Carol King

Drug giant Merck & Co. Tuesday formed a $100 million venture fund to invest in emerging Internet health care firms. The move will benefit the Internet and healthcare industries overall, observed Steve Shaha, research director at Gartner Group. “This kind of investment will enable Merck to execute strategies that better serve its customers, including patients, […]

Single-share stock transactions — a taboo sale for most brokers — have parlayed themselves into a “bullish” gift idea this holiday season. Custom-framed and engraved single-share certificates are offered by oneshare.com. The certificates entitle owners to all stockholder benefits, yet can be purchased in a fashion similar to any e-tailer. “The mechanics of a single-share […]

In its first-ever comparison between online and offline customer satisfaction levels, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) Monday reported that etailers are succeeding in meeting shoppers’ demands. Customers are more satisfied with making retail purchases online than they are at shopping at traditional retail outlets, according to ACSI. In fact, satisfaction with online retail earned […]

Microsoft Monday unveiled its Dotsmart Initiative, which is designed to build an online business in 45 days or less. The premise is simple, according to Prashant Shukla, group manager, Microsoft’s Dot-Com Initiative. “We have relaunched the Microsoft E-Commerce site so that it offers everything the customer needs to know,” he explained. “The site is a […]

Although the day after Thanksgiving is touted as the busiest shopping day of the year, e-tailers may find Friday’s experiences — and the holiday season as a whole — anticlimactic. Many consumers may use the World Wide Web to window-shop, conduct research and make comparisons, but its their local brick-and-mortar merchants who they buy from, […]

The “shop while you work” phenomenon is expected to grow during the holiday season. Implementing workplace policies can help employers protect their bottom line. Last year, 17 percent of online holiday shoppers made their purchases from work, according to a report from Forrester Research. This year, that figure is expected to increase. The effect this […]

Earthlink Tuesday revealed plans to launch an appliance service powered by Netpliance. It is the company’s second major partnership to be announced in as many days. The Earthlink i-Opener, an Internet and email solution, is expected to launch during the first quarter of 2001. The product will allow users to access weather, news and email […]

1-800-Flowers.com Monday unveiled a site redesign aimed at maximizing online sales during the holiday season. “The upgrade gives the site a warmer look and feel so that we could better connect with our customers during the key gifting season,” explained Chris McCann, president of 1-800-Flowers.com. “We also wanted to demonstrate the focus we place on […]

It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there — especially in the competitive e-commerce world of pet-related products. During a time when many a dot-com operation is falling by the wayside, Petopia.com remains competitive because of its strong focus on improving the site’s performance, according to Jeremy King, chief Web officer. “This is a very competitive marketplace,” […]

Web TV may have taken on a new meaning. According to a study released Friday, television network Web sites can play a key role in creating loyal program viewers. The Food Network — with programs such as Emeril Live and FoodNation — and ESPN — which features NFL Football and Major League Baseball — emerged […]

Intuit Inc., a provider of Web-based financial services, Thursday acquired EmployeeMatters Inc., an online employee administration outsourcing service. As part of the purchase agreement, EmployeeMatters’ partner company, FrontLine Capital Group, will receive about $34 million in total consideration, consisting primarily of Intuit common stock. FrontLine is a holding company that develops and manages companies servicing […]

It is no secret that the e-commerce arena has a virtual cloud over its head. Since January, 130 Internet companies have shut their doors. The situation has darkened in recent weeks. Since October, the industry has seen the demise of 45 online operations, including such operations as pets.com, mothernature.com. mortgage.com, cyberhomes.com, furniture.com and garden.com. With […]