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Tuesday February 23, 2:18 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Drug Emporium, Inc.
America's First On-Line Drug Store
Announces In-Stock Guarantee and Improved Services
POWELL, Ohio, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Drug Emporium, Inc. (Nasdaq: DEMP - news) --
Drug Emporium today announced more details regarding future enhancements to its on-line drug
store, drugemporium.com. The Company's plans include offering a more user-friendly customer
interface as well as customer-specific marketing and product information. The site also will carry an
in-stock guarantee for over 20,000 items and maintain a 24 hour, 7 day a week customer service
center. In addition, the Company will expand its ''Ask The Pharmacist'' program, which utilizes a
registered pharmacist to answer patient questions. These enhancements are scheduled to be
released in stages over the next several months and will be accompanied by a major web-based
and traditional marketing effort.
Drugemporium.com has been selling health and beauty aids, cosmetics, and vitamins for over 18
months through its internet store. In October 1998, the Company added prescription drug
fulfillment to the site and, in November 1998, expanded its product offering to over 13,000 items.
The on-line store is currently licensed to fill prescriptions in 49 states. Drug Emporium, Inc.
operates 141 brick and mortar stores as Drug Emporium, F&M Super Drug Stores and Vix Drug
Stores. All stores operate full-service pharmacies and specialize in discount-priced merchandise
including health and beauty aids, cosmetics and greeting cards. The Company also franchises an
additional 52 stores.
Drug Emporium fills approximately 20,000 prescriptions per day in its non- web stores and plans
to leverage its existing customer base to enhance its on-line store. David L. Kriegel, Chairman and
CEO, stated, ''There are significant opportunities to enhance patient compliance and disease
management efforts while lowering costs to both the end customer and the third party benefit
providers. I also cannot over emphasize the amount of care and security we place on the
prescription fulfillment process. We have safely filled hundreds of millions of prescriptions with an
excellent safety record. Our name is one that customers can trust.''
Mr. Kriegel added, ''One of the hallmarks of Drug Emporium has been to offer a wide range of
products at a low price. We feel that our on-line customers, in addition to information and
convenience, want a wide and well- priced product selection. I believe the in-stock guarantee will
differentiate us in the market. As it relates to the upgrade of our site, our customers will be able to
follow our progress through the 'coming soon' feature which will be added to the site later this
week.''
Certain statements in this press release look forward in time. These statements include
management's statements and everything else other than historical information and are
forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans,
objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other
statements which are other than statements of historical facts. From time to time, the Company may
publish or otherwise make available forward-looking statements of this nature. All such
forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of management and are subject
to, and are qualified by, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed or implied by those statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are
not limited to the high level of competition as to price and selection from a variety of sources, the
recent pressure on pharmacy margins from managed care networks, the Company's ability to
economically eliminate under-performing stores, the Company's ability to identify and address all
Year 2000 issues and general economic conditions.
SOURCE: Drug Emporium, Inc.
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Related News Categories: internet, medical/pharmaceutical, retail |
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