Sheila Galatowitsch
CHICAGOUser demand for hassle-free, one-stop shopping has lured another supplier to test the e-commerce waters. eFiltration.com, a Chicago, IL-based company formed earlier this year to sell filters over the Internet, launched its online filter store this month with a marketing campaign that is already generating revenue.
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Targeting resellers and users of industrial and commercial filtration products, the site features 600 products, mostly liquid process filters, from three manufacturers. In six months, store managers hope to offer 10,000 products, ranging from cartridges and air filters to a variety of cleanroom filters.
The site is funded partially by Filtration Group of Joliet, IL, a filter manufacturer that recently purchased the cleanroom ceiling filter group of Donaldson Co. in Minneapolis. Other participating manufacturers include Kimberly Clark and 3M, and new vendors will join the site as its product line grows, says eFiltration general manager Brandon Ost, a former Filtration Group salesperson.
The site is funded partially by Filtration Group of Joliet, IL, a filter manufacturer that recently purchased the cleanroom ceiling filter group of Donaldson Co. in Minneapolis. Other participating manufacturers include Kimberly Clark and 3M, and new vendors will join the site as its product line grows, says eFiltration general manager Brandon Ost, a former Filtration Group salesperson.
Like other e-commerce ventures, the site features catalog browsing, access to technical information, a single invoice, and credit card payment. Shopping over the Web will help resellers and users save money, Ost says. Customers get additional discounts off the catalog prices by filling out a registration form, but registering is not required to use the service, he adds.
The site also has an automated customer service feature that answers most queries about filter types, sizes, and performance, and notifies customers when an order has shipped. For users still skeptical about shopping over the Internet, the site offers full refunds up to seven days after order receipt. “Customer service will make or break this venture,” Ost says.