e-Trustmark certificate in e-commerce for the Apothecary
At the end of 2022, the Apothecary started the process of regulation and certification of its website, in order to obtain the national “e-Trustmark” certificate, a mark of trust in e-commerce. Obtaining and placing the e-Trustmark certificate on the website highlights the credibility of the retailer who conducts its trade via the Internet in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Serbia and the rules of good business practice in the field of e-commerce and customer protection. At the same time, in order to unify e-commerce experience, Apothecary has enabled its customers to buy products with cash upon package delivery or with bank cards such as Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, AmericanExpress and DinaCard directly at Apothecary website.
“The e-Trustmark sign of credibility informs website visitors and customers that an independent national authority has checked the online store and found that it operates in accordance with the applicable laws of the Republic of Serbia and the rules of good business practice that also regulate the area of e-commerce.”
The project Development of electronic business includes the process of awarding a certified mark in e-commerce (e-Trustmark) as the first initiative for the introduction of e-Trustmark principles and practices in the business community of Serbia. The IPA 2012 project “Development of electronic business” was financed by the European Union, and the beneficiaries and main partners of the project are the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Serbia. e-Trustmark is aligned with the concept of European certified trust marks for protection and shopping on the Internet. The purpose of this label is to improve the quality of domestic online stores and establish trust between online retailers and customers who buy products and services online. Establishing trust between retailers and customers stimulates e-commerce both on the national and international markets and has a positive impact on the economy of Serbia.
Customers who buy online have legal rights and obligations as consumers, and they are regulated by a series of laws that regulate the field of electronic commerce in the Republic of Serbia. These include the law on consumer protection, the law on electronic commerce, the law on trade, the law of customer data protection, and the law on advertising. Considering the nature of the virtual environment and its specificities, the law has foreseen a series of solutions that will provide customers with an adequate level of protection of their rights when shopping on the Internet. The e-Trustmark certified mark is a confirmation that the retailer, i.e. the site through which you want to buy products, has passed rigorous control and met the requirements for certification, which proves that it is a reliable merchant, i.e. a site for online purchase of products and services.
The e-Trustmark certified sign confirms to customers that the retailer provides clear and precise information about its identity and contacts, the product description is accurate with all essential information, the merchant provides all information about the price and all associated costs before the final step of ordering, where the customer has the possibility of clearly tracking the complete ordering process with the possibility of correction at any time, and where upon completion it receives a confirmation of receipt of the order. At the same time, the retailer clearly and comprehensibly represents all the terms and contractual obligations for the customer, offers a transparent and generally accepted methods of payment, offers a transparent and safe methods of delivery, and the merchant presents to the customer in a clear and comprehensible manner all its legal rights and obligations, the right to withdraw or cancel the contract and transparent product return policy. A certified retailer with the e-Trustmark sign also has transparent and easily accessible customer support, which at the same time respects privacy and ensures adequate protection of all collected customer data.
All information about the method of collection, storage and use of this data is available to the customer in an easy and comprehensible way. A certified online store can display the e-Trustmark sign in one or more places on the site. It confirms that an independent control of the retailer and its store has been carried out. The sign can be found in various places on the online store site, and on the Apothecary site it is located at the bottom of every page and is placed in the lower right corner. By clicking on the e-Trustmark sign, a new page and website of the independent body opens, which displays the Certificate and confirmation of its validity. The e-Trustmark certificate shows relevant information about the retailer, confirmation that it meets all e-Trustmark criteria, and the date the certificate was issued, as well as its validity period. During the validity of the certificate, it should be noted that an independent body continues to control and perform periodic verification of the fulfillment of all conditions and rules of certification of the site to which the certificate was awarded.
E-commerce solution by Foster + Svensson
“Apothecary strives to be a leader in the industry and to set an example of good business practices. In addition, we remain fully committed to the improvement of e-commerce services in Serbia as part of our online drugstore, where we present products in a clear and simple way, but also take care of our customers from the first contact with us, until the moment of product delivery the their address. At Apothecary, we believe that we all deserve a more beautiful life, and that is why we actively get involved and join initiatives that result in a better relationship with customers and their greater respect. For us, this is a basic standard that we want to be adopted and applied in Serbia as well, so that as many transactions remain in our country, and therefore contribute to the further growth and development of the country and society overall“, said Mr. Vladimir Suvodolac, Managing Director of Apothecary.
The e-Trustmark certified sign confirms that you are dealing with a reliable merchant. Apothecary is very proud and grateful to have passed the rigorous certification process and obtained the national mark of trust in e-commerce, which is proudly displayed on its website. Apothecary offers its customers the possibility of ordering and purchasing products either by cash upon product delivery via its partner Post Serbia (Pošta Srbije), or by paying online with all bank cards issued in Serbia and abroad such as Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, AmericanExpress and DinaCard, with the support of Banca Intesa e-commerce solution, and by additional protection by Mastercard Secure and Visa Secure.
Apothecary is present on market with two main brands, where Apothecary is carrier and flagship, positioned as luxury and premium cosmetics, health, and dietary supplements online drugstore, while also having Apothecary [M] as targeted brand for men skincare and product line, all available at www.apothecary.rs.
Foster + Svensson stands behind brand and identity design of Apothecary, graphic standards, strategy and corporate communications, website development, digital and e-commerce solution, along with integration with the bank as the payment processor.
ABOUT FOSTER + SVENSSON
Foster + Svensson is an award-winning European branding, communications, and advertising agency with heritage back in 1860 and founded in 2013 in Serbia, who put forward well-considered design, digital and innovation. Operating worldwide as part of Fosterova grupa, Foster + Svensson is positioned as professional services company, providing broad range of services and solutions in area of marketing. Having bold experience and specialized skills in more than 14 industries, agency provides services to all company sizes. People at Foster + Svensson design brands, use digital technology, data, and strategy to create contemporary visual identities, services, and experiences to help corporate clients improve their performance and manage sustainable business value for stakeholders. Foster + Svensson design and drive innovation to improve the way world works and lives. Agency approach is to be precise, punctual, and reliable to its clients, where it ran more than 2000 projects while working for major companies to be found in Fortune Global 500, such as HVB Group, UniCredit Group, Telenor Group, Ericsson, Apple, A1 Telekom Austria Group, RTS, Samsung, Cheil, Huawei, Hisense. Work culture and ethics includes business excellence and delivery of outperforming results.
Foster + Svensson is one of the founders of MAI Marina Abramović Institute.
