Rockinghorse,
Here is what I have to present.
Company Background
*******************
This company's business is an online retailer of cookware and specialty foods.
Business Start Date: 2/1/1998
Address:
2850 Ocean Park Blvd Suite 310
SANTA MONICA, CA
Ph: (310) 450-3270
(877) 999-2433
Fax: (310) 450-0655
http://www.labbb.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/CompanyReportPage_Expository.aspx?CompanyID=13120627&hAKAID=13&hAddrID=11
BBB Created Record on: 9/16/1999
It is not a BBB (Better Business Bureau) member
As per BBB, it has a rating of B. For understanding the rating, please go to
http://www.labbb.org/BBBWeb/Forms/Business/RatingExplanationPage.aspx?sm=
Cooking.com's own website give some background information
http://www.cooking.com/products/shabotus.asp?Home=guest
Media Reports and Corporate Announcements
It has appeared in Forbes' Best of the Web Directory.
"...Tools of the trade for serious cooks. You'll find 17 jam-packed
departments, from bakeware and barware to cutlery, small appliances
and tableware. The Clearance section has great deals for martini gift
sets, chef's casseroles, cookbooks and more. Register here for your
wedding and search more than 5,000 cooking-related items, from panini
grills and paella pans to turkey fryers and espresso machines ($99 to
$2,199). Discover scrumptious recipes and easy menus for entertaining
in a collection of articles written by renowned cookbook authors,
culinary educators and food experts. Sections are handily organized by
topics like Light & Healthy Living, Worldly Flavors and Seasonal
Entertaining."
http://www.forbes.com/bow/b2c/review.jhtml?id=6799
Cooking.com to Refine the Recipe for Improving Customer Satisfaction
with ForeSee Results
"August 11, 2003, Ann Arbor, MI ? Cooking.com, a leading online and
catalog cookware retailer, has selected ForeSee Results to measure
customer satisfaction..."
http://www.foreseeresults.com/Press_CookingCom.html
"Burlington, MA (January 20, 2004) - BURST! Media, an Internet ad
services and online ad sales rep company that delivers more than 2
billion advertising impressions for over 2,000 web publishers every
month, today announced that The Christian Science Monitor
(www.csmonitor.com) and Cooking.com (www.cooking.com) have begun using
AdDesktop®, BURST! Media's proprietary ad-management technology. Both
sites had been DoubleClick clients."
http://www.burstmedia.com/release/pressreleases/pr_01_20_04.htm
Cooking.com Raises $16 Million in Venture Capital
"Santa Monica, CA-based Cooking.com said it has secured $16 million in
second-round financing from its existing investors and a new group led
by Vanguard Venture Partners.
Cooking.com also announced a two-year, multimillion-dollar deal with
America Online to become a programming partner in the Food & Cooking
Web Center on AOL.com. "
http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article.php/100231
Starbucks Invests in Online Cookware Retailer Cooking.com
"SANTA MONICA, Calif.-- Cooking.com, an online retailer of cookware
and specialty foods, received an equity investment from Starbucks
Coffee Co. (Nasdaq:SBUX). In addition to the equity stake, the two
companies have developed a strategic operating agreement making
Cooking.com the exclusive cookware merchant featured within
starbucks.com. Terms were not disclosed."
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/258971
Cooking.com Secures $30 Million Round Of Funding From Private Investors
"SANTA MONICA, Calif.-- Cooking.com, an online retailer of cookware
and specialty foods, announced completion of a $30 million round of
funding from its existing investors and the Internet-focused venture
capital firm netWorth Partners, advised by Mellon Ventures.
netWorth Partners is a national venture capital fund that invests
along with Mellon Ventures in companies across the Internet value
chain, including content, infrastructure and service companies.
Existing investors Vanguard Venture Partners, Tredegar Investments,
Forrest, Binkley and Brown, Times Mirror Co., the Phillips Smith
Specialty Group, idealab Capital Partners, Dynafund Ventures and Moore
Capital also participated in this round."
http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/218601
eGain Goes Gourmet With Cooking.com; Helps Leading Site Deliver
Delicious Customer Service
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_August_2/ai_55321062
This article appeared on 16th november 1998
"Whether it?s dinner or dessert, cooking.com is a great resource for
food-lovers, and people who love to cook; in addition, the site offers
professional advice on how to choose products and create satisfying
meals through product recommendations, cooking tips and reference
information. The site is also a source for high-quality cookware,
tableware, cookbooks and specialty foods. Content is received through
partnerships with Fine Cooking magazine (cooking techniques) and
Weldon-Owen publications (recipes). "
http://www.designinteract.com/sow_d/111698/
The following feature article appeared in December 2002
Also http://www.internetretailer.com/article.asp?id=8135
Investors
**********
Here are some of the investors that I could track down.
Idealab - http://www.idealab.com/companies/alpha.tp
Dynafund Ventures - http://www.dynafundventures.com/our_portfolio/index.html
Vanguard Ventures - http://www.vanguardventures.com/portfolio/index.html
Forrest, Binkley and Brown - http://www.fbbvc.com/portfolio/index.cfm
Phillips Smith Specialty Group - http://www.phillips-smith.com/Portfolio.htm
Mellon Ventures - http://www.mellonventures.com/portfoliocompanies.asp?SecId=8
Officers/Personnel
********************
Some of this may not be up-to-date, but this is what I could find
publicly available
Dave Hodess Founder and CEO
Tracy Randall Founder and President
Wende Headley VP of Business Development
In 2001, Cooking.com layed off 36 employees which accounted for 20% of
its workforce to maintain profitability.
http://www.searchtheweb.com/dotcomnews/020501/
I hope this somwhat gives you the information you were looking for.I
could not find any information on profits, acquisitions or annual
sales.
-ddhara. |
