America Online and PlanetRx Join in aThree-Year, Multi-Million Dollar Agreement Making PlanetRx AOL'sPremier Pharmacy Partner
January 6, 1999 09:42 AM
DULLES, Va. & SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 6, 1999--
PlanetRx to Also Offer the Convenience of Buying Pharmaceuticals and Personal Healthcare Products on AOL, AOL.COM and AOL's Digital City Sites
America Online, the world's leading interactive services company, and PlanetRx, the soon-to-be-launched online pharmacy and healthcare product site for consumers, Wednesday announced a marketing and e-commerce alliance to bring the convenience and value of PlanetRx's online pharmaceutical and personal healthcare product shopping to AOL's millions of members and visitors to AOL.COM and AOL's Digital City sites.
According to the terms of the three-year agreement, AOL will receive payments from PlanetRx totaling $15 million. In return, PlanetRx will be the premier online pharmacy partner in AOL's Health and Women's Channels, and will be the only online pharmacy contextually integrated throughout the Health Channel.
In addition, PlanetRx will be prominently positioned in health-related areas throughout AOL.COM and AOL's Digital City.
PlanetRx will offer the convenience of ordering prescribed medications and shopping for health and beauty products, vitamins, over-the-counter medications and other health-related products from the comfort of home.
Shoppers searching for non-prescription items simply browse PlanetRx's wide selection of name brand and generic products, securely purchase their selections online with a credit card and receive their order in the mail in just a few days. Shoppers can also securely fill prescriptions online through PlanetRx and have their medication mailed directly to their home.
PlanetRx plans to employ the latest, most secure encryption technology available to ensure the safety and privacy of its customers' medical and billing information. PlanetRx operates under the same strict confidentiality guidelines as off-line pharmacies.
PlanetRx is expected to launch on AOL, AOL.COM and Digital City sites in early 1999.
"The explosion of electronic commerce has been driven by a growing demand for easier, more convenient ways to shop for the products consumers purchase everyday," said Barry Schuler, President of AOL Interactive Services. "Being able to fill prescriptions and shop for personal healthcare products online is not only a natural extension of the e-commerce marketplace, it's a convenient solution for AOL members and visitors to our Web-based brands who want to more efficiently use the time it takes to make trips to the pharmacy."
"America Online's health-related areas attract millions of members on a regular basis, not to mention the millions more Web-based visitors to AOL.COM and Digital City," added Bill Razzouk, CEO and Chairman of PlanetRx. "By combining content, commerce and community, PlanetRx will empower people to take charge of their health. For a business like PlanetRx that services mass market-oriented online consumers, the AOL family of brands is an extremely important strategic partner."
PlanetRx, Inc. (www.planetrx.com), the soon-to-be-launched online healthcare product site, will deliver a convenient, personalized and informed health and beauty product shopping experience to consumers.
With services ranging from prescriptions to personal care products to the latest medical information and professional advice, PlanetRx gives consumers the ability to manage their own healthcare in a convenient and secure environment.
Headquartered in South San Francisco, CA, the company also has a distribution center in Memphis, TN. PlanetRx was founded in 1997 and is a privately held company with venture funding from Benchmark Capital and Sequoia Capital.
America Online, Inc., based in Dulles, Virginia, is the world's leader in branded interactive services and content. America Online, Inc. operates two worldwide Internet services: America Online, with more than 15 million members; and CompuServe, with approximately 2 million members. America Online, Inc. also operates AOL Studios, the world's leading creator of original interactive content.
Other branded Internet services operated by America Online, Inc. include AOL.COM, the world's most accessed Web site from home; Digital City, Inc., the No. 1 local content network and community guide on AOL and the Internet; AOL NetFind, AOL's comprehensive guide to the Internet; AOL Instant Messenger, an instant messaging tool available on both AOL and the Internet; and ICQ, an instant communications and chat technology on the Internet.
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