 2011 –Twenga, the open shopping platform with the biggest choice online, reports visits to home decoration and furniture have seen spectacular increases these last two weeks. Trends in searches reveal Brits desire for quick and easy changes in their interior as well as affordable and temporary decorating solutions that adapt to changes of mood or seasons.

Searches for room divider screens and door curtains have increased by 316% and 246% respectively, showing Brits wanting to give a fresher look to their home in the twinkling of an eye.

Daybeds, a particularly convenient solution for studio flats where the bedroom is also the main room, have seen a 203% increase in visits.

Wall stickers have registered a 131% rise in searches, revealing Brits’ taste for revamping their interior without leaving permanent marks on the walls. As for the 233% increase in visits for wallpaper – the only exception to this trend in fast redecorating – it is a sign that Brits are still ready to use elbow grease to redecorate.

Source: Visits on Twenga.co.uk from May 24^th to June 4^th compared with previous two weeks

• Will school supplies be cheaper or more expensive in 2011 than last year?
• Where will the UK stand compared to France and Germany?
• How can parents save money on school supplies?
• What about school uniforms?

Twenga will draw from its database of 400 million product prices from over 200,000 retailers across 15 countries to answer these questions this summer.

Be among the first to find out the results at the end of June. Contact us:

Jodie Welton at Connected PR

+44 (0)7887 780464

jodie@connectedpr.com

Website: www.twenga.co.uk

Blog: www.twengablog.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/twenga_uk

Methodology

Twenga put together a shopping basket of back to school equipment, choosing 16 products (see list below) used by students and marketed simultaneously across the UK, France and Germany.

The past benchmarking studies showed:

• In June 2010, Twenga analysed 181,456 product prices from 9,111 online shops: 3,310 in the UK, 4,117 in Germany, and 1,648 in France.

• In early June 2009, the study considered 98,939 product prices from 3,956 online shops: 1,339 in the UK, 1,060 in France and 1,557 in Germany.

• In August 2008, Twenga took 83,440 product prices from 1,924 online shops: 826 in the UK, 352 in France and 756 in Germany.

To calculate the ‘regular price’ shown in its study, Twenga added up the median price for each item. The ‘bargain price’ represents the price from the bottom quartile for each price (the lower price range) for each product. Twenga uses the median price to avoid the data becoming biased by extreme cases.

The list of school products used for the previous studies includes: Ballpoint pens, Fountain pens, Pencils, Pencil erasers, Binders, Pen eraser rewriters, Drawing compasses, A4 notebooks, Pencil cases, School bags, Glue sticks, Academic diaries, Children’s scissors, Scientific calculators, Flat rulers, Set squares.

The list of school products that will be used for the 2011 study is subject to changes depending on back-to-school trends.

School supplies prices leap 30% in a year

Average basket of back-to-school kit twice as expensive as in France

British prices are far higher than in Germany and France in 2010

British prices are far higher than on the continent: in Germany the regular price is £130 and in France it costs just £99.

The study is based on a basket of 16 standard supplies such as pencils, pens, erasers, notebooks, etc. It analysed the price of 181,446 back to school products for pupils in the UK, France and Germany and it shows:

Both the regular and bargain prices show a dramatic increase in the UK in 2010

• A regular price of £195 – this is an average price, technically the median price – which rose by 28% since 2009.
• A bargain price of £94 – this is the price of the bottom 25% of products, technically the first quartile figure – which rose by 29% from the 2009 price.

The marked difference between the regular price and the bargain price shows that UK consumers should take care to search carefully for the best deal before next term.

About Twenga

Twenga is the open shopping platform with the biggest choice online. Thanks to its proprietary technology, Twenga gathers on its websites all retailers, products and prices it finds on the Web.
Founded in 2006 by Bastien Duclaux and Cedric Anes, Twenga runs 15 sites, including the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Brazil, Russia, the United States, Australia, Japan and China among others, displaying 400 million offerings from more than 200,000 online shops. Twenga’s sites received 45 million visits in November 2010. In the same year, Twenga won the Red Herring 100 Global Award, the Young Technology Leader Award and the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Company of the Future Category.

Teens preparing to leave home to live in their own apartment or college dorm room will need practical gifts to adjust to living on their own.  Laundry hampers, bedroom linen and mini first aid kits are essential basics, while small kitchen appliances like microwaves, small refrigerators, coffee makers or toasters will encourage them to make their own meals.

If they are attending a university far from home, a luggage set will make traveling during school breaks much easier and picture frames for photos of friends and family will make the distance more bearable. Finally, cozy sweatshirts and pajamas, a trendy backpack, and a desk organizer are other equally important must-haves for every new college student.

