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TORONTO — Rexall Pharma Plus and London Drugs have bolstered their online offerings with, respectively, a medical record site and two e-commerce fulfillment centers.
Rexall’s newly launched MyRexall lets customers view and print their personal medication records at www.rexall.ca.
“MyRexall reinforces our commitment to making it easy for Canadians to feel good about their health,” said Rexall chief executive officer Frank Scorpiniti. “MyRexall offers Canadians a simple way to manage and view their medication records online.”
MyRexall also lets customers request a refill at or transfer prescriptions to a Rexall pharmacy. Customers also have access to information about their conditions and will be provided special offers through their account.
London Drugs added the e-commerce fulfillment centers to better serve the northern Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec and maritime markets, and to reduce shipping times and delivery charges for customers across Canada.
Investment in e-commerce has paid off for the British Columbia-based retailer. The company launched a new website and an updated e-commerce store last November, and it has earned triple-digit sales growth since the launch as well as an increase in orders in markets without its brick-and-mortar stores.
“We’re reaching new customers well beyond our regional stores,” says senior vice president and chief operating officer Clint Mahlman. “Online sales and delivery in British Columbia and Alberta are high, with Ontario and Quebec our next two biggest markets and Saskatchewan and Manitoba close behind. Our product mix, competitive pricing and commitment to service beyond the online transaction are proving to be significant advantages for London Drugs online customers.”
Recently, the portrait of Canada’s digital enterprises has been bleak, with criticism that Canadian businesses are behind their American counterparts in adopting robust e-commerce platforms.
London has had an e-commerce presence since 2002. The new and improved LondonDrugs.com bolsters convenience through such features as customized shopping “finder” tools asking customers what they are looking for, resulting in a succinct personalized product roundup in beauty, cameras and computers — top-selling categories on the site.
“One interesting development has been the growth of our baby supplies category, which is up over 200%,” says, e-commerce manager Josh Johnston. “This speaks to the growing influence busy parents have in the e-commerce space. They are researching products and solutions to parenting challenges online and are making their purchases from home.”
The retailer has also added a software library that allows customers to pay for and then immediately download their purchases.
Customers also can pick up products ordered online at any London brick-and-mortar outlet. Time-pressed customers can pick up a Web purchase at any London unit within two hours of ordering.
“We realize immediacy is key for many consumers,” said Johnston. “In-store pickup orders accounted for a sizable percent of the total online orders over the past two months, so it’s definitely an area we will continue to focus on. We also have multiple technological initiatives under way that will allow our customers to receive offers that cater specifically to their interests. It’s the ultimate personalized window-shopping experience.”
