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Pre-Market Trade Reporting
Wednesday January 3
Pre-Market
Last: $0.2031 Pre-Market
Best Bid: N/A Pre-Market
High: $0.2031
Pre-Market
Volume: 5,300 Pre-Market
Best Ask: N/A Pre-Market
Low: $0.1875
Pre-Market
Time (ET) Pre-Market
Price Pre-Market
Share Volume
08.09 $ 0.2031 500
08.05 $ 0.1875 2800
08.05 $ 0.1875 2000
Robertson Stephens Holiday Online Shopping Study Shows Strong Start to Holiday Season
Friday December 1 10:20am
Source: Dow Jones
First Round of Survey Results Reflect High Consumer Satisfaction Levels
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Robertson Stephens, the leading full-service investment bank focused exclusively on growth companies, today provided the first round of results from its second annual Holiday Online Shopping Study, powered by BizRate.com. The survey data, gathered from more than 1,100 respondents, reflects high consumer satisfaction levels during the first few weeks of the holiday shopping season.
"Commerce sites appear to have successfully made it through the season's first big test -- the post-Thanksgiving spending period," said Senior Internet Analyst Lauren Cooks Levitan. "However, the most challenging tests for web merchants are yet to come as we near the peak holiday shopping weeks in early December, coupled with last minute shopping efforts late in the month."
Key points of the survey results include:
* 89% of respondents indicated that they were "highly" or "quite a bit"
satisfied with their online shopping experiences, versus 82% last year.
Consumer satisfaction levels of overall shopping experiences averaged
8.39 on a scale of 1-10, similar to last year's 8.45.
* 96% of respondents say they are buying more online this year than last
year.
* 44% of shoppers reported being "highly" or "quite a bit" influenced by
an offline presence when making an online purchase.
* 6 of the top 10 most frequently rated sites are incumbent retailers,
versus 3 out of 10 last year.
* First time online buyers (10% of respondents to date) are substantially
less affluent than repeat online buyers.
* Product price and shipping charges/options scored the lowest among all
aspects of customer satisfaction, while 47% have abandoned a shopping
cart due to shipping costs.
* Amazon.com received the most customer feedback while eToys achieved the
highest ratings for both overall satisfaction and likelihood to buy
again.
The Robertson Stephens Holiday Online Shopping Study is a comprehensive analysis of consumer online shopping behavior during the holiday season. The survey gauges the level of satisfaction with various aspects of the online shopping experience including: ease of ordering, advertising, product selection, customer support, shipping and delivery. Each week, Lauren Cooks Levitan will issue reports based on the survey data. To participate in the Holiday Online Shopping Study, please visit http://www.robertsonstephens.com
Robertson Stephens maintains a market in the shares of Amazon and eToys and has been a managing or comanaging underwriter for or has privately placed securities of eToys within the past three years.
Robertson Stephens, Inc. and its international affiliates ("Robertson Stephens") is the leading full-service investment bank focused exclusively on growth companies. The firm provides a comprehensive set of investment banking products and services, including equity underwriting, sales & trading, research, M&A advisory, convertible securities, private capital, equity derivatives, and corporate and executive services. Robertson Stephens completed 146 deals in the United States and Europe in the first half of 2000 valued at $48.1 billion in aggregate market value including 70 IPOs, 56 follow-ons and 20 convertible transactions. The firm also completed 47 private capital deals and advised on 43 M&A deals in the first half of this year. The firm's more than 40 senior equity research analysts cover more than 750 companies. Robertson Stephens, Inc. is a member of the NASD and all major exchanges. Robertson Stephens has more than 1,500 employees worldwide with offices in San Francisco, Boston, New York, Palo Alto, Chicago, Atlanta, London, Munich and Tel Aviv.
Robertson Stephens, Inc. ("Robertson Stephens") is a NASD member and a member of all major exchanges and SIPC.
The information contained herein is not a complete analysis of every material fact respecting any company, industry or security. Although opinions and estimates expressed herein reflect the current judgment of Robertson Stephens, the information upon which such opinions and estimates are based is not necessarily updated on a regular basis; when it is, the date of the change in estimate will be noted. In addition, opinions and estimates are subject to change without notice. This Report contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ significantly from the results described in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, those discussed in "Investment Risks." Robertson Stephens from time to time performs corporate finance or other services for some companies described herein and may occasionally possess material, nonpublic information regarding such companies. This information is not used in the preparation of the opinions and estimates herein. While the information contained in this Report and the opinions contained herein are based on sources believed to be reliable, Robertson Stephens has not independently verified the facts, assumptions and estimates contained in this Report. Accordingly, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, the fairness, accuracy, completeness or correctness of the information and opinions contained in this Report. Robertson Stephens, its managing directors, its affiliates, its employee investment funds, and/or its employees, including the research analysts authoring this report, may have an interest in the securities of the issuer(s) described and may make purchases or sales while this Report is accessible.. Robertson Stephens International, Ltd. is regulated by the Securities and Futures Authority in the United Kingdom. This publication is not meant for private customers. Fleet Specialist, Inc. (Member NYSE), an affiliate of Robertson Stephens, Inc., is the specialist that makes a market in AutoNation, Inc., Cabletron Systems, Inc., Cash America International, Inc., Computer Associates International, Ethan Allen Interiors Inc., FelCor Lodging Trust Inc., Foundation Health Systems, Inc., Harrah's Entertainment, Inc., Hilton Hotels Corporation, The Home Depot, Inc., International Game Technology, Jones Apparel Group, Inc., MGM Grand, Inc., National Semiconductor Corporation, Park Place Entertainment Corporation, Scientific-Atlanta, Inc., Seagate Technology, Inc., Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc., Station Casinos Inc., The Talbots, Inc., and Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, and at any given time, Fleet Specialist may have an inventory position, either "long" or "short", in this security. As a result of Fleet Specialist's function as a market maker, such specialist may be on the opposite side of orders executed on the floor of the Exchange in this security.
Copyright * 2000 Robertson Stephens.
/CONTACT: Courtney Weber, 415-693-3389, or Elizabeth Denton, 212-407-0470, both of Robertson Stephens, Inc./ 13:15 EST
eToys Named #1 Online Toy Store Website; eMarketer's Top 10 List Rates Outstanding Online General Toy Merchants
Wednesday November 22 9:44am
Source: Dow Jones
Business Editors, Internet/On-Line Writers
NOTE TO MEDIA: Photo is available in a Smart News Release(TM) on
Business Wire's Home Page at www.businesswire.com and at
www.newstream.com
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 22, 2000--Where should holiday shoppers go when they want to buy toys online? For the second year in a row eToys.com has named the #1 full service online toy site, according to eMarketer, the authority on business online.
