Irvine, CA-based NetPack Inc. said
it will offer a scaled-
down version of its First Internet Access Card to major grocery store chains
as an addition to its First Internet Access Card program.
“Many grocery chain stores presently offer membership cards to their
customers,” said Nils-Eric Svensson, vice president of marketing for NetPack.
“With our new
addition, large grocery chain stores now will be able to offer their shoppers
tailored Internet-based recipes, children’s games, software and general
household informational services utilizing the new NetPack card system.”
NetPack has developed a proprietary database and packaging system for the off-
line sale of Internet products and services. NetPack also has an “e
publishing” division, an online publishing service dedicated to the
publications of educational and legal material using the NetPack distribution
system.
For grocery store customers, the NetPack card is passed over the bar code
reader at checkout stands, as with any other item being purchased. The pass
will inventory the card, validate the card, and issue a password printed on
the customer’s grocery receipt. Using their computer, the customer can then
access the appropriate Internet Web site, and enjoy the material or software
programs being offered.
The grocery store can then update or post store specials or any other
deliverable product or message the store might choose to pass along to the
shopper on the Web site. Like NetPack’s other versions of the First Internet
Access Card, the scaled-down NetPack card is worthless unless it is validated
at the merchant’s register.
“The advantages are cost-effective communications, promotions and a myriad
of free shopper benefits,” Svensson said. “The retailer will have no
additional point-of-sale software to purchase, and most of all they can
deliver this product for less than $2 per customer. This in turn can deliver
hundreds of dollars worth of tailored programs or software to their shoppers
as a free gift, encouraging them to shop at their
stores.”
NetPack President Frank Jakubaitis said the company has formed a new division
to handle this distribution media, and estimated that the revenue from this
spin-off alone will generate in excess of $20 million per year.
