Briefs

CHICAGO, Ill. (USA), January 8, 2008 -- Corporate Express US Inc., part of the Dutch-based Corporate Express NV (NYSE: CXP), has selected market-leading predictive analytics software from SPSS Inc. (Nasdaq: SPSS) to improve customer retention for its U.S. operations.

When it comes to customer satisfaction, the wholesale supply industry faces vastly different obstacles compared to the retail industry. While retailers can create intimate loyalty programs or highly personal direct mailings, business-to-business wholesalers -- such as Corporate Express -- lack actual store space for customer interaction; the industry relies heavily on engaging customers at the beginning of the online or catalog sales cycle, and monitoring purchasing behavior throughout to ensure they retain satisfied customers.

Corporate Express defines loyal customers as those who order across multiple product lines and view the organization as their sole source of office products, office furniture and facility supplies. They also measure loyalty by evaluating the ordering and delivery experience, including if a customer repeatedly orders or refers other customers.

To help enhance customer retention and loyalty, Corporate Express selected SPSS predictive analytics to give the organization a complete view of their customers’ purchasing behavior, starting at the beginning of the sales cycle. This information will be used by the sales force to better serve customers.

For more information, visit www.spss.com.