Reach extends worldwide

Chain Drug Review, Jan 5, 2009

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BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Drugstore.com launched a new international offering to 34 countries in November with the first order coming from Luxembourg. To expand internationally, drugstore.com entered into a contract to utilize E4X Inc.'s FiftyOne Global Ecommerce program.

The time is right to accelerate growth by adding global markets, drugstore.com chairman and chief executive officer Dawn Lepore said last year. The company is seeing increasing demand for its over-the-counter products from foreign countries, she said, adding that FiftyOne Global Ecommerce from E4X will enable a cost-effective expansion opportunity in a short period of time.

"This is an unprecedented opportunity for U.S. retailers to extend their e-commerce sites internationally and gain access to an entirely new and previously untapped market of 500 million consumers in 34 countries," said E4X CEO Michael DeSimone. "International shoppers are streaming to U.S. e-commerce web sites to buy virtually all categories of consumer products."

"This is an exciting new marketing opportunity for us in Europe and Canada," says drugstore.com vice president and chief marketing officer Dave Lonczak. Canada and the United Kingdom are especially significant markets because they are English-speaking countries, he notes. And English is a common second language throughout Europe.

FiftyOne Global Ecommerce simplifies international e-commerce for both retailers and consumers. Shoppers visiting a retailer's U.S.-based e-commerce site from outside the U.S. are shown only the merchandise, pricing and delivery options available in their country. Meanwhile, to the retailer, international sales are managed to look the same as any domestic sale. The program addresses all aspects of an international transaction--including local country merchandising, multi-currency payments, global logistics and delivery and post-sale customer support.

The program will enable drugstore.com to facilitate market expansion with:

* Local country merchandising: web site localization, guaranteed local currency product pricing, restricted product screening and guaranteed lowest possible landed costs.

* Multicurrency payments: multicurrency credit card processing, international credit card fraud protection, currency management and U.S. dollar settlement ensure customers are charged and pay in their own currency, while retailers are paid in U.S. dollars at the time of order--without foreign exchange risk.

* Global logistics and delivery: U.S. retailers ship to a U.S.-based hub and FiftyOne handles the customs clearance, international shipping, package tracking and return shipping. International customers receive the lowest guaranteed landed cost for delivery to their door--with no surprise fees or surcharges.

* Post-sale support: FiftyOne returns management and customer service tools allow U.S. retailers to provide international shoppers with the same level of customer service provided to domestic shoppers.