1. How does a search engine help JCPenney to do a better job in customer service?

In 2000, Dallas retailer JCPenney (JCPenney.com) enhanced its e-retail position in time for the holiday rush by adding homegrown site features that let customers more quickly locate and pay for merchandise. With JCPenney.com, the company unveiled express checkout services that let customers zip through a purchase in as few as two clicks. It also inaugurated electronic gift certificates that can be redeemed online, plus improved order tracking to give customers more accurate delivery estimates. These features followed the early November 2000 launch of Mercado Search, a search engine that lets shoppers prowl JCPenney’s site by product category and receive results ranked according to relevance. In 2001, the company rolled out specialized sites dedicated to name-brand merchandise, making it easier for customers to find certain products. All these steps were designed to boost the company’s online strategy.