TOY... At an all-time low! Just bought a ton <g>
Company Press Release
Toys "R" Us Launches Unique Online Store
Siegel & Gale Revamps Site for E-Commerce
PARAMUS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 15, 1998-- In a move to lead the toy industry into Web-based retailing, Toys ''R'' Us, the world's leading retailer of children's products, (NYSE: TOY - news) has transformed www.toysrus.com into a premier online shopping site that offers more than 1,500 products and builds the Toys ''R'' Us brand. The new e-commerce site, developed by Siegel & Gale Interactive Media Group, features several innovations including multiple ship-to locations for gifts and personal address books which can be shared with family and friends.
''To best match the consumer's needs, the product offerings on our Web site are relevant to what's popular and in demand, and online merchandise offerings are directly tied to inventory so only toys in stock are listed on the Web site,'' said Deborah Kimball, General Manager, E-Commerce at Toys ''R'' Us. ''We plan to expand our business by being the first major toy retailer to offer direct purchase online, and to break new ground by making the online purchasing experience simple, convenient, and time-efficient. By integrating strong branding, customer service, and product recommendations with an easy-to-use purchasing interface, we believe our site is positioned to dominate the e-commerce category for toys, games, books, movies, and other entertainment items for kids.''
''With the average pre-schooler attending 12-14 birthday parties a year, parents are sure to find the Toys 'R' Us E-Store an appealing alternative,'' said Lisa Marchese, interactive strategist at Siegel & Gale Interactive Media Group. ''Unlike other retail sites where the consumer is led through a funnel-like menu to a single product offering, the Toys 'R' Us E-Store presents shoppers with several other possibilities in a chosen toy category. With toysrus.com, consumers can be directed to one toy or shop a whole category and get various gift ideas and helpful advice. In addition, we recognized the need to translate the high touch dynamic of the products on the site, but also the demand for a no-fuss process for parents and other purchasers to get exactly what they want quickly and conveniently.''
''Mainstream electronic commerce is still in its nascent stages,'' said Andrew Zolli, Vice President at Siegel & Gale Interactive Media Group, which is one of the top 20 interactive media consultancies in the world. ''Most competitive offerings in Web-based retailing, to date, have been poorly implemented and have failed largely because they have focused on functionality rather than on customer experience.'' Interworld provided the back-end and technical consulting on the project.
The Toys ''R'' Us E-Store
According to Siegel & Gale, www.toysrus.com now features vivid, high-quality product visuals that enable customers to interact with the toys and receive clear product presentation. The site boasts easy navigation, search-or-browse shopping options and simple set-up which enables shoppers to find and purchase exactly what they want without lengthy searches. Some of the unique features found on the enhanced site include:
The Multiple Ship-To location feature and the Gift Wrapping service provide added convenience and personalization. The Multiple Ship-To feature allows a single check-out process, enabling shoppers to purchase multiple items and send to different recipients without having to go back through the entire process repeatedly. The gift wrapping option - - for $3.00 per item - - adds fun to the gift-giving process.
Address Book stores the names and addresses of the people to whom the shopper wants to send gifts. It saves important, special event dates and sends an e-mail reminder two weeks prior to the special day. Consumers can also share their address book listings with friends, family and neighbors.
Feature Shop highlights special groupings of toys or products driven by timely events, including newly released films. The Feature Shop also provides site links to well-known manufacturer partners including, Hasbro and Mattel to give consumers a showcase of popular product offerings.
Customer Privacy Policy and Parental Consent statements can be accessed as a direct homepage link to assure customers that personally identifying data will not be disseminated to outside parties. In addition, children are always instructed by Toys ''R'' Us not to proceed to any area of the site that asks them to furnish any personally identifiable information, including likes and dislikes and information about their family, until a parental consent form is signed and returned by the parent.
''By focusing the site away from 'kid content' and toward commerce marketing objectives, the Toys 'R' Us E-Store provides a simple, convenient shopping experience for purchasers,'' said Marchese. ''The Toys 'R' Us E-Store aims to offer online shoppers a compelling customer experience that provides convenience and value-added service.''
Toys ''R'' Us is the world's premier retailer of children's products, currently operating over 1,300 stores in more than 20 countries around the world.
Headquartered in New York, with offices in Los Angeles and London and affiliates in Latin American and Asia, Siegel & Gale is a leading strategic brand-building, communications, and interactive media company. With a blue-chip multinational client base that includes numerous Fortune 500 companies, Siegel & Gale revenues are in excess of $30 million. Siegel & Gale employs 275 people in the U.S. and abroad.
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