"eToys is quickly solidifying itself as the gold standard of the online toy industry through its efforts in all areas," according to eMarketer editor, Rance Piatt. "Finding a specific item on this site is far easier than strolling the aisles of any of the large brick and mortar toy stores located in the U.S. And, with the addition of an East Coast distribution center tucked in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southern Virginia, this holiday season should run even smoother than last year's for eToys.com."
A newly released eHoliday Shopping Report from eMarketer forecasts a robust holiday season with online sales reaching $12.5 billion, accounting for just over one-third of total 2000 web sales of $37 billion. This quarter's online sales are a 71% increase over Q4 1999, and at $12.5 billion will be the highest online sales of any single quarter ever. Toys, Games and Video Games will represent 43% of all online holiday purchases.
The Evaluation Process
eMarketer considered nearly 80 Toy websites and used several sources for site addresses. Here are the specific criteria we used to evaluate:
1) Design - Does the site make good use of color and images? Is
the home page well laid out? In other words, can the user
experience as much as possible from the home page or is the
home page just another page for the user to get through?
2) Navigation - Can the user find different parts of the site
easily and in different ways (i.e. is the site over-reliant on
the search function to get the user to the different
features)? How well does the site move the user through the
buying process? Do the pages take too long to upload, giving
the user ample opportunity to abandon the shopping cart?
3) Customer Service -- Do they provide adequate/live support?
Toll-free number? eMail? Does the site lay out the specifics
for delivery (i.e. deadlines for delivery before Dec. 22nd)?
Does it allow the consumer to track an order?
4) Features - Does the site make good use of available technology
in assisting the user? Does it provide a wish list option?
Does it make allowances for Spanish-speaking users?
Rounding out the Top Ten list are the following toy sites: 2) ToysRUs.com www.toysrus.com 3) ZanyBrainy.com www.zanybrainy.com 4) SmarterKids.com www.smarterkids.com 5) WorldsBestKids.com www.worldsbesttoys.com 6) FAO.com www.fao.com 7) Target.com www.target.com 8) KBKids.com www.kbkids.com 9) NuttyPutty.com www.nuttyputty.com 10) WalMart.com www.walmart.com
"Perhaps the most surprising difference between Year One and Year Two of the Toy Wars, is the fact that toy sites seem no closer in overtaking eToys as the web's best retailer of toys," according to Rance Piatt. "Put simply, eToys is the benchmark against which all other toy sites are measured."
A complete description of the top ten sites, descriptions and links to the honorees home pages are available at the eMarketer site http://www.emarketer.com.
About eMarketer
eMarketer, www.emarketer.com, the world's leading provider of internet statistics, is recognized as the authority on business online. Its award-winning website has been visited by millions of marketers from over 140 countries, and its newsletters are sent to over 350,000 e-mail addresses every week. The company's comprehensive reports aggregate, filter, organize and analyze statistics, news and information from the world's foremost research companies, consultancies and business news services. eMarketer's articles, market projections and analytical commentaries are featured by hundreds of news organizations and business publications every week. Headquartered in New York City, the company is launching eMarketer Japan, located in Tokyo and will soon be expanding to Europe.
Note: A Photo is available at URL:
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/photo.cgi?pw.112200/bb7
CONTACT: eMarketer
Amy Backes
212.677.6300 x229
abackes@emarketer.com
12:40 EST NOVEMBER 22, 2000
Toy Retailers Gear Up for Post-Turkey Shopping Frenzy; Survey Predicts Scooters Will Fly Off Shelves
Monday November 20 12:51pm
Source: Dow Jones
Exclusive Retailer Poll Forecasts the Holiday's "Must Have" Toys &
PC/Video Games
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 20, 2000--With less than a week to go before the traditional Thanksgiving start to the holiday season, the nation's top retailers of toys and games have made their list and checked it twice.
The result of their annual survey is a solid prediction that those trendy folding scooters will be the number-one toy for the holidays. The survey is conducted by PlayDate Inc. (www.playdate2000.com) to help parents get a head-start on the toys and games that will be in greatest demand by kids across the country.
The list of best selling toys is almost equally split between traditional 'imagination' toys, like Barbie dolls, finger bikes and Pokemon cards, and new-fangled electronic toys, including a number of robotic dogs, singing dolls and talking trucks.
According to the PlayDate survey, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 by Activision tops the list of anticipated best-selling video games, while the best-selling PC game is expected to be Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, from Interplay. The LeapPad, by toy company Leapfrog, is predicted to be the best-selling toy sold in specialty shops. And retailers predict that Sony's PlayStation 2 will be the hottest-selling video game hardware - despite concerns about availability.
"Scooters will be a sure-fire hit, but after that, no one toy or game is going to dominate holiday shopping the way Pokemon did last year," said veteran toy industry analyst Sean McGowan, co-founder of PlayDate Inc. "On one hand, you'll have familiar faces battling it out, like Elmo versus Clifford and Super Mario versus Lara Croft. But there are new names in the battle too, like Harry Potter versus Poo-Chi. It's anyone's game now."
The PlayDate Survey
To participate in the survey, which also predicts best selling video games, PC games, and toys sold on-line and in specialty stores, PlayDate invited Amazon.com, AreYouGame.com, Babbages, CompUSA, Electronics Boutique, eToys, FuncoLand, Imaginarium, KB, KBKids.com, Kmart, Noodle Kidoodle, Software Etc., Target, Toys 'R' Us, Walmart, and Zany Brainy.
To see the full results of the PlayDate 2000 survey, including a special "Hot 1's To Watch" list of sleeper hits, go to www.playdate2000.com.
About PlayDate (www.playdateinc.com)
PlayDate Inc. is a marketing services company that conducts a poll of retailers, gathering their predictions of top-selling toys and games for each year's holiday shopping season. PlayDate compiles these statistics and publishes the list of Best Sellers, providing an objective forecast unlike other lists or product promotions that are generated by manufacturers themselves.
Its principals, Sean McGowan and Jon Salisbury, have more than thirty years of combined experience in the U.S. and European toy industries. Mr. McGowan is a veteran research analyst having followed the toy and game software industries on Wall Street from 1986 to 2000. Mr. Salisbury has published news/trade journals on the U.K. toy industry since 1985, and has hosted numerous media events similar to PlayDate in the U.K. since 1997.
(PlayDate Inc. is not affiliated with Gerard Klauer Mattison & Co., a brokerage firm of which Mr. McGowan is an employee.)
