CHICAGO, IL - A.B.Dick Company has successfully launched its new e-business solution shop.abdick.com. Results from the first 30 days indicates customers over- whelmingly approve of the new online procurement system. The interactive online service, designed for the benefit of the quick response, mid-sized and small commercial print markets, figures prominently in the company’s “Go Digital” plan to make life easier for its consumables customers in the U.S. After extensive planning and beta testing, the site went live in April. “The April response was terrific. We anticipated a good reaction but the final traffic and sales numbers exceeded all of our expectations,” said David Vanderwiel, A.B.Dick Vice President, Consumables, Logistics and Information Technology. “Online buying, previously a business-to-consumer process, has found its way into business-to-business marketing. It’s not only a new way of doing business in today’s digital world, it offers the versatility of 24/7 availability for anytime you need it,” said Scott McGowan, A.B.Dick Marketing Manager, Consumables. To kick off the site launch, A.B.Dick is offering a “FLYFREE” promotion. All shop.abdick.com customers who register and make a purchase by June 30, 2002 will be eligible to win one of two pairs of tickets to anywhere in the Continental U.S. that American Airlines flys, plus a $500 American Express Gift Cheque. Vanderwiel said “internal research, customer input and feedback led the company to develop the online service. The one constant our customers have in common is not having enough hours in the day to get everything done.” Added McGowan, “Giving them the versatility to order supplies anytime day or night eliminates the static 8-6 window. Supply ordering that is usually done on the fly at the end of the day is replaced with an online process that eliminates deadline pressure. Orders can be placed at 4 o’clock in the afternoon or at 4 o’clock in the morning.” Convenience, information and access describes shop.abdick.com, the safe and secure online supply store that A.B.Dick is billing “The Graphic Arts Super Store”. Registration is free and setting up an account requires less than two minutes to input customer data. Customers select a user ID and password for secure account access linked to their A.B.Dick account. Users can browse and search the supply catalog by keyword, part number or item description. Once registered, supply and part orders can be placed and a customized “My Supply List” of commonly ordered items can be arranged to minimize the time to find products for future orders. The site also offers online order tracking for customers to know exactly when and how their order shipped. Another section displays current product pro-motions and detailed information on “New Featured Products,” all at the click of a button. Online visitors whether registered or not can browse a supply catalog to find what they need in sections that are well defined and easily identified by product type. New customers can immediately place orders with a credit card while requesting to establish an A.B.Dick account for future purchases. Instant access to credit application and tax-exempt forms for all 50 states makes new account set-up a breeze. For those who are not sure where to go on the site, a separate FAQ section covers every imaginable scenario for those unfamiliar with how the online process works. Topics range from registration and order placement to shipment and return issues. It also includes minimum order policies ($50 for supplies and parts, $35 for repair parts), shipping options, order status verification and payment options. A.B.Dick Company is a leading worldwide supplier to the graphic arts and printing industry, manufacturing and marketing equipment and supplies for all stages of document creation -- prepress, press and post-press -- as well as continuing service and support.