Dollarstore.com and ThemeWare Offer Thousands of New Internet Users a Turnkey Solution to e-commerce

Business Wire, Dec 23, 1999

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 23, 1999

Dollarstore.com Inc.(TM), the world's largest discount shopping portal, and ThemeWare Corp., known for Internet Tool Box(TM) infomercials featuring "Home Improvement's" Richard Karn, are together encouraging the 30,000 per-month Internet Tool Box purchasers to establish e-commerce businesses.

Under the terms of this recent collaboration, ThemeWare will host Web sites for Internet Tool Box owners, typically new Internet users, allowing them to resell products listed in the Internet Tool Box Virtual Product Warehouse catalog. Dollarstore.com will supply, store, fulfill and ship these products for ThemeWare-sponsored sites, in addition to select general merchandise from the thousands of items in dollarstore.com's inventory.

"There is no faster method available for entry into e-commerce, especially for novice Internet users," explained Rex Mehta, president of Dollarstore.com. "Through our joint efforts, anyone can start an online store -- or add to their existing product inventory -- without laboring to develop a Web site, procure products, fill orders or ship worldwide."

Products available for resale via ThemeWare-sponsored Web sites consist of the 50 items listed online in ThemeWare's Virtual Product Warehouse, plus select items from Dollarstore's 15 categories of brand-name and generic general merchandise. Dollarstore.com offers ThemeWare's Web site owners a wide range of items for resale via www.dollarstore.com/toolbox.

Product categories consist of: small appliances, electronic products, auto care, books, apparel, fashion accessories, food and grocery (non-perishable dry goods), gifts and jewelry, hardware, health and beauty, holiday items, household cleaning, housewares, music and video, party goods, pet care, stationery and toys.

"By making a variety of popular products available for resale and by handling order fulfillment, ThemeWare is offering the very assistance new Internet users need to quickly and easily establish e-commerce businesses outside of their current reach," explained Mario Rojas, manager of the ThemeWare Club.

About Dollarstore.com Inc.

Dollarstore.com, the world's largest discount shopping portal, owns five related Web sites comprising an unrivaled network of discount merchandise buyers and sellers.

Their properties consist of a dollar retail store at www.dollarstore.com; a wholesale merchandise store at www.dollarmerchandise.com; a buying service to instantly start or restock physical discount stores, via www.mydollarstore.com; a large-quantity virtual auction site at www.dollaronsale.com; and a closeout merchandise site at www.dollarsurplus.com.

This private company was founded in 1996 and has headquarters at 4041 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach, Calif. 92660. Telephone: 949/261-7488. Please address general inquiries to contact@dollarstore.com.

About ThemeWare Corp.

ThemeWare, founded in 1996, represents a new era of Internet access for consumers and brings tremendous value to them. The company's business model is comprised of three essential ingredients

-- award-winning content, unique packaging and celebrity icon endorsement -- to create a powerful central theme.

It is ThemeWare's intent that the consumer who wants to get onto the Internet but does not know how will turn to one of the many Internet Tool Boxes to provide the necessary guidance.

The Internet Tool Box is priced at $49.95 and contains Internet-focused tutorials, online service subscriptions from name-brand providers, other reference materials and access to the Virtual Product Warehouse catalog. For more information, log on to: http://www.themeware.com.