CONTACT: Golin/Harris International
Stacy Hope or Emily Killmer, 213/623-4200
toys@golinharris.com
15:47 EST NOVEMBER 20, 2000
Enfish Onespace Helps Make the Holiday Season a Joy
Monday November 20 6:37am
Source: Dow Jones
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 20, 2000--
Onespace users can keep on top of their e-mail, organize their hectic schedules and get their shopping done all in one convenient place
Built in "wallet," browsing numerous sites in one place and handy
"gift button" enhancements offer users ease-of-shopping
This holiday season will be a breeze to get through due to Enfish Onespace, the personal desktop portal that helps PC users organize their e-mail, Web searches, documents and contacts, all in one convenient place. Now Enfish offers
Onespace users ease-of-shopping with its "wallet" enhancement with partnered merchants, the ability to browse numerous partnered e-tailers, and a convenient "buy gift" button located with each contact detailing specific information.
Enfish Onespace, available for a limited time as a free download off the Internet at www.enfish.com, is a powerful PC software/Internet service that is designed to help PC users get more done with less effort and time.
"The next couple of months are always a busy time of the year," said founder and CEO of Enfish Technology, Louise Wannier. "But now, due to Enfish Onespace, PC users have help in managing and organizing their rapid exchange of e-mails, work and after work schedules, professional and personal contacts, extensive research projects and end-of-year documents -- all in one convenient place.
"At this time of year, shopping for clients, family and friends is also a priority. The Onespace shopping enhancements are another way Enfish gives you more time for joy during the holidays."
As noted by Enfish Onespace user Antonio Perez on the popular ZDNet web site, he utilizes the software to help manage his life and shopping, "Wonderful! Bottom line: It organizes my E. I get more done in less time and I no longer feel overwhelmed. Nice perks: Great news and finance updates and easy to click to shopping sites ... "
How to use the "wallet"
Once the Enfish Onespace software is downloaded on an individual's PC, they simply have to fill out the information located under "My Profile" by clicking on the "wallet" button. Enfish Onespace has teamed up with merchants such as eToys, Giftcertificates.com, CDnow.com and BarnesandNoble.com, and more to bring this added enhancement to the user. Enfish Onespace stores the personal information and is password protected. Once the shopper is ready to make a purchase, all the shopper has to do is click on the "autofill" button at the bottom of the screen, and the user's pertinent information including address, phone number, credit card number and e-mail address is automatically filled in the requested areas at any e-tailer where the purchase is being made. The shopper no longer has to continue inputting the same information at each different site to complete their order. Shoppers only have to enter it once and use autofill to do the rest.
All the merchants you need in one place
In addition to its wallet enhancement, Enfish Onespace has also partnered with leading online merchants, creating a shopping gallery of e-tailers by category. This makes it possible to browse at more than one e-tailer at a time. The shopper clicks on which category they are interested in perusing and two or more windows open with multiple tabs for different e-tailers. For example, if the shopper is interested in books, music and videos, e-tailers such as Borders.com, Amazon.com, Checkout.com and Audiobookclub.com open on one convenient page with additional tabs for even more accessible and popular e-tailers.
Furthermore, when Onespace users look up a specific business or personal contact with all of their pertinent information listed, including an upcoming birthday, they can quickly buy a gift with one click that brings them swiftly to partnered merchants. From restaurants to stores, to travel merchants, spas and movie tickets, there's something to be found for anyone in their contact list.
How Enfish Onespace Works
Enfish Onespace continuously maintains a cross-referenced master index of the contents of users' e-mails, files, contacts, Web bookmarks or clipped Web pages so that users can stay organized and find information quickly without doing extra work. Enfish Onespace doesn't move, change or alter in any way users' information, but augments Microsoft Windows by adding a customizable desktop that gives users access to all their e-mail, Web sites, contacts and documents in one secure, convenient place.
Enfish Onespace goes one step further to organize pages for all the people and companies that are important to each user, automatically displaying all the related information (e-mails, documents, Internet news sources, colleagues, contact info.) that is pertinent for a particular person or company in one place. To date, Enfish Onespace has received many positive product reviews from publications including ZDNet (five stars) Fast Company and Computer Shopper.
About Enfish Technology Inc.
Enfish Technology Inc. is committed to developing products and services that empower people who work daily with an abundance of electronic information. Enfish CEO, Louise Wannier, co-founded and led the success of Gemstar International, makers of VCR Plus+, the system that revolutionized the home video market and made "programming your VCR as easy as dialing a phone." Wannier founded Enfish with the goal of bringing the same simplicity and ease-of-use to personal computers.
The first Enfish product, Enfish Tracker Pro, enabled users to find information no matter how it was created, where it was stored or what it was named. Introduced in October, 1998, as the world's first information tracker, Enfish Tracker Pro was named "Best Software of 1998" by Investor's Business Daily and received nominations in two categories for the prestigious Codie Awards for Excellence in Software.
Note to Editors: Enfish is a registered trademark used under license by Enfish Technology Inc. Microsoft Windows is a registered trademark of its respective company.
E-Commerce Sites Need Good Information Architecture to Maximize Holiday Sales, Says Argus Center for Information Architecture White Paper
Monday November 20 9:37am
Source: Dow Jones
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The recent market correction has put more pressure on e-commerce sites to be profitable, making this holiday online shopping season more important. Sites looking to boost profits should follow the best-practice examples shown in the Argus Center of Information Architecture's white paper "Information Architecture of the Shopping Cart: Best Practices for the Information Architectures of E-Commerce Ordering Systems," which analyzes the shopping cart and checkout processes of four top- performing e-commerce sites: Amazon.com, CDNOW.com, eToys.com and LandsEnd.com.
These four sites provided excellent examples of how a planned information architecture provides a foundation for rich functionality. Based on this research, Sarah Bidigare, Managing Editor for the Argus Center for Information Architecture, developed eight principles for designing the information architecture of the shopping cart and checkout process:
1. Make the shopping cart easy to find.
2. Provide clear ordering options.
3. Provide for rich functionality of the shopping cart.
4. Make related items available from the shopping cart.
5. Provide for items in shopping cart to be saved for future purchase.
6. Give advance notice of what the checkout process involves.
7. Keep order forms simple.
8. Ensure secure transactions.
To download the entire white paper, plus an information architecture blueprint for a simple shopping cart and check-out process, visit the ACIA web site at http://argus-acia.com .
About the Argus Center for Information Architecture
The ACIA serves as a focal point for learning about the theory and practice of information architecture, hosting industry conferences and training seminars, publishing articles and white papers, managing a web site on information architecture topics, and participating in groundbreaking research. The ACIA is sponsored by Argus Associates, Inc.
