Bazaarvoice bought its main rival soon after going public, and the Justice Department sued to undo the deal. The company powered the reviews on other companies' websites. Retailers and brands used its software to collect ratings and comments and display them next to products. When Bazaarvoice filed to go public in 2012, it served many of the biggest retailers and brands. Online shoppers had come to expect reviews on product pages.

A Network of Shared Reviews

Brett Hurt founded Bazaarvoice in Austin in 2005. He had earlier built an analytics company. He believed customer voices could sell products better than marketing copy. His bet was that every online store would need reviews, and that one shared network could serve them all. That network let brands share reviews with the retailers that sold their products. Reviews guided shoppers and gave companies feedback.

The PowerReviews Lawsuit

Bazaarvoice priced at $12 a share in February 2012 and rose on its first day. Soon after, it bought PowerReviews, its main rival, and the Justice Department sued. A court ruled against the deal, and Bazaarvoice had to sell PowerReviews. In 2018 Marlin Equity Partners bought the company for about $521 million. Bazaarvoice continues as a private company in Austin.

Cover: Street in Cairo, David Young Cameron. Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Chosen for a busy street in Cairo (the bazaar).