Former TPI exec co-chairs online drug store

LOS ANGELES -- Former Thrifty PayLess chief executive Gordon Barker has traded brick-and-mortar retailing for a top spot with online drug store, Health & Vitamin Express (www.hve.com).

Barker shares the cochairman title with investor David Mandell.

After three years online, Health & Vitamin Express is one of the pioneers in Internet drug retailing. It currently offers approximately 7,000 healthcare items and will offer prescription drugs in the near future, according to Barker, who joined the operation 18 months ago.

Besides its branded products, Health & Vitamin Express also distributes private-label products and California Health vitamins, which can also be found in retail outlets, such as W.H. Smith airport convenience stores.

The current offering includes what Barker calls "a fairly broad assortment" of health and toiletries products. HVE also offers an unusual and growing segment--pet health and supplies. In a recent interview with Drug Store News, Barker explained that since joining HVE, he has focused on developing private-label products and other projects.

"It's been very satisfying and more rewarding than we had first anticipated a year and a half ago," said Barker. "Amazon.com and other Internet booksellers have paved the way. As they become more accepted, other forms of commerce on the Internet are also going to be accepted."

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