About Argus Associates
Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Argus Associates is a recognized pioneer in the field of information architecture. Argus organizes large Web sites and intranets so users can find what they need quickly and easily and clients can more easily manage their information. Argus principals Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville wrote the definitive book on Web architecture, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, published in 1998 by O'Reilly & Associates.
It was named "Best Internet Book of 1998" by Amazon.com.
/CONTACT: ACIA Event Information: Andrea Kelly, program and event manager of ACIA, akelly@argus-acia.com, or Media Inquiries: Colleen Newvine, marketing and communications manager of Argus Associates, newvine@argus-inc.com, 734-913-0010/ 11:50 EST
TEKNO the Robotic Puppy(TM) Is the #1 Selling Toy Worldwide
Monday November 20 9:42am
Source: Dow Jones
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Manley Toy Quest announced today that TEKNO, the Robotic Puppy is the #1 selling toy according to the industry leading trade publication, The Toy Book.
TEKNO has been a major product launch for the company with a national television campaign running well into the holiday season. TEKNO is currently the leading selling toy in several retailers including e-commerce sites such as eToys, Kbkids.com and TRU.com.
"TEKNO has been the hottest selling toy in the business the last 3 months. The combination of advanced technology at a sharp price point has led to its great success," commented Jim Silver, Publisher of the Toy Book.
"It is still the most reasonably priced robotic dog at $39.99 with the most innovative technology and design. TEKNO is fully articulated making it far more advanced than some of the competitors," said Brian Dubinsky, President of Manley Toy Quest. "We look forward to next year and will be pleased if the expansion of our robotic line proves to be as successful as TEKNO," commented Dubinsky.
Manley Toy Quest is the largest privately held electronic game and toy company. The company develops, manufactures, and markets high quality proprietary toys and toys licensed from popular entertainment properties worldwide. Manley Toy Quest uses innovative technology to design products that are fun for children and build on their natural creativity. For more information on Manley Toy Quest, visit http://www.manleytoyquest.com.
Check out www.tekno-robot.com to learn more about TEKNO the Robotic Puppy
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements about plans and expectations regarding opportunities are necessarily speculative and should not have reliance on any such forward-looking statements.
The company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements, which may be made to reflect events or circumstance after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
EToys Enters Agreement With Convertible Preferred Shareholders
Thursday November 16 7:46am
Source: Dow Jones
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- EToys Inc. (ETYS) entered into an amended agreement with holders of its series D convertible preferred stock, according to a Form 8-K filed Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
According to the Nov. 15 agreement, the preferred shareholders waived their rights to enter into a short sale of eToys stock.
The preferred shareholders also agreed to waive their right to convert the preferred stock into common stock until Jan. 30, 2001, despite eToys' stock price falling below the $3 minimum.
Under the original agreement, the shareholders had the right to convert the preferred stock at any time if eToys' common stock fell below $3 a share for 10 consecutive days.
EToys common shares originally closed below $3 on Nov. 8, dropping 78 cents to $2.56 a share. Since that time, eToys shares haven't closed above $3.
In addition, eToys submitted to the shareholders a conversion election notice for 2,000 shares of the convertible preferred stock. As reported, in June eToys issued 10,000 shares of the convertible preferred stock.
EToys further agreed to provide the preferred shareholders with a conversion option for at least 1,000 preferred shares by Jan. 1 for a conversion to take place after Jan. 31.
Also in the agreement, eToys changed the dates affected by the original agreement with the preferred shareholders to be through Dec. 31, 2000 as opposed to through Jan. 31, 2001.
EToys will file an additional registration statement with the SEC for the preferred shareholders by Nov. 28.
As reported, in June eToys received proceeds of approximately $97.5 million from the private placement of the 10,000 shares of series D preferred stock.
The investors included HFTP Investment LLC, Leonardo L.P., Fisher Capital L.P. and Wingate Capital Ltd.
Thursday, shares of eToys were flat at $2.
EToys is an Internet retailer for children's products.
-Todd Goren, Dow Jones Newswires/Federal Filings Business
News; 202-628-9782
(This story was originally published by Dow Jones Newswires)
Copyright (c) 2000 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Key Q&A from the interview:::::::::
http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/zforum/00/walker1116.htm
Leslie Walker's .com Live
Discussion with eToys CEO Edward "Toby" Lenk.
Leslie Walker: Hello to everyone and welcome to Toby Lenk of eToys. Let's go to the questions.
It’s a rough time for etailing, with another high-profile .com closing almost every day. Some analysts think pure-play Internet retailers won’t last. What is eToys doing differently from the dying .coms that will help it survive?
Edward Toby Lenk: Most dying .coms have little revenue, little brand share, and no business models. eToys has a considerable amount of all three. That said, the climate is difficult for all .coms, for sure.
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Atlanta, Georgia: Does eToys still have a relationship with Fingerhut?
Edward Toby Lenk: We no longer have a relationship with Fingerhut. We have added 2 mil square feet of new warehouse capacity, and have been 100% in-house in our fulfillment since the Spring. Last Holiday season, we were about 50% in-house.
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College Park MD: Do you have any exclusive arrangment with manufacturers that would give you an edge in supply over rivals.
Edward Toby Lenk: We have thousands of unique and less well distributed products. We are the exlcusive online distributor of Discovery Toys, for exammple. Thousands of our products are not contractual exclusives, but "effective" exclusives, in that mass retailers cannot or will not carry them. On things like Barbie, we carry virtually every item offered, whereas mass retailers carry the TV promoted ones -- a limited range.
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washingtonpost.com: Can you discuss your fulfillment capacity? This was a big issue last year with toys not making it in time for the 25th. What have you done to improve distribution over the past year and what is the final cut off date for an order to be delivered by Christmas.
Edward Toby Lenk: Some people in the kids space performed horribly and gave the sector a black-eye. We performed quite well and were rated the #1 online retailer for the holiday in a major study published in Fortune. That said, we strive for perfection and we weren't perfect. Every year we do things to get better and better. This year will be our best ever in customer service, since we have expanded our in-house capacity roughly 10x to 2 million feet of warehouse space.
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Columbus, OH: There have been mixed messages about profitability--I've heard 2002, 2004, and so on. When will you be profitable, and do you foresee any problems raising enough cash to get there?
Edward Toby Lenk: There has been no mixed message from us on profitability. We have been very clear. We are targeting being very near operating profit breakeven next holiday (2001), and profitable the year after (2002)on a full-year basis.
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DC: Regarding the TRU/Amazon partnership, would you say it is a concern to your business, that you will maintain your #1 position, or that there is room for more than one player in this field?
