'What a Glorious Morning for America!'--Samuel Adams.

Business/Technology Editors

SHELBURNE, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 2000

SendAMERICA.com Goes Live!

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company(R) Announces Launch of New Gift

Delivery Website

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company(R) (NASDAQ: BEAR) announced today the official launch of a new initiative in the gift delivery service industry. Built upon The Vermont Teddy Bear Company's unparalleled reputation in the business of gift delivery, SendAMERICA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Vermont Teddy Bear Company, went live in early December.

Through its website, www.SendAMERICA.com, and toll-free customer service center, 877-592-6374, SendAMERICA offers an exquisite assortment of American-made gift items while providing discerning online shoppers with the handcrafted quality and customer service expected from a company affiliated with VTBC. From Vermont maple syrup to California art glass, shoppers can log on to SendAMERICA.com for American-made gifts of enduring quality that have been selected for their uniqueness and handcrafted quality, as well as for their reflection of their state of origin.

"Part of what makes SendAMERICA.com unique is that it provides a way for discerning gift-buyers to shop the country for those hard-to-find treasures without ever leaving their homes," said Liz Robert, CEO of The Vermont Teddy Bear Company. "We have created a virtual store built on the gift-delivery know-how of VTBC that presents shoppers with a selection of fine gift items from their favorite states that, before SendAMERICA.com, you could only find by packing up the car and traveling the back roads of rural America."

Much like the Vermont Teddy Bear is a reflection of Vermont pride and craftsmanship, the products featured on SendAMERICA.com are reflections of their states' unique artistry, character, heritage, and history. Detailed descriptions of each product are featured on the site, as well as brief profiles highlighting the companies, artists, and craftspeople behind each item. In addition, the SendAMERICA.com assortment has been organized by state of origin, allowing shoppers to find the perfect gifts from their favorite states. The company has launched with selections from 20 states, and will continue to add states as qualified suppliers and unique products are selected.

"If there's one thing we've learned at The Vermont Teddy Bear Company," said Robert, "it is that a gift is a reflection of yourself. The more thoughtful and unusual a gift, the more meaningful. And charged with the emotion of the sender, it is of utmost importance that a gift be delivered on time."

Building on the core competencies of VTBC and leveraging its infrastructure, SendAMERICA.com processes and tracks the orders and provides customer service out of the VTBC headquarters in Shelburne, Vermont. To further emphasize the geographic origin of each product and to maximize distribution efficiency, each SendAMERICA package is delivered with a personalized gift card directly from the studios, workshops, farms, and factories of selected suppliers. All SendAMERICA suppliers are provided with necessary gift packaging and shipping materials and a Fed Ex pick-up time is coordinated with each to ensure timely delivery.

"As we consider ways to expand our business, a separate entity with a separate brand leveraging our strengths and assets in the gift delivery business makes the most sense," continued Robert. "And scalability of the SendAMERICA model is more easily achieved over other models because the burdens of manufacturing, inventory investment, and distribution are eliminated and replaced with our proprietary technology to manage order processing and the fulfillment and delivery of products."

The Vermont Teddy Bear Company is the largest manufacturer of American-made teddy bears in North America, and its Bear Gram gift delivery service has become a popular alternative to sending flowers. Each Bear Gram gift includes a customized Vermont Teddy Bear accompanied by a personal greeting card and candy treat, all packaged in a colorful gift box with an air hole and game printed on the inside. Most bears are purchased for adults to celebrate a holiday, life event, or other special occasion. Orders are placed by calling 1-800-829-BEAR, where a friendly Bear Counselor(R) assists with the bear selection and optional embroidered personalization, or by logging on the Vermont Teddy Bear website at www.VermontTeddyBear.com.