SALT LAKE CITY, UT (BRAIN)—3point5.com recently surpassed 100,000 registered users, a significant milestone showcasing the robust growth of the online retail training leader.
The company trains retail sales employees using innovative, interactive Web sites that teach manufacturer brand, technology and product information. Employees click through the free training, then are required pass tests—called “Edu-Games”—to earn deep discounts on the products they sell.
3point5.com was founded in 2004 and quickly began building Outdoor industry sites for major retailers like The North Face. Currently, the site hosts more than 100 manufacturers, including companies from the snowsports, action sports, hunt/fish, bike and footwear industries.
“The North Face realized the value of Web training when we were first approached by 3point5.com many product lines ago,” said Dave Ruiz, professional markets sales manager for The North Face. “What we didn’t get was how quickly our retail sales force would catch on to the concept. Using 3point5.com has greatly increased The North Face employee purchases—getting our newest merchandise in the hands of our true brand ambassadors. In addition, it has added real quality to their everyday conversations with customers on the sales floor.
“Reaching 100,000 users is an achievement that speaks well of 3point5.com’s business model,” Ruiz said. “Aggregating brands into one, easy-to-use Web portal has changed the face of retail sales training and employee purchase programs. We look forward to continuing to increase our product seeding through this company.”
The 100,000-user mark isn’t the only benchmark reached recently by 3point5.com. Users surpassed the three million “Edu-Game” mark on Oct. 31, just one year after 3point5.com recorded its one-millionth Edu-Game.
That means, on average, 3point5.com users completed an Edu-Game every 15.8 seconds over the course of the last year.
“Reaching these kinds of benchmarks has been a long-term goal since we started 3point5.com with the help of pioneering manufacturers like The North Face and Patagonia,” said Duncan Robins, the company’s chief executive officer. “Surpassing 100,000 users not only means our product is serving our customers well, it means our efforts to expand into other industries have been rewarded.”