Edward Toby Lenk: We are targeting $110 bil of retail spending on children. Our biggest competition is traditional spending in physical stores. There is huge room for 2 online kids retailers to do well. We always assumed we would compete with TRU.com. The advantage we have is that we do not have channel conflict -- all of our best efforts and products go online
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Rosslyn VA: What types of changes do you see in etailing say five to ten years from now? A lot of people - including myself - think that the reason that e-tailers are going under isn't because the idea of selling stuff online is bad idea, but that the technology and customer base was not really ready for the push that these dotcoms made last year. I would appreciate your thoughts.
Edward Toby Lenk: I believe that customers are ready, and many online companies were not. Very few online or traditional companies have good web sites, and good web service. Very few. That is because this is a whole new thing, and requires whole new merchandising skills, technology, and logistics expertise. The good get better and better. This is our 4th Holiday season, and we could not be where we are without the tremendous learning and investment over the past three seasons. We have never been as prepared as we are right now.
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Leslie Walker: Please tell us about your marketing budget, and what, if any, kind of discounted and free shipping you'll offer this season. Last season you reportedly spent around $33 per customer acquired--how about this time?
Edward Toby Lenk: We expect to spend absolute dollars comparable to last year, but advertising will come down significantly as a % of sales as we expect strong sales growth versus last year. We don't put out forward statements on the specific "customer acquisition cost" measure, but we expect to remain one of the most efficient in the online world.
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CHICAGO, IL: When will eToys begin to release information on the seasonal volume increase. Has your increase started and is it as expected, or a little slower this year?
Edward Toby Lenk: We historically have not released information within a quarter. We certainly see consumer interest building in October and so far in November
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Leslie Walker: Amazon's been offering free shipping on big toy orders--any chance you will too?
Edward Toby Lenk: We generally offer great prices, great content and suggestions (a giant idea and suggestion factory!), and great service. Generally, free shipping and other very "deep" promotions are used as a substitute when you don't have these things. Also, just to clarify, their offer is for orders over $100, which will not be relevant to most of their customers
::::::::::END
Link to Washinton Post live interview with ETYS CEO::
http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/zforum/00/walker1116.htm
also posted in the interviews section at http://www.sockthestocks.com/profiles/etys.htm
"eToys reported fiscal second quarter revenues of $26.0 million, a 95.5% increase versus the same period last year, and in line with our estimate of $26.0 million," said Levitan. "Better-than-expected gross margin of 22.5% resulted in a cash EPS loss of $(0.33) that was 2 cents lower than our estimate of $(0.35). eToys reported fiscal second quarter revenues of $26.0 million, a 95.5% increase versus the same period last year, and in line with our estimate of $26.0 million. Better-than-expected gross margin of 22.5% resulted in a cash EPS loss of $(0.33) that was 2 cents better than our estimate of $(0.35). We continue to view an investment in eToys as highly risky and only appropriate for speculative investors with longer-term investment horizons. We continue to believe that eToys' growing brand presence, substantially improved fulfillment and leading merchandising capabilities position the company to achieve continued robust growth and profitability longer term. Thus, with shares of eToys already trading at depressed levels, we are maintaining our Buy rating with the caveats mentioned above and look for early reads on the current holiday season and the potential for third quarter results to lead to positive earnings revisions for 2001 as potential catalysts for the stock."
EToys Inc. Unveils Party, Hobby Stores
Friday November 3 7:56am
Source: Dow Jones
LOS ANGELES -(Dow Jones)- EToys Inc. (ETYS) launched its party and hobby online stores and unveiled merchandising features for the holiday season that offer a directory of major shopping areas and easier navigation to the company's BabyCenter and ParentCenter sites.
In a press release Friday, eToys said the move is part of eToys's plan to offer a broad range of kids' goods and to enhance its shopping experience with new editorial content and personalized features.
The party store caters to birthday, holiday and other kids-oriented parties.
Party planners can choose from more than 80 party themes, create and customize online invitations and get ideas for activities, games and food.
The hobby store is stocked with thousands of hobby products, including trains, planes, automobiles and rockets.
The new merchandising features include: Uniquely eToys, a lineup of more than 600 eToys proprietary products; Holiday Hot List, a collection of more than 300 popular holiday gifts; The Big Gift, featuring more than 250 gifts with average prices of about $100 each; and Teen, which sorts products for teens and pre-teens.
EToys is an Internet retailer for children's products.
Company Web site: http://www.etoys.com
-Scott Austin; Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5388
(This story was originally published by Dow Jones Newswires)
Copyright (c) 2000 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
eToys Gets $40 Million Revolving Credit Facility
Wednesday November 15 7:02am
Source: Dow Jones
LOS ANGELES -(Dow Jones)- Online toy retailer EToys Inc. (ETYS) received a $40 million revolving credit facility from Foothill Capital Corp.
Foothill Capital is a unit of Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC).
In a press release Wednesday, EToys it will use funds from the two-year facility, which is backed by certain company inventory, for working capital and general purposes.
During the past year, EToys' shares have fallen on Nasdaq to less than $2 from $70.52.
In July, EToys said it was assessing financing options to ensure its capital needs through its targeted break-even point in fiscal 2002.
The Wall Street Journal said in September that EToys needed about an additional $100 million to sustain its operations until profitability.
EToys shares fell in sympathy with the closing of Pets.com Inc. (IPET) just more than a week ago, but were also hurt by statements by J.P. Morgan analyst Tom Wyman, who indicated that EToys would likely reach profitability in 2004, not 2002 as the company targeted.
EToys will have competition in a pivotal holiday season for the company, primarily from the alliance between Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) and Toys "R" Us Inc. (TOY). EToys has shifted its product mix to specialty retail and private-label products from traditional mass market products, which may affect the profitability target.
EToys had said that it expects a strong Christmas season and expects third quarter revenue of $220 million, up from $106.8 million a year ago.
-Gregg Henglein; Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5400
(This story was originally published by Dow Jones Newswires)
Copyright (c) 2000 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
ljoeo - do you hve a link for that shopaholics article?
TIA
Andy
More Shopaholics Hitting the Web, Jupiter Says
By Katherine Hobson
Senior Writer
11/13/00 8:51 AM ET
More shopaholics are hitting the Web.
Jupiter Research predicts the number of people buying gifts online will jump 75% this holiday season, but it estimates that the number of heavy online shoppers will increase almost fourfold.
The research firm says 35 million U.S. residents will make purchases online, up from 20 million last year. The number of people spending more than 50% of their gift budgets online, however, will likely rise to 6.3 million from 1.6 million last year, Jupiter says.
