Market America is adding 250 technology jobs to its headquarters in Greensboro as it ramps up Web operations with an eye toward competing against the giant online shopping portal Amazon.com.
"Right now, we're a $300 million-plus company," said Marc Ashley, Chief Operating Officer for the privately held company. "Over the next three to five years, our goal is to be a billion-dollar company. This is our push to get to that point."
“The jobs will all be technology-oriented,” Ashley said, “ranging from Web developers and content writers to database managers. Salaries will range from $30,000 to $75,000, depending on the position and level of experience,” Ashley said.
The staff additions and Web site changes are part of an attempt by Market America, a company that markets and sells a variety of products through a system of independent distributors, to take on Amazon.com as a top location for one-stop Internet shopping.
Taking on Amazon.com
Currently, customers who go to marketamerica.com can search for products, but are redirected to individual companies' websites, such as Best Buy, Target, and Wal-Mart. “ The goal,” Ashley said, “ is to allow orders from all of Market America's partner stores to be paid for using one online ‘shopping cart,’ saving the consumer time and keeping them on the Market America site.” The company hopes to have that option available by August, when it hosts its annual convention in Greensboro.
Anthony Akers, Vice President of Communications for Market America, said the company started its current expansion last September with a few employees, but ramped up at the beginning of the year. Market America is having New Atlantic Contracting of Winston-Salem build a 30,000-square-foot addition to its headquarters on Pleasant Ridge Road in Greensboro to accommodate the increased employee count.
“The goal is to have the addition, at a cost of about $4 million, completed by August as well,” Akers said. Before the additional space and hirings, Market America occupied about 200,000 square feet and had about 500 employees in Greensboro.
Akers said that adding such a large number of employees in the Information Technology sector could be difficult, but Market America will be looking locally first, then outside the region, and they will relocate people, if necessary. Akers and Ashley said that Market America will try to differentiate itself from Amazon and other competitors through its customer experience.
Market America has about 150,000 independent distributors through what it calls its "UnFranchise" system. Each of those distributors works with Market America customers in their area to provide one-on-one customer service. "That personal relationship ensures that the customers are getting what they want," Akers said. "Market America's customer service is not a room of 400 people with customer service representatives answering generic questions. The independent business owners (distributors) have a vested interest to make sure that customer is taken care of."
Adrienne Cregar Jandler, President of Atlantic Webworks in Greensboro, said customer service will be key, especially if Market America is trying to expand its customer base and potentially siphon customers from Amazon and others. "The question becomes, 'how do they compare to an Amazon?’," she said. "What are the benefits of going (to Market America's site) that the customer doesn't have elsewhere"?
“The answer to that,” Ashley said, “ lies in the fact that Market America currently partners with more than 2,000 firms, including some of the largest names in retail. Currently, about 2 million items are available through Market America's site, and the company boasts more than 3 million customers,” he said.
“Preferred customers” get deals
Akers said that prices through Market America will be similar to, if not lower than, what a consumer could get by going directly to a partner's website. That's because Market America's registered "preferred customers" have access to deals that the company has struck with its partners. Market America also has its own exclusive products, most of which are in the health and nutrition line.
Jandler said that in order to compete with an Amazon, Market America would likely need to have a strong marketing campaign to get its name out. Akers said that while Market America does not do any mass advertising, it hosts events and has other promotions to make the public aware of the firm and its services. Earlier this year, for example, Market America was host of a party in Miami a few days before the Super Bowl that featured singers Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.
The Web changes aren't the only growth going on at Market America, however. Akers said that this year the firm will open offices in Hong Kong and also expand into Latin America.