Buy.com® Names Online Retailing and Channel Veteran Chief Marketing Officer

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Jan. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Buy.com®, the Internet Superstore, today announced Bernard Luthi, a 15-year veteran of ecommerce, technology and consumer electronics, has joined the company as chief marketing officer. Previously, Luthi was vice president of marketing, web management and customer service at Newegg.com.

In his new role, Luthi will lead Buy.com's marketing initiatives, including web site experience, advertising, BuyTV, public relations and promotions. In addition, he will work closely with Buy.com parent company Rakuten on overall corporate branding.

During his 15 year career, Luthi has held positions at several leading online retailing and technology companies. Most recently, he drove customer engagement and visibility for Newegg, also serving as a primary company spokesperson and spearheading an enhanced end-to-end customer experience strategy.  In addition, Luthi was vice president of marketing at PC Mall, a leading direct marketer in the consumer and commercial electronics space.  Prior to these posts, he held director and senior group manager positions in product marketing, partner programs and reseller marketing during his decade tenure at Ingram Micro, the world's leading global technology distributor.

"Bernard's knowledge of online retailing and channel product marketing will be a huge asset to Buy.com, as we work to increase our value to product vendors and marketplace sellers, while continuing to build loyalty among our diverse customer-base," said Neel Grover, Buy.com CEO and president. "With our plans for increasing growth under our parent company Rakuten, his deep experience and marketing acumen will give us a strong competitive advantage."

Coming off one of its most successful holiday shopping seasons in 2011, Buy.com offers more than 11 million products in more than 22 product categories, including games, apparel and shoes, books, bags and luggage, fragrance, home and outdoor, software, sporting goods, jewelry and watches, toys and baby goods, and more. Consumers also can access thousands of up-to-the-minute product reviews and other entertainment offerings exclusively on the BuyTV channel.

In addition to delivering one of the widest selections of products on the web, Buy.com is a leader in customer service, featuring free shipping on millions of products and an A+ rating for customer service from the Better Business Bureau. Buy.com makes shopping easier and more rewarding with easy-to-use mobile apps, making millions of products accessible by fingertips – anywhere, anytime.

About Buy.com
With more than 18 million customers, Buy.com is a leading retail marketplace, focused on providing its customers with a great shopping experience and a broad selection of retail goods at everyday low prices.  Buy.com offers millions of products in a range of categories, including consumer electronics, computer hardware and software, cell phones, books, music, DVDs, games, toys, bags, fragrance, home and outdoor, baby, jewelry, shoes, apparel and sporting goods.  Founded in June 1997, Buy.com is headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif., and owned by Rakuten, Japan's leading Internet Company.  Together, Rakuten and Buy.com represent one of the world's largest online retail marketplaces, offering consumers more than 70 million products from nearly 37,000 merchants around the globe.

Buy.com® and The Internet Superstore™ are trademarks of Buy.com Inc. 

SOURCE Buy.com