Jupiter also says that while books, toys and music will be the top products bought online this year, it also predicts a surprisingly large number of apparel and footwear purchases, now that more brand name apparel is making it to the Web. OldNavy.com, a unit of Gap (GPS:NYSE - news), and AnnTaylor's (ANN:NYSE - news) AnnTaylor.com are both new additions this holiday season.
Also backing up the notion that more Internet users are shopping these days, Media Metrix says the proportion of online users visiting retail sites stood at 74.9% in August, more than the 73.3% seen in December 1999.
Toys R U.S. Posts Loss of $65 Million
PARAMUS, N.J. (Reuters) - Toy-seller Toys R Us Inc. (TOY.N) on Monday posted a third-quarter loss of $65 million as the company's investment in its Internet operations continued to hurt results.
The Paramus, N.J.-based company said its net loss for the quarter, ended Oct. 28, amounted to 32 cents per share, versus a year-earlier profit of 6 cents a share, or $15 million.
Wall Street analysts on average had expected the retailer to report a loss of 33 cents a share, according to research firm First Call/Thomson Financial.
Sales for the third quarter fell to $2.2 billion from $2.5 billion a year ago. The company said U.S. same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least one year, fell 1 percent, while international same-store sales rose 2 percent.
Toys R Us said it expects to meet or slightly exceed analysts' consensus earnings estimates for the fourth quarter and for fiscal 2001. Shares of Toys R Us closed at $16-7/16 on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. Reut08:39 11-13-00
OT: November 8, 2000 Pets.com Plans to Close
By REED ABELSON
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ot even its popular Sock Puppet, the toy dog that starred in its television commercials, could save Pets .com.
In the latest example of the difficulties facing Internet retailers, Pets.com announced yesterday that it was closing down its operations. The company, which sells pet food and other supplies over the Internet, was losing money and found itself unable to raise more cash or to find a buyer.
Pets.com, which is based in San Francisco, said it was laying off about 255 of its 320 employees and would be selling most of its assets, including rights to the puppet. The company will be shutting down its Web site tomorrow.
Pets.com is now added to the list of Internet companies forced to shut down because they cannot raise more cash. MotherNature.com, an Internet vitamin retailer in Concord, Mass., also announced yesterday that it was dissolving its operations. The company said the business could not be financed as a going concern.
While many retailing dot-coms went public without being profitable, they assumed that they would have enough money to give them time to become profitable, said Faye Landes, who covers the sector for Sanford C. Bernstein. The problem is that they have not yet made enough money to finance their operations. "Once they stopped burning their cash, they discovered that they needed more cash," she said.
Pets.com's cummulative losses, for example, total $147 million through the end of September. While the company had not run out of cash, it anticipated needing more capital early next year.
Neither public shareholders nor venture capitalists are, however, willing to hand out more money. "The online retail space is the last place investors want to be today," said Ken Cassar, a senior analyst for Jupiter Research in New York.
In the case of Pets.com, the company said its investment banker, Merrill Lynch, had contacted more than 50 prospects but had found no willing investors or buyers. The company said that fewer than eight of the parties would even visit the company.
The company's chairman and chief executive, Jule Wainwright, was not available for comment, but in a statement released by the company, she said: "It is well known that this is a very, very difficult environment for business-to-consumer Internet companies. With no better offers and avenues effectively exhausted, we felt that the best option was an orderly wind-down with the objective to try to return something back to the shareholders."
Since going public in February at $11 a share, Pets.com's stock has been a dismal performer. While it rose to a record of $14 during its first few days of trading, the stock has been selling for about $1 or less in recent months. It closed yesterday at 22 cents.
Among the company's investors is Amazon.com, the large Internet retailer. The company owned about 30 percent of Pets.com at the end of October, according to an Amazon spokeswoman.
While Pets.com had been able to attract nearly 570,000 customers, it was faced with the same challenge being experienced by many online retailers: how to make money selling over the Internet, given the high costs of shipping.
The company's assets include inventory, its Web address and its Sock Puppet brand. Pets.com had invested heavily in its brand, putting a commercial on during the Super Bowl. "They bought the highest-profile advertising money can buy," Mr. Cassar said.
The puppet made the rounds of morning talk shows and even appeared as a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.
And the company learned another lesson, according to Ms. Landes. While Pets.com enjoyed brand recognition, not enough people were buying to make the business a success.
"Brand recognition is not the same thing as purchase intent," Ms. Landes said.
The year of the technological ones?
From last month of March, the movements of the market have been difficult to predict dice their constant ups and downs. In the last sessions it is commented that the current weakness of the Nasdaq offers interesting purchase opportunities, but can we say that he/she has already played floor or will it continue lowering? Has something changed regarding the first part of the year?
The noted web Smartmoney of the group WallStreet Journal, presents the reflection of some of the most reputed gurús in the North American bag that bet for the purchases after the severe falls of the last months. Next a summary of the comments of the mentioned analysts is shown.
Ed Kerschner of PaineWebber says that we live the best purchase moment from October of 1998 and that the investors should be guided by the fundamental ones and to leave aside other methods, identifying through this analysis the convenient level to enter in certain values. In accordance with their model, some technological companies exist whose current valuation is very attractive to buy, among those that it highlights: América Online, Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Lucent Technologies, Microsoft, Motorola, Nextel Communications, Nortel Networks, Oracle and WorldCom.
Thomas Galvin of Credit Suisse First Boston points out that they are carrying out operations 13% below its prices objective for the year 2001. Galvin is not convinced that the market has played floor, for what recommends caution in next months, although it doesn't consider that the bear tendency will stay long term. In this sense, he/she speaks of defensive positions without stopping for it the opportunities that you/they offer some values in moments wonderful salesperson to take advantage.
Byron Wien of Morgan Stanley, after an entire year of pessimistic analysis, believes that the market is about to be given the turn", beginning the desired recovery. Wein recommends to invest in technology, in particular in those more punished sectors (Abby Joseph Cohen of Goldman Sachs, considers that the market is undervalued in, approximately, 11%), also highlighting the financial services, something in what coincides with Elaine Garzarelli of Capital Garzarelli.
Ralph Acampora of Prudential Securities considers that the Nasdaq will continue moving between the 3026 and the 3535 next months, however Acampora believes that the rising rally won't take in arriving, locating it after the North American elections.
Ed Yardeni of Deutsche Bank Alex Brown directs its fundamental analysis to study tendencies of the technological and comely sector clearly for the New Economy of which says that it is very alive, in spite of the tumult of the market". however, he/she says, not even the companies better directed they can be successful always. The best option that has the current investor is to look for those products and services that have bigger demand that Yardeni stops they are the semiconductors, systems of storage data, systems of optic fiber, etc. and that in its opinion they will direct the market next years.
