RitzBitz

Ritz Interactive Inc., Irvine, Calif., the e-commerce network that includes RitzCamera.com, WolfCamera.com, BoatersWorld.com, and other leading online-shopping sites, reported a 30 percent increase in merchandise revenue for the first quarter of 2008 over the same period last year. First-quarter merchandise revenue grew to $25.0 million in 2008, compared to $19.3 million during the same period in 2007.

  Ritz Interactive President and CEO Fred H. Lerner credits the sales increase to continued strong consumer demand for DSLRs, the addition of thousands of new consumer electronics products, strong corporate sales and attractive promotions from suppliers and PayPal.

  “Much of our recent revenue growth is from customers upgrading their entry-level digital cameras to the new, more sophisticated digital single lens reflex cameras,” noted Lerner. “We have seen a tremendous demand for newly introduced high-end digital cameras from Nikon and Canon. Specifically, the Nikon D300, Nikon D3 and Canon EOS 1DS Mark III are doing exceptionally well. Additional growth is attributed to our continued expansion into the consumer electronics, home office and corporate business.”