You may not know jack about CUC International Inc., but you've probably bought its stuff - or will sometime soon. The direct marketing powerhouse has been surreptitiously engineering a slew of deals to erect a one-stop shopping empire.
Recently, Stamford, Connecticut-based CUC wolfed down software makers Berkeley Systems, Sierra On-Line, and Davidson; made small investments in dozens of other tech firms, among them Wired Ventures; paired with Microsoft's Sidewalk to sell local ads, and AOL to hawk its goods.
Behind the deal-making fever lies an elaborate plan for reeling in shoppers - online and off. CUC counts 68 million members among its discount buyers clubs, which includes Shoppers Advantage.
This summer CUC previewed an online megastore. NetMarket (www.netmarket.com/) may replace its gargantuan telemarketing efforts - but don't expect any hype. "CUC is low profile by design," says Steve Horen at Montgomery Securities. "They're smart people, quietly hanging out learning from others' mistakes."
ELECTRIC WORD
Ecommerce Powerhouse
If They Come, We Will Build It
