SKDS MSN deal. SKDS up in pre-market.
SmarterKids.com Announces Premier Merchant Status
in New MSN eShop Education Section
Leading Online Toystore is the Only Merchant Featured in "Education Products and Services"
Section
NEEDHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 11, 2000-- SmarterKids.com (NASDAQ:SKDS - news), the leading online
educational toystore, announced it's premier merchant position on MSN eShop, the place for consumers to easily find, decide
on and buy what they are looking for on the Web. Through the agreement, SmarterKids.com is sited as a Premier Educational
Merchant in the newly created MSN eShop Education Products and Services section. SmarterKids.com also won a tenant
position in MSN eShop's toy department.
``The fact that MSN has created a stand-alone education products and services category is yet another indication of the
significant demand for products that help parents help their children learn,' said Al Noyes, senior vice president of
SmarterKids.com sales and marketing. ``Because eShop is so comprehensive and allows consumers to comparison shop, the
customers that visit our site after gathering information on MSN are far more likely to make a purchase. In addition, we are
extremely pleased to create a private store to fit the individual needs of the millions of consumers who visit MSN each month,
ensuring that every product on our site in personally selected for each shopper.'
MSN eShop was built with the specific goal of helping consumers easily find, decide on and buy the products that are right for
them. The site, located at eshop.msn.com, is a full-featured shopping service that combines leading-edge tools such as
product finders and guides, a wide variety of top merchants and products, and integration with the entire MSN network of
Internet services. This complete offering creates a shopping experience that addresses a key unmet need of consumers: the
ability to easily find and buy exactly what they are looking for on the web.
``We are consistently striving to bring to our consumers the Internet's most extensive range of products and services,' said Jim
Kinsella, general manager of MSN sales and marketing and president and CEO of MSNBC.COM at Microsoft Corp.
``SmarterKids.com offers our shoppers a wide variety of both well-known brands and hard-to-find quality offerings and we
are pleased to have them as our Premier merchant for Education Products and Services.'
In addition to Premier merchant status on MSN eShop, SmarterKids.com is a premier sponsor of the Microsoft Encarta site,
providing recommendations for educational products related to topics explored using the Encarta online encyclopedia.
SmarterKids.com also provides advertising for the site and special offers for its registered users via monthly newsletters.
SmarterKids.com is a sponsor of the MSN ``Encarta Learning Zone' channel.
About SmarterKids.com, Inc.
SmarterKids.com, Inc., a leading educational store on the Web, is dedicated to helping parents instill a love of learning in their
children. The site features award-winning content and a customized shopping experience that links selected toys, games, books,
software, and hands-on activities to each child's profile. Through a sophisticated evaluation and recommendation process, the
site offers thousands of educational products and services for children ages toddler through 14, including both well-known
brands and hard-to-find quality offerings. SmarterKids.com was rated the #1 educational toy site according to Gomez
Advisors and is headquartered in Needham, Mass. |
