Marketplace launches into cyberspace

Nov 1, 2000 12:00 PM, Karen McMahonow

Now you can buy everything from tractor parts and tools to boots and hats online from one of the nation's largest agriculture retail chains, Quality Farm & Country. The farm retailer entered a partnership with Internet Venture Works, an e-commerce company, to develop FarmandCountry.com for marketing the retailer's merchandise online.

Visitors to the site may order online or call the toll-free line to order. A tractor expert and veterinarian offer free advice online. Browsers also may click onto weather, commodity prices and general agricultural information.

Company officials plan to add many features to make both online and offline shopping easier. Soon, farmers will be able to chat online with customer service representatives while looking through the site. A customer will be able to go online and check the availability of a product at a specific Quality Farm & Country outlet and reserve it before driving to the store. Or he or she may order a product from another store and have it shipped on a company truck to a local store for convenient pickup.

This fall the company plans to install the first in-store kiosks equipped with computers for ordering products online. Then if a customer is not able to find a product in the retail outlet, he or she may order it at the store's kiosk.

Typical stores have 15,000 to 25,000 products. There are 50,000 products on the site.

Quality Farm & Country stores are located throughout the country under the names Farm & Country, Country General, Quality F&C and Country Post.

For more information, contact FarmandCountry.com, Dept. FIN, 880 Waltham Woods, Suite 300, Waltham, MA 02451, 888/828-3276, www.farmandcountry.com or circle 227.