Drugstore.com
Encyclopedia
Drugstore.com is an Internet retailer in health and beauty care products headquartered in Bellevue, Washington
. Its web operations
were launched on February 24, 1999.
Partnerships with other companies allow customers to pick up prescriptions at Rite Aid
stores, enables drugstore.com to sell Rite Aid products, as well as vitamins from retailer General Nutrition Center (GNC). Drugstore.com ended a sourcing deal with Amazon.com
in 2005. In addition to the Drugstore.com website, the company also maintains storefronts at: Beauty.com, sexualwellbeing.com, AtHisBest.com, allergysuperstore.com, TheNaturalStore.com, and VisionDirect.com.
It is headquartered at 411 108th Ave. NE, Suite 1400; Bellevue, WA 98004; (425) 372-3200.
Its customer service centers are located in Bellevue, Washington
and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
DS Distribution, Inc., located in the Pureland Industrial Complex
in Logan Township, New Jersey
, is its wholly owned subsidiary responsible for the distribution of OTC products, beauty.com products, and CNS (Custom Nutrition Services) products. Distribution of VisionDirect.com products is from a center in Logan Township, New Jersey
. Prescriptions are handled by BioScrip Pharmacy Services in Columbus, Ohio.
It has an "FSA store" containing items that are likely to be eligible for purchase using a medical flexible spending account
, and by extension a health reimbursement account
or health savings account
as well. This in turn led to its invention of the very first inventory information approval system
(IIAS) in 2005; it wasn't used in brick-and-mortar retailing until 2006 by Walgreens
. Under a 2006 Internal Revenue Service
ruling, IIAS must be installed by every grocery store
, discount store
, and Internet pharmacy that accepts FSA debit card
s by the end of 2007, and by most chain pharmacies by the end of 2008.
On December 28, 2009, Drugstore.com said that it would buy Salu Inc., the operator of SkinStore.com, for $36 million.
On March 24, 2011, Drugstore.com was acquired by Walgreens
for $409 million.
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
. Its web operations
Web operations
Web operations is a domain of expertise within IT systems management that involves the deployment, operation, maintenance, tuning, and repair of web-based applications....
were launched on February 24, 1999.
Partnerships with other companies allow customers to pick up prescriptions at Rite Aid
Rite Aid
Rite Aid is a drugstore chain in the United States and a Fortune 500 company headquartered in East Pennsboro Township, Pennsylvania, near Camp Hill. Rite Aid is the largest drugstore chain on the East Coast and the third largest drugstore chain in the U.S....
stores, enables drugstore.com to sell Rite Aid products, as well as vitamins from retailer General Nutrition Center (GNC). Drugstore.com ended a sourcing deal with Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
in 2005. In addition to the Drugstore.com website, the company also maintains storefronts at: Beauty.com, sexualwellbeing.com, AtHisBest.com, allergysuperstore.com, TheNaturalStore.com, and VisionDirect.com.
It is headquartered at 411 108th Ave. NE, Suite 1400; Bellevue, WA 98004; (425) 372-3200.
Its customer service centers are located in Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
DS Distribution, Inc., located in the Pureland Industrial Complex
Pureland Industrial Complex
Pureland Industrial Complex is a industrial park located in Logan Township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. It borders the Delaware River and Raccoon Creek, and is located south of the ports of Camden and Philadelphia. Interstate 295, U.S. Route 322 and U.S. Route 130 run through...
in Logan Township, New Jersey
Logan Township, New Jersey
Logan Township is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 6,032....
, is its wholly owned subsidiary responsible for the distribution of OTC products, beauty.com products, and CNS (Custom Nutrition Services) products. Distribution of VisionDirect.com products is from a center in Logan Township, New Jersey
Logan Township, New Jersey
Logan Township is a township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 6,032....
. Prescriptions are handled by BioScrip Pharmacy Services in Columbus, Ohio.
It has an "FSA store" containing items that are likely to be eligible for purchase using a medical flexible spending account
Flexible spending account
A flexible spending account , also known as a flexible spending arrangement, is one of a number of tax-advantaged financial accounts that can be set up through a cafeteria plan of an employer in the United States...
, and by extension a health reimbursement account
Health Reimbursement Account
Health Reimbursement Accounts or Health Reimbursement Arrangements are Internal Revenue Service -sanctioned programs that allow an employer to set aside funds to reimburse medical expenses paid by participating employees...
or health savings account
Health savings account
A health savings account is a tax-advantaged medical savings account available to taxpayers in the United States who are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan . The funds contributed to an account are not subject to federal income tax at the time of deposit. Unlike a flexible spending account...
as well. This in turn led to its invention of the very first inventory information approval system
Inventory information approval system
The Inventory Information Approval System, or IIAS, is a point-of-sale technology used by retailers that accept FSA debit cards, which are issued for use with medical flexible spending accounts , health reimbursement accounts , and some health savings accounts in the United States.By the end of...
(IIAS) in 2005; it wasn't used in brick-and-mortar retailing until 2006 by Walgreens
Walgreens
Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
. Under a 2006 Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
ruling, IIAS must be installed by every grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
, discount store
Discount store
A discount store is a type of department store, which sells products at prices lower than those asked by traditional retail outlets. Most discount department stores offer a wide assortment of goods; others specialize in such merchandise as jewelry, electronic equipment, or electrical appliances...
, and Internet pharmacy that accepts FSA debit card
FSA debit card
An FSA Debit Card is a special type of debit card issued in the United States to access tax-favored spending accounts such as flexible spending accounts and health reimbursement accounts , and sometimes health savings accounts as well. All such cards to date bear the Visa, MasterCard, or...
s by the end of 2007, and by most chain pharmacies by the end of 2008.
On December 28, 2009, Drugstore.com said that it would buy Salu Inc., the operator of SkinStore.com, for $36 million.
On March 24, 2011, Drugstore.com was acquired by Walgreens
Walgreens
Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
for $409 million.