ATLANTA--Alexis Abramson, president and founder of the Mature Mart, Inc., has always known her vocation in life--to work with and help seniors.

But what she didn't know when she founded her company in 1995 was the immediate success she would have using the Internet as a primary marketing tool for her products catalog.

The Mature Mart on-line catalog offers 20,000 products and devices designed to aid seniors who have trouble with everyday activities because of physical limitations.

Abramson tells STS that the first month the Mature Mart catalog hit the Internet (early 1996), she knew she was onto something big because the company got 40,000 "hits."

"But what we quickly learned was that our market wasn't as much seniors as it was baby boomers--their caregivers."

Internet as a powerful research and marketing tool

Abramson says the company not only used the Internet to determine who was buying its products but what products were selling best.

"Although we didn't want to be a direct mail company, we realized that some of our customers prefer the traditional catalog sales method.

"So we took the top 110 products and developed a flyer to send to customers as a direct mail piece that they can request."

And it's worked.

Abramson reports 10-15% of The Mature Mart's sales result from the flyer.

But the bulk of Abramson's business, she says, is through business-to-business marketing on the Internet.

Abramson says the company initially did a lot of research into multi-level marketing strategies.

As part of the research, development and test marketing process, she also hired a handful of representatives to visit senior centers, retirement and nursing homes, and corporations to demonstrate and sell products.

But this aspect of the marketing was quickly dropped because Abramson realized that other methods, such as selling via the Internet, were much more cost efficient and efficient in moving the products.

"We believed there was a better way to get products out more expeditiously; instead we're now focused on getting into drugstore chains and in grocery stores."

What's really working

What's really working today for The Mature Mart is kiosks and store displays, according to recent testing.

Although kiosks are not exactly the newest sales invention on the block, how and where Abramson is using them is certainly breaking new ground in senior-oriented product sales.

For example, Abramson recently tested and was delighted with the success of kiosks she located in several area malls.

"The kiosks not only brought us direct sales, several retailers expressed interest in carrying certain products," says Abramson.

The store displays are located in the pharmacies of a well-known grocery chain, Cincinnati-based Kroger Company, with stores located throughout the Southeast, and mid-Atlantic region.

Abramson hopes to expand the displays in those regions.

Pharmacists and staff are trained to answer questions about products offered by the Mature Mart, which is important, says Abramson.

For now, the company will continue to focus on mass retail, drug and grocery chains but is also finding success with other marketing strategies.

One avenue of success has been television exposure.

Abramson has frequently appeared as a guest on NBC's Today Show where she demonstrates products for seniors.

The company received so many calls from the program, Abramson quickly researched other similar opportunities and will soon begin distributing products through the home-shopping network, QVC.

"QVC is very motivated to create programming for seniors."

A partnership begins

Abramson credits the company's deeply held convictions towards improving the quality of life for seniors as the main ingredient for their success.

After researching the Mature Mart, the Arthritis Foundation came to the same conclusion and offered a partnership with the company.

"With 40 million members suffering from Arthritis and many millions suffering with chronic daily living problems, the Arthritis Foundation recognizes the Mature Mart's number one goal is to help people," says Abramson, who is proud of the fact that her products are receiving national recognition through the nonprofit group.

"I've always had an affinity and respect for older adults, along with a passion to help them live a healthy lifestyle as they age," says Abramson.

"Every aspect of our business reflects that philosophy, from the design of our Internet catalog to advocating multi-generational employment.

Abramson is adamant about employing older adults and practices what she preaches.

"My grandmother answers the telephones and my mother works for the company as well."
You don't get much more intergenerational than that.

© 1998 by CD Publications.