Navarro brings business online

MIAMI — Navarro Discount Pharmacy, a Hispanic-owned pharmacy chain and an MBF Healthcare portfolio company, has added e-commerce capabilities to its existing website. The retailer also plans to add in the fall an interactive social media retail forum, video, content on family and health-related topics, and reviews.

"The e-commerce capability allows us to better serve our loyal customers already familiar with the Navarro brand and its discount pricing, and, in addition, [allows us to] reach out to the growing Hispanic population in the [United States], Central/South America, the Caribbean and internationally," stated Juan Ortiz, CFO of Navarro Discount Pharmacy, which operates 28 stores.

In addition to prescription management tools currently found on the website, Navarro.com now sells its product line across a variety of categories, including fragrance, over-the-counter, health, beauty, appliances, household, food and a large assortment of niche, hard-to-find Hispanic products.

By 2012, it is estimated that nearly 30 million U.S. Hispanics will be online. Many of them will be native-born Hispanics rather than immigrants. Proud of their Hispanic origins, these consumers are in search of products familiar to them from their countries of origin, such as food, tea, nectars and cola, soap, cleaners and such entertainment as domino tables and cards, the company stated. Over the years, Navarro said it had received repeated requests to ship its products in the United States to New York, Texas, California and as far west as Alaska.