eToys must be one of the luckiest e-tailers. Why? Well, it has such
competitors as Toys “R” Us and Wal-Mart, who have been sorely late to the
Web.
This Christmas should also be joyous and lucky for eToys, as it builds its
leadership. In fact, according to a Forrester Research report, Christmas
should be a blockbuster for e-tailers, as sales are expected to reach $20.2
billion. In its survey, eToys was ranked #3 as the place online shoppers
plan to do their shopping.
The site is expertly built, especially for adults, who are typically the
ones who purchase toys. They get useful lists, such as toys that are
popular for certain age groups.
In all, eToys carries more than 100,000 items on its virtual store shelves.
eToys has announced that it will launch an aggressive national advertising
campaign. The focus will be primarily on prime-time TV, targeting the
25-to-40 year old audience.
eToys also signed a three-year, $18 million agreement with AOL, making
eToys an “anchor tenant” in such categories as Toys, Educational Toys, Kids
and Baby Gear, Collectibles and Electronic Games.
What’s more, eToys beefed-up its distribution, by signing an agreement with
Fingerhut Business Services, getting access to a one-million-square foot,
state-of-the-art fulfillment center. eToys also leased a
440,000-square-foot warehouse in Virginia.
True, eToys will not have the luxury of having the market to itself this
Christmas. Wal-Mart, for example, is launching its ecommerce site, with a
particular emphasis on toys. Of course, Amazon.com has its own toy center.
However, eToys has been making great use of its first-mover advantage.
For example, when Amazon.com announced it would sell toys, eToys announced
it would sell children’s books.
Another example is the recently announced Idea Center. Basically, there
are nine themes to Idea Center, covering such things as “when I grow up,”
“nature and discoveries,” and “the wonders of science.”
For example, in the “wonders of science” theme, there is an interview with
Dr. Mark Norell, who is a dinosaur expert. Kids learn such things as the
“biggest myths of dinosaurs.” There are also links to kid-friendly dinosaur
sites. And, yes, there are links to products, such as the Bonz Wooden 3-D
Skeleton Puzzle.
In other words, at eToys, buying toys is a learning experience. As for its
competitors, their sites are, well, just a place to shop.
The hard work of building a comprehensive product line, smart content and
brand name will pay off. This company keeps pushing the envelope of the toy
market and should, as a result, have a very happy Christmas.
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