--------------------------
¿El año de las tecnológicas?
Desde el pasado mes de marzo, los movimientos del mercado han resultado difíciles de predecir dados sus constantes altibajos. En las últimas sesiones se comenta que la actual debilidad del Nasdaq ofrece interesantes oportunidades de compra, pero ¿podemos decir que ya ha tocado suelo o seguirá bajando? ¿Ha cambiado algo respecto de la primera parte del año?
La prestigiosa web Smartmoney del grupo WallStreet Journal, presenta la reflexión de algunos de los más reputados gurús de la bolsa norteamericana, que apuestan por las compras tras las severas caídas de los últimos meses. A continuación se muestra un resumen de los comentarios de los citados analistas.
Ed Kerschner de PaineWebber opina que vivimos el mejor momento de compra desde octubre de 1998 y que los inversores deberían guiarse por los fundamentales y dejar de lado otros métodos, identificando a través de dicho análisis el nivel conveniente para entrar en determinados valores. De acuerdo con su modelo, existen algunas empresas tecnológicas cuya valoración actual resulta muy atractiva para comprar, entre los que destaca: America Online , Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Lucent Technologies, Microsoft, Motorola , Nextel Communications, Nortel Networks , Oracle y WorldCom.
Thomas Galvin de Credit Suisse First Boston señala que ellos están realizando operaciones un 13% por debajo de sus precios objetivo para el año 2001. Galvin no está convencido de que el mercado haya tocado suelo, por lo que recomienda cautela en los próximos meses, aunque no considera que la tendencia bajista se vaya a mantener a largo plazo. En este sentido, habla de posiciones defensivas sin dejar por ello de aprovechar las oportunidades que ofrecen algunos valores en momentos de pánico vendedor.
Byron Wien de Morgan Stanley, después de todo un año de análisis pesimista, cree que el mercado está a punto de "darse la vuelta", iniciando la ansiada recuperación. Wein recomienda invertir en tecnología, en particular en aquellos sectores más castigados (Abby Joseph Cohen de Goldman Sachs, considera que el mercado está infravalorado en, aproximadamente, un 11%), destacando también los servicios financieros, algo en lo que coincide con Elaine Garzarelli de Garzarelli Capital.
Ralph Acampora de Prudential Securities considera que el Nasdaq continuará moviéndose entre los 3026 y los 3535 los próximos meses, sin embargo Acampora cree que el rally alcista no tardará en llegar, situándolo después de las elecciones norteamericanas.
Ed Yardeni de Deutsche Bank Alex Brown dirige su análisis fundamental a estudiar tendencias del sector tecnológico y apuesta claramente por la Nueva Economía de la que dice que "está muy viva, a pesar del tumulto del mercado". Sin embargo, dice, ni siquiera las compañías mejor dirigidas pueden tener éxito siempre. La mejor opción que tiene el inversor actual es buscar aquellos productos y servicios que tienen mayor demanda, que para Yardeni son los semiconductores, sistemas de datos de almacenamiento, sistemas de fibra óptica, etc. y que en su opinión dirigirán el mercado los próximos años.
FEATURE-Goofs of Christmas past haunt e-tailers
By Sarah Rose
NEW YORK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Internet toy stores played the Grinch last Christmas when holiday tidings included empty stockings and broken promises as orders went unfilled, packages came late and Web sites crashed.
This year, Internet retailers hope to put behind them the disastrous 1999 season, when one out of 20 children failed to get presents in time for Christmas from Toys R Us Inc. <TOY.N>, the nation's largest toy retailing chain.
"There is no doubt we dropped the ball," said Toysrus.com chief executive John Barbour. The Toys R Us site buckled under the volume of holiday traffic, and it was forced to send $100 gift certificates with apologies to disappointed consumers.
Industry surveys show that online consumers are reluctant to return to sites where they have had a bad experience. Consumers, investors and company executives are all wondering if disgruntled customers will shy away from this holiday's Internet marketplace. "Our consumer research says they won't," Barbour said.
Toysrus.com was not alone in flubbing the fiercely contested race to gain market leadership last year, when sales doubled from the previous year.
Since last season, two players have emerged as dominant in the $820 million online toy market: eToys <ETYS.O>, and joint Web site partners Amazon.com Inc. <AMZN.O> and Toyrus.com. Each retailer is hoping to repair the failures of 1999. EMBATTLED LEADER
"I'm glad the arms race is over," said Chief Executive Toby Lenk of eToys, the No. 1 Internet toy seller. "It tarnished all of us."
Santa Monica, Calif.-based eToys also suffered in the flurry of bad press surrounding last year's holiday season. Thousands of orders were mishandled and not delivered by Christmas.
EToys blamed its subcontractor, Fingerhut, a unit of Federated Department Stores Inc. <FD.N>, which looked after some of its shipping, warehousing and order filling.
Industry analysts expect the company to capture $300 million in online toy sales this year. EToys is trying to meet the demand with a new fully automated in-house distribution center in Danville, Va., in addition to its existing warehouse in the West.
Customers will be served by the nearest location to decrease the number of packages sent to each customer. Last year, multiple-item orders often were sent separately. "We're shipping complete," Lenk said.
Under Wall Street pressure to turn a profit, the company hopes the new distribution system will help bring it into the black by cutting down on shipping costs.
Without a strong holiday season, eToys may have a hard time raising the cash it needs to keep going. Melissa Williams, analyst with investment banking firm Gerard Klauer Mattison & Co., said the company will need new financing by mid-2001. PARTNER WITH AMAZON
Amazon.com and Toysrus.com announced their joint partnership in August, combining their toy retailing Web sites in a bid to resolve last year's problems.
"It doubles the upside," said Harrison Miller, general manager of Amazon.com toys.
Seattle-based Amazon.com got into the toy market on the eve of last year's holiday season only to discover that toy inventories were unlike its familiar terrain of books.
While books are made in the U.S. and can be ordered on short notice, then returned to the publisher if unsold, toys are typically produced in Asia and must be ordered months in advance. The company ran out of many popular items long before the holiday season was in full swing.
Toysrus.com, though backed by the 40 years experience of its parent, Paramus, N.J.-based Toys R Us, badly bungled the operational side of creating a Web site able to handle large traffic and shipping orders.
Yet Toysrus.com had the advantage of not needing to spend money on advertising, unlike almost all of its Internet rivals. With such an identifiable "bricks and mortar" brand, the company could focus on the costs of doing business, rather than on drumming it up.
Together, Amazon.com and Toysrus.com complement each other, analysts said.
"The two can leverage off the other's customer bases and relative market strengths," said Williams.
