Apply for credit online, decide on lease versus buy, and all that's left to do at the showroom is to take the car for a spin around the block. The customizable fare watcher feature lets bargain hunters keep tabs on the latest deals. There is power in numbers. Escout, a B2B e-commerce network, aggregates the buying, selling and communication needs of small and midsize businesses in a single marketplace. By combining their buying power, smaller businesses can enjoy volume discounts from selected vendors.
Members can also advertise and sell their own wares through the site.
Paying for higher education seems much less intimidating with the help of this student loan guarantor and administrator's site. In addition to the calculators for estimating school costs, self-service tools let borrowers access information about their loans. Vauxhall's BuyPower site lets U.K. customers buy a Vauxhall car without leaving home. The vertical marketplace's promises of significant cost and time savings for customers have inspired other industries to jump on the bandwagon. Along the way, customers can order a bottle of chardonnay or merlot, get wine suggestions, or join a wine or gourmet food club.