drugstore.com Launches Largest Drugstore On the World Wide Web; Amazon.com in Strategic Alliance with Online Provider of Personal Healthcare Products

Business Wire, Feb 25, 1999

REDMOND, Wash.--(BW HealthWire)--Feb. 25, 1999--drugstore.com (www.drugstore.com), the new source for health, beauty and wellness products, launches today on the Internet.

drugstore.com offers more than 15,000 brand-name personal healthcare products at competitive prices, a wealth of decision-making resources, personal services and a licensed pharmacy, all provided online.

Starting today, drugstore.com is open for business 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Shoppers can review in-depth product information, interact with customer service representatives by phone or e-mail and order products for delivery direct to the home. Shoppers also can personalize the shopping experience with personal shopping lists, e-mail reminders for replenishing regularly used products and private e-mail access to pharmacists and beauty experts for questions.

"Our mission is to enable customers to educate themselves and to fulfill all their health, beauty and wellness needs online," says Peter Neupert, President and CEO of drugstore.com. "drugstore.com gives time and control back to customers by making it easy for them to find, research and buy products."

"Going to a brick and mortar drugstore can be a frustrating experience for lots of different reasons: waiting, lack of selection, lack of personal assistance and so on. People view it as a chore instead of a shopping destination because it takes too much time and it's impersonal," adds Neupert. "We are going to raise the bar for customers' expectations in the drugstore space by offering broad and deep variety, easy and convenient shopping, objective product information that isn't sponsored, quick personal service and complete privacy."

Amazon.com Strategic Alliance

In conjunction with the launch, drugstore.com announces a strategic alliance with Amazon.com. Amazon.com is a significant minority investor in drugstore.com and will help to introduce customers to this new shopping experience.

"We're excited about drugstore.com," says Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. "drugstore.com shares our passion for empowering customers and giving them the best possible experience. Peter Neupert and the team he's assembled are going to shake their industry by giving customers what they really want."

"People who like Amazon.com will like shopping at drugstore.com," says Neupert. "Amazon.com sets the standard for quality and excellent service and we at drugstore.com are committed to matching that standard."

A Complete Online Pharmacy

drugstore.com includes a licensed online pharmacy, overseen by Andy Stergachis, R.Ph., Ph.D., the former chair of the University of Washington Department of Pharmacy. The drugstore.com pharmacy has licensed pharmacists to deliver personal service including 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week online ordering, provide personal counseling by phone or e-mail, perform drug utilization reviews and, most importantly, ensure prescriptions are accurately and safely filled to meet the highest standards for quality.

Customers can mail in new prescriptions, have existing prescriptions transferred from other pharmacies or have doctors call in prescriptions toll-free to 1-800-drugstore. drugstore.com verifies prescription drug orders and refills.

Ensuring Privacy and Security

drugstore.com works hard to ensure 100 percent privacy and security of transactions and customer information. Secure server technology is used to send, receive and store customer information. The company has a strict policy against sharing or selling personal data. drugstore.com's site architecture safeguards confidential information and all transactions are encrypted during transmission.

Five Departments for What Every Body Needs

drugstore.com provides a familiar way to shop with complete product information available on a broad spectrum of brand-name products. The home page prominently displays search tools and offers a simple user interface for browsing and finding products in five departments identified by color tabs:

-- Health -- Including antacids, pain relievers, family planning and

first aid

-- Beauty -- Such as cosmetics, fragrance, skin care and bath and

body care

-- Wellness -- For vitamins, supplements, herbs, homeopathy and

other natural products

-- Personal Care -- Including toothpaste, shampoo, tampons, diapers,

shaving and more

-- Pharmacy -- For prescriptions and refills

The search tools allow shoppers to instantly find specific items or brands anywhere in the store.

Web Site Features

drugstore.com includes:

-- Full Product and Package Information -- Every drugstore.com

product listing includes complete physical package information,

ingredients and a product photograph.

-- Resource Center -- An in-depth source of information about

health, beauty and wellness that is updated regularly to keep

customers up-to-date and informed.

-- Shopping Advisor -- Shopping Advisors are interactive tools that

help customers find the right products based on their

requirements using a quick list of questions.

-- Your List -- A personal shopping list is created for every