The French Open, proudly referred to as Roland Garros by the French, is the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments played on clay courts. All eyes are on number two seed, Novak Djokovic, who this year is entering the tournament with an unbeaten record of 37-0, while the number one ranked player, Rafael Nadal, will be fighting to win his sixth French Open championship. Twenga has over 8,000 tennis rackets to choose from including the professionals’ choice of brands, such as Nadal’s Babolat racket and Djokovic’s Wilson K factor racket.

Last year, the women’s title went to the Italian player Francesca Schiavone, making her the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam, but this year there is no clear leader. As the Williams sisters dropped out of the tournament due to injury, their shocking fashion statements will be missed. Fortunately, Twenga has a wide range of tennis skirts and dresses to feel like a pro and dress to impress on and off the court. Men and women alike should complete the tennis look with a spacious tennis bag and tennis cap. Federer fans in particular will be happy to know that the star’s signature hat is available in a variety of colors.

As Ugg has built its success on winter boots, some may be surprised to see the brand among the top 3 in flip flops.  Only Superdry and Nike are more popular. Off-white shades are the most in demand, followed by more daring purple then classic blue.

Brits like to feel glamorous on the beach and afterwards too, evident in the sandal materials of choice – familiar rubber holds its place at #2, but flanked by satin and silk.  Colours are adventurous too, with turquoise leading the way, followed by orange and silver.

Espadrilles are among this month’s most searched-for summer shoes so it’s important to be right on trend.  That means canvas, with leather and suede behind.  It means TOMS, Havaïanas or H by Hudsons, and it means striking colours – pink, navy and purple.

*Source: visits from 17/04/11 to 17/05/11 on Twenga.co.uk

New York, May 12^th 2011 – Spring is the season for gardening and landscaping. Twenga, the open shopping platform with the largest selection online, showcases thousands of products for creating a more environmentally friendly backyard.

Solar-powered outdoor lighting is an ideal solution to turn any space more eco-friendly. With solar chargers mounted directly onto stakes, solar garden lanterns and solar flowers provide pleasant lighting during evenings spent outside on the patio or in the yard.

Those inspired by English garden design will enjoy adding a solar garden fountain into their landscape.

Finally, swimming pool owners can choose to use green accessories such as solar pool heaters and solar showers.

London, 12th May 2011 -Twenga, the online shopping platform with the biggest choice online, has recorded increases in beachwear pointing to the trends that women will be sporting this summer.  The good news is that the most popular styles are also the most wearable.

Visits to skirted swimwear have increased by 214% in the space of a week, indicating that relaxed styles like maxi-dresses and wide-leg trousers will also remain popular.  Check patterns are proving more popular than polka dots so far, with preferred colours being turquoise, white then navy.

A 115% increase in beach cover-ups confirms the trend.  These are sometimes decorated with sequins or beads, but most commonly in bright, block colours.  Red, white then green are the most popular this season.

Even the bikini is losing ground against the monokini, which has seen a 50% increase in visits.  White is the most popular colour, followed by darker models, with animal prints such as leopard and zebra almost as in demand as block versions among consumers.

*Visits for the period 30/04/11 – 06/05/11, compared with 23/04/11 – 29/04/11

More added value for online shoppers

To better respond to the demands of online shoppers, Twenga commissioned a study identifying the key levers influencing choice.  These include:

-       The ability to browse as many products as possible at a glance, with large visuals;

-       The ability to share recommendations and ask questions, using social networks or email;

-       Access to more in-depth product features, zoom images and filter options;

-       Clean, clear design, showcasing the products.

Twenga’s new interface is based on this visual, sensory approach, using advanced proprietary technology to optimise the navigational experience.  The photo view has become bigger and now contains more information.  Navigation by filter is instinctive and seamless, with colour, shape, style, material, product spec and 23,000 other features identified by Twenga.

The new version includes the social shopping feature launched by Twenga last month.  This allows shoppers, in one click, to ask their friends on Facebook, on Twitter or by email, what they think of a product before buying.

“With this new interface, we have been able to create a modern, user-friendly visual experience, offering added value to the online shopper; a considerable achievement given the 380 million products on Twenga sites”, said Gaël de Talhouet, Vice-President Marketing at Twenga.

Convincing results in the USA

The improved product presentation has had an immediate, positive impact:

“We have already launched the site in the US and the results are convincing.  The number of pages visited and the time spent on the site have both increased dramatically.  This is proof that user experience is enhanced, with a direct boost to sales” Bastien Duclaux said, CEO and co-founder of Twenga.

“Over the next few days, we will be launching the new interface in all 15 countries in which Twenga operates.  New features will be added progressively, bringing ever greater user satisfaction,” Bastien Duclaux added.

Check out the new interface now on www.twenga.co.uk.