Re: UKNM: Toys R US - site, outdated - who does it???

[Peter Shankman]

Hi Leslie...


I think that the Toys r' Us site is a perfect example of what the web is

doing to the big monster companies...


These companies,, (Toys r' us, WalMart, KMart, Sears, etc...)  can't afford

to go on the web, and can't afford to have people shop online. Why? If they

do, they canibalize (forgive the spelling) their own stores. These stores

have millions upon millions upon millions of dollars invested in stores,

people, parking lots, bricks, mortar, etc... If they start selling on the

web full force, they eat into what they've spent so much money to build.


The problem comes in the fact that none of the big stores know what to do

with this yet. The stores keep their web sites up, so they can say, "Yeah,

we're on the web." But they don't know what to do beyond that... And that's

where the little stores are coming in and making a killing. Only a few big

stores have had the guts to try it out and not worry about eating

themselves alive, The Gap comes to mind... As for the Sears of the world, I

think they're going to have to take a long hard look at themselves, and

come up with some serious decisions.


Cheers,


-Peter


PS: Leslie, I've admired many of your posts for quite some time now. :)

At 5:53 AM -0500 1/27/99, Leslie Bunder wrote:

>Well, I went to the Toys R Us site at http://www.toysrus.co.uk  to see

>what it is like and well, they are saying place orders by 18 december in

>time for Xmas!

>

>Also, on the contact us section, they say "WE REGRET THAT WE CAN RESPOND

>TO QUERIES FROM UK MAINLAND & IRELAND ONLY"

>

>Is this one of the worse examples around of a badly organised retail

>site???

>

>Are consumers going to be happy to order from sites that don't appear to

>be updated.  How do they know prices will be correct and not out of

>date?

>

>And what happens if you are outside the UK and have a query about

>something you are interested in buying when you come to the UK?

>

>Any idea who is responsible for the site?

>

>

>Leslie

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Leslie Bunder, technology writer

>Teletext on the Web

>

e-mail: LBunderteletext [dot] co [dot] uk

>tel: 0171 386 3667 (UK)  +44 171 386 3667 (outside UK)

>mobile: 07010 701967 (UK) +44 7010 701967 (outside UK)

>web: www.teletext.co.uk

>post: 101 Farm Lane, Fulham, London SW6 1QJ, UK

>------------------------------------------------------------------------



Peter Shankman

President

The Geek Factory, Inc.

(212) 835-0494 (Direct Line)

(212) 835-0794 (Fax)

petergeekfactory [dot] com

http://geekfactory.com 

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