The Web site, which will be operational in the next few months, will focus on letting purchasing systems at wholesalers and retailers interface directly with manufacturers and alternative source vendors. Nonstop this week will also disclose the completion of a merger with Supply Chain Solutions, a software company that focuses on replenishment and profit optimization.

Nonstop, which provides offline services to the grocery, retail, and auto parts industries, aims to improve the efficiency of the purchasing, contract-management marketing, and payment-reconciliation processes for pharmaceutical companies. "We're very excited about the new site," says Mark Sitz, director of purchasing for D&K Health Care Resources Inc., a pharmaceutical wholesaler in St. Louis and a Nonstop/Supply Chain customer. "It will take several hours out of what has been a manual process."

What will make Nonstop's site different from other marketplaces is its focus on replenishment inventory, rather than goods that are directly used by consumers. Company officials say the site will also be able to help boost customers' revenue with its optimization software, which can help to determine the right number, mix, and price of products to maximize sales.

"You need to be able to control costs and show revenue growth to stay competitive," says Lisa Williams, a senior analyst at the Yankee Group. "NonstopRx offers complex comparison shopping to help reduce inventory costs and increase profits."