Story by Bruce Dillon
"Welcome to our new store!” exclaimed Kermit Netteburg, general manager of LivingWell in Silver Spring, Md., as web designer Meera Gomer clicked a button on her keyboard, completing the final link to open the doors to LivingWell’s new e-commerce site. The day marked the culmination of a yearlong effort to make LivingWell’s most popular products available online. Management recognizes the growth of online sales, as online shopping throughout the world has more than doubled since 2014—and is expected to grow an additional $2 billion over the next three years.
“A web store isn’t only like a second location,” says Netteburg, “it puts us in every location! You no longer have to make the five-hour drive from Lynchburg (Va.) to Silver Spring to buy a can of Choplets. You don’t have to worry about spending all day Sunday on the highway or getting here too late and finding the doors locked. Our website is open 24/6!”
Netteburg says LivingWell couldn’t claim to serve customers and members’ needs without making the store’s resources available online. “Books, music and other media—all the stuff an Adventist Book Center was originally designed to sell—are the second most popular online product category,” explains Netteburg.
“LivingWell is here to do more than just sell items; we’re here to be one of your spiritual growth partners. The internet allows us to partner with more people more easily than ever before.” Shop the new LivingWell website at livingwellabc.com.