DVDEmpire.com
DVDEmpire.com is a privately owned electronic commerce company based near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The DVD retailer began in the mid-1990s, a time when the Internet was just becoming a viable alternative to brick and mortar storefronts.
DVDEmpire.com offers a complete line of Mainstream and Adult entertainment products via its family of websites, including AdultDVDEmpire.com, GayDVDEmpire.com, and BedroomAdvisor.com. DVDEmpire.com also owns UsedDVDEmpire.com, “a sell your used media" site, as well as the information sites StripClubDatabase.com and PornstarEmpire.com.
The Early Days
DVDEmpire.com was created by two computer programmers, Jeff Rix and John-Michael D’Arcangelo. At the time both were working on eCommerce projects for an industrial safety distributor. John-Michael approached Jeff and told him about the new DVD format, pitching his idea of selling them online. The DVDEmpire.com website was launched August 18, 1997, and was incorporated in Pennsylvania on September 17, 1997, as Right Ascension, Inc.
With approximately $6000 in start-up funds, the company became a full-time occupation for the two partners. They both strongly believed that simplicity was the key to successful Internet commerce. By avoiding gimmicks ("bells and whistles"), they instead focused on creating a smooth-running, efficient website for customers to locate desired products. They pioneered the ability to let customers edit every aspect of their orders prior to shipment and were the first to offer pre-ordering of DVDs.
DVDEmpire.com moved to the first of its two facilities near Mars, Pennsylvania in early 1998. After outgrowing that location, DVDEmpire.com moved to its current facility in Warrendale, Pa. in August of 2000.
DVDEmpire.com vs. Other Retailers
During the 1990s, Internet companies were investing large amounts of their budgets in advertising, an approach that was the then-"standard practice" in e-commerce. DVDEmpire.com instead chose to focus on building a closer relationship with existing customers. Efforts concentrated on customer service, website simplicity, and effective order fulfillment.
The transformation from startup to retail company wasn’t without difficulty. In 2000, as most other DVD retailers on the Internet were slashing prices (to the point where products were being sold at a loss), DVDEmpire.com remained one of the higher-priced DVD retailers; cutting prices was simply a move they were unwilling to make. By continuing to follow the original business plan of customer service and order fulfillment, DVDEmpire.com weathered the price wars and the dot-com collapses in 2000 and emerged with a still-viable company.
In late 2000, that strategy paid off when their two largest competitors (Reel.com and DVDExpress.com) sold their assets and closed their doors.
Future Expansion
As certain niches developed on the Internet, especially in the world of Adult films, DVDEmpire.com always moved quickly into new territory. This stated "first in the door" policy has given the company great success.
The most noteworthy expansion came in late 1997, when DVDEmpire.com launched AdultDVDEmpire.com and began selling Adult DVDs. This move coincided with the first ever Adult DVD release, Bobby Sox by Vivid Studios. By retailing Mainstream and Adult products, DVDEmpire.com was able to further succeed.
Since the company’s beginning in 1997, DVDEmpire.com has witnessed growth during each year of business. The company now employs nearly 100 full- and part-time employees, with its websites handling up to 2.5 million unique visitors each month. Its facility ships over 500,000 domestic and international packages each year.
AdultDVDEmpire.com has won Adult Video News’ Best Retail Website Award in 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. DVDEmpire.com has expanded its adult sites' offerings, now presenting subscription and a la carte DVD Rentals, streaming and downloadable Video on Demand, and sex toys.
In December of 2006, Adult DVD Empire became the first adult retailer to start selling hi-definition titles, with the release of Wicked Pictures' Camp Cuddly Pines Powertool Massacre on HD DVD.
External links
Further reading
- "Net Flix", Inc. Magazine, March 2001
- "The Art of (Price) War", Entrepreneur magazine, April 2002
- "DVD Empire Moves Headquarters", Findwealth.com, 21 September 2000
- Adult DVD AVN Press Release, 16 November 2004
- "Online Retailers See Jolly Holidays in Software Sales", Video Business Online, 6 December 1999 (PDF file)
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