Here's the actual news. By the way, AOL, Yahoo, Amazon and others got similarly nice ratings from Media Metrix (the #1 MM rating is referenced within the content of the below news release).
drkoop.com Forms Alliance With Drug
Emporium
PR Newswire - June 11, 1999 07:08
- DrugEmporium.com Users Gain New Access to Trusted drkoop.com
Content -
- drkoop.com to Implement Contextual Marketing Product Placements -
POWELL, Ohio and AUSTIN, Texas, June 11 /PRNewswire/ -- drkoop.com,
(Nasdaq: KOOP) rated the number one consumer health Web site in April by
Media Metrix, and in the top 100 Web sites by PC Data in May, today
announced an Internet-based strategic e-commerce relationship with Drug
Emporium (Nasdaq: DEMP), America's first online drugstore. The alliance
will allow drkoop.com users access to over 20,000 deep discounted drug and
healthcare products via DrugEmporium.com, while simultaneously affording
DrugEmporium.com visitors access to drkoop.com's trusted content and tools.
drkoop.com is chaired by Dr. C. Everett Koop, former U.S. Surgeon General.
This alliance will allow drkoop.com to implement contextual marketing
product placements to differentiate DrugEmporium.com products, while
providing convenience and choice to the visitor. For instance, visitors to the
cold and flu area of drkoop.com will be able to chose highlighted Drug
Emporium cold and flu products while in that content area.
Additionally, visitors to the Personal Drugstore feature of drkoop.com will
have preferred access to Drug Emporium's deep discounts of
over-the-counter medications, vitamin and nutritional supplements, durable
medical equipment and health and beauty aids. Customers also will have the
option of choosing low-cost overnight delivery for orders received by midnight
the previous day, a value-added service unique to DrugEmporium.com's
online store.
As part of the alliance, drkoop.com's trusted content and information services
will be integrated throughout the DrugEmporium.com site. Drug
Emporium.com visitors reviewing specific areas of its site will now have the
added benefit of consulting with related drkoop.com healthcare information.
A unique point of the agreement calls for drkoop.com's Drug Checker(TM)
tool to be integrated into every DrugEmporium.com purchase. A visitor's
entire order will be automatically reviewed to warn the customers of any
possible adverse drug interactions. For example, the Drug Checker feature
will compare prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and food
products for potentially harmful interactions.
David Kriegel, chairman and chief executive officer of Drug Emporium said,
"This alliance allows DrugEmporium.com to provide high-quality healthcare
information to our visitors, while simultaneously affording both sites'
customers the lowest priced products on the Web." Mr. Kriegel concluded,
"We are pleased to announce this alliance as one of our many planned site
enhancements and are excited about the opportunities this expanded
relationship will provide for our visitors, as well as those of drkoop.com."
"This alliance with Drug Emporium extends our mission to empower
consumers," said Donald Hackett, president and chief executive officer of
drkoop.com. "This is the first of a limited number of strategic alliances that
will provide our visitors with a shopping experience that brings both
competitive prices and expanded choice."
Launch of both the integrated drkoop.com/DrugEmporium.com site and the
e-commerce opportunities from within drkoop.com is expected to take place
in August of this year.
About Drug Emporium
Drug Emporium operates a discount priced e-commerce drugstore,
DrugEmporium.com, which sells prescription drugs, health and beauty aids,
cosmetics and vitamins online. In addition, Drug Emporium owns and operates
140 brick-and-mortar stores as Drug Emporium, F&M Super Drug Stores and
Vix Drug Stores. All brick-and-mortar 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
50 stores.
About www.drkoop.com
The Company operates drkoop.com, a leading Internet-based consumer
healthcare network. The Network consists of a consumer-focused interactive
Web site, which provides users with comprehensive healthcare information
and services, as well as affiliate relationships with portals, other Web sites,
healthcare organizations and traditional media outlets. The drkoop.com
network is an Internet healthcare initiative, which integrates dynamic
healthcare content on a wide variety of subjects, interactive communities and
tools, as well as opportunities to purchase healthcare-related products and
services online. drkoop.com is the exclusive provider of health and related
content on three Web sites of the GO network: GO Health Center,
ESPN.com Training Room and the Family.com Health Channel. drkoop.com
is also the premier health content provider for GO's ABCNEWS.com.
Additional information on drkoop.com can be found at
drkoop.com.
Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this
release related to Drug Emporium are forward-looking and made pursuant to
the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and
uncertainties, which may cause the Company's actual results in future periods
to differ materially from forecasted or expected results. These risks include,
among other things, the competitive environment of the online drugstore
industry in general, the ability of the company to secure and maintain key
contracts and relationships, technical issues related to the development of the
Web site, and economic conditions in general. These and other risks are more
fully described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
SOURCE drkoop.com
/CONTACT: Stephanie Fulton of drkoop.com, 888-795-0998, or
sfulton@drkoop.com; or Michael Leach, Chief Financial Officer of Drug
Emporium
Inc., 740-548-7080, ext. 150; or Cheryl Schneider or Hulus Alpay, or press -
Michael McMullan or Jamie Kohn, all of Morgen-Walke Associates, Inc.,
212-850-5600, for Drug Emporium/
/Web site: http:www.DrugEmporium.com
drkoop.com
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