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Toys 'R' Us |
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eToys |
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Barbie.com |
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KBKids.com |
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SmarterKids.com |
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| SITE: |
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Toys 'R' Us |
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etoys.com |
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barbie.com |
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kbkids.com |
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smarterkids.com |
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| PRODUCTS: |
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Retailer's online branch, now merged with Amazon.com's toy store |
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Online toy store with name-brand and an exclusive line of toys |
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Pink- and purple-heavy online store for Barbie and Barbie accessories |
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Online branch of mall-based toy store chain |
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Toy store specializing in educational toys and books |
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| BEST FOR: |
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| PLUS: |
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Biggest inventory and widest selection of toys at bargain prices |
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Wide variety. Offers fun, easy ways to shop by category; matches lowest price in any store, catalogue or Web site within 30 days. Toys in original condition can be returned anytime. |
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Kids can play for a while, creating their own Barbie and Barbie stories before getting down to shopping. |
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Realistic assessments of latest toys and video games; can return gifts
at any Kaybee Kids stores nationwide-new deadline is Jan. 10 for any gift purchased after Oct. 1.
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Can create your own "kid's store" to determine what toys would be best; free shipping for orders above $150 until year-end; prepaid postage label included for cost-free returns. |
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| MINUS: |
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Returns at a Toys 'R' Us store no longer allowed-you must mail them back at your own cost (unless broken) within 30 days. |
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Few flaws. |
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No online discount-site has same prices as in catalogue; political objections among some parents to the concept of Barbie. |
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Search engine can sometimes take you to unlikely places; the hyped deal of the week often turns out to be a dud. |
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Cloying, yuppie-baiting marketing, replete with a gifted and talented
center.
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| ORDER BY: |
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Dec. 12 for standard shipment; Dec. 19 for premium air; Dec. 20 for express air. |
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Dec. 15. |
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Dec. 18. |
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Dec. 11 for standard shipping; Dec. 18 for premium shipping; Dec. 19 for express. |
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Dec. 12 for standard shipment; Dec. 15 for premium; Dec. 20 for express. |
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| BOTTOM LINE: |
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Ideal if you know what you're looking for. Toys are easy to find, as are kids' books. But for browsing, the site may be too much. |
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A fun site. Fairly easy to navigate; suggestions by age and gender seemed appropriate. Good links to a parent center and baby center for advice and developmental milestones. |
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Fun to just to goof around on by making over Barbie's hair color, skin tone and makeup. The Barbie Boutique link for shopping lets you know what the latest "must haves" are. |
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Streamlined Web site is faster and easier to navigate, making for a good, well-rounded toy site; has a list of hot toys, as well as KB Exclusives, with lists of one-of-a-kind toys. |
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Crammed with info for customizing a list of educational toys. It gets excessive: The classic $4.89 Fischer-Price phone is an "exploration" toy ideal for "linguistic" learning styles. |
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| SUMMARY: |
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Last year, online toy shopping at Christmastime was a nightmare. People who ordered at the Web sites of trusted real-world retailers such as Toys 'R' Us or Kaybee Kids wound up having to run out at the last minute to put something under the tree in time.
Over the summer, the Federal Trade Commission fined each company $350,000 for failing to give customers adequate notice that their orders could not be filled on time. Properly chastised, both have taken steps to ensure a happier holiday season.
Toysrus.com merged with Amazon.com, tripling its order fulfillment capacity and hooking up with Amazon's proven shipment and delivery reputation. KBkids.com built a 300,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Danville, Ky., just to handle online Christmas shopping orders.
Each of the toy sites has helpful ways to search and shop by categories. Some, such as eToys, are just better and faster than others. Most of the sites have helpful customer reviews and "people who bought this toy also bought . . ." suggestions. More helpful was the customer review on the Toysrus/Amazon site, which warned me that a pair of mini trampoline moon shoes were so flimsy that their straps broke after three days.
In a completely unscientific poll of my sister and my mother's friends, eToys seemed to be the winner for ease of use. SmarterKids.com looked interesting, but left me feeling uneasy after I created a customized store for my 2-year-old that turned out to be filled with "fantastic!" ratings about how above-average he is. (Right.) And its links to the suggested toys were mostly books that won high marks for educational value but not for fun-meaning he'd play more with the box. Think I'll stick with the talking parking garage I found on eToys.
- Brigid Schulte
Other Category Comparison Charts:
Dep't Stores |
Beauty |
Books |
Clothing |
Computers |
Electronics |
Food |
Movies |
Music |
Toys
Online Holiday Shopping Stories:
Return to the Lead story, or read about:
Decking the Halls With a Mouse;
Avoiding Pitfalls;
Shopbots;
Foreign Purchases;
Online Greetings;
Customizing Gifts;
Comparison Shopping
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