The marriage comes with it's peculiarities, however. Because of Internet tax guidelines, a customer can't return a product bought on the Web to a bricks-and-mortar store.
((New York Newsdesk +212 859-1700))
REUTERS
Rtr 11:21 11-03-00
eToys Expands
Friday November 3, 8:30 am Eastern Time
Press Release
Its Scope With New Party and Hobby Stores and Enhanced Merchandising Features
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 3, 2000--eToys Inc. (Nasdaq:ETYS - news) today extended its position as the Internet's leading site for kids-oriented commerce, content and services with the launch of its new Party and Hobby stores and the introduction of new merchandising features designed to enhance the site's overall customer experience.
(Note: eToys President and Chief Executive Officer Toby Lenk will host a conference call and online Web site tour for analysts and news media today at 11 a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST. The dial-in number for the call is 913/981-4900 and the participant code is 796519).
The moves continue the evolution of eToys.com as the premier year-round, online destination for children's needs. The new stores and new features are highlighted on eToys' Welcome Page, a convenient jump-off point to the full range of the company's offerings. It offers a directory of eToys' major shopping areas (Toys; Books; Video Games; Software; DVD, Music & Videos; Hobbies; and Party) and easy navigation to the company's BabyCenter and new ParentCenter sites (www.babycenter.com and www.parentcenter.com). For the holiday season, eToys' new merchandising features receive prominent play.
In launching its new Party and Hobby Stores, eToys is fulfilling its strategic intent to offer the broadest range of kids' goods and to enhance its shopping experience with value-added editorial content and personalized features.
The Party Store is a one-stop shop for birthday, holiday and other kids-oriented parties. Party planners can choose from more than 80 party themes, create and customize E-Invitations, and get ideas for activities, games and food. The Party Store allows eToys for the first time to tap into the $5 billion kids party goods segment, a fast growing and non-seasonal addition to the company's product lines.
The Hobby Store is stocked with thousands of hobby products including trains, planes, automobiles and rockets. Hobby enthusiasts comprise a $4 billion market in the U.S. and eToys' Hobby Store is designed to make shopping for hobby products easy. Products are arranged by categories and skill level, and the store makes use of an extensive FAQ (frequently asked questions) section to help customers make better informed purchase decisions.
``Our mission is to offer all things for kids, all year long,'' said Toby Lenk, president and chief executive officer of eToys. ``And the launch of our new commerce channels and Web site features are meaningful developments in our pursuit of that mission. As we enter our peak season in 2000, I believe eToys.com has never looked better, has never been so well organized and has never offered consumers a better overall experience than it does today.''
The company unveiled several new merchandising features in time for the holiday shopping season.
Uniquely eToys
Uniquely eToys is a lineup of more than 600 products proprietary to eToys. Products range from kid-friendly room decor, innovative storage ideas, one-of-a-kind toys, and arts and crafts items. Parents can shop by themes like Think Pink, Vroom Room, Sports Buff and Jungle Jubilee.
Holiday Hot List
Designed to make holiday shopping even faster and more convenient, the Holiday Hot List can be found by clicking on ``Holiday Hot List'' on the www.eToys.com main Web page. The Hot List is a collection of more than 300 of the most popular holiday gifts in one place. From scooters to electronic dogs, all of the season's hot toys can be quickly found on the Holiday Hot List page.
The Big Gift
This unique place can be found by clicking on ``The Big Gift'' on the www.eToys.com main Web page. The Big Gift helps customers easily find the extra special gift for the children in their life. The Big Gift is also the showcase for eToys' new interactive product demonstrations, allowing customers to view products from all angles and zoom in for better looks. The Big Gift features more than 250 gifts with average prices of about $100 each. Examples of products include the $599 Mead computerized telescope and the $149 Madeline dollhouse.
Teen
eToys' new Teen page is an extension of eToys popular Shop by Age feature. Designed for parents and teens, this area collects all the products in which teens and pre-teens are interested. Lava lamps, fashion accessories and teen music are just a few of the hundreds of products available.
About eToys.com
Based in Los Angeles, eToys Inc. (www.eToys.com; www.eToys.co.uk; AOL Keyword eToys) is the premier Internet retailer for children's products with an extensive selection of both nationally advertised and specialty toys, software, books, videos, music, video games, hobby products, party goods and baby oriented products. By combining this extensive selection with helpful and fun ideas and award-winning customer service, eToys offers consumers a unique one-stop source for children's products. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, BabyCenter, Inc. (www.babycenter.com; www.babycentre.co.uk; www.parentcenter.com), eToys offers Webby award winning content and community, as well as an extensive selection of merchandise for new and expectant parents.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this document that are forward-looking involve risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the company's expectation of operating losses and negative cash flow for the foreseeable future. Other risks are set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000, under the heading ``Business -- Additional Factors That May Affect Results,'' in the company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2000, and in the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
eToys Inc.
Gary Gerdemann, 310/998-6823 (Media)
ggerd@etoys.com
Clem Teng, 310/998-6312 (Investors)
cteng@etoys.com
Email this story - Most-emaile
ShiftyHenry...Well come,. on boar...EOM
Retailers to battle in cyberspace
By The Associated Press
Last Update: 12:34 PM ET Nov 2, 2000
Newswatch
Latest Headlines
NEW YORK (AP) -- When it comes to e-commerce, traditional discounters are no longer waiting in the wings.
After several failed makeover attempts, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT: news, msgs) , the world's largest retailer, is making a big play to be as much of a powerhouse online as it is offline, reopening its newly renovated site Tuesday.
__ A projected 51 percent of all American households are expected to be online this year, up from last year's 45 percent.
Jupiter Communications
Meanwhile, Target Corp. (TGT: news, msgs) unveiled its own redesigned site last Friday, boasting better graphics and an improved search engine. And Kmart Corp. (KM: news, msgs) this week officially flashed its Bluelight.com site, after quietly launching it in June.
With an increasing number of mainstream consumers becoming Web savvy -- a projected 51 percent of all American households are expected to be online this year, up from last year's 45 percent, according to New York-based Jupiter Communications -- these discount behemoths aim to seize a larger share of the e-commerce pie.
Their big push for online shoppers comes as e-tailing veterans like Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN: news, msgs) and EToys Inc. (ETYS: news, msgs) have been pounded by investors, while a slew of other online operations have shut their doors.
Slow online traffic
But these traditional discounters have much catching up to do. Despite its stock trading 68 percent off its 52-week-high, Amazon.com has dominated customer traffic on the Web, attracting 14.3 million people to its site just in September, according to Jupiter's Media Metrix.
The other three discounters are far down on the list. That same month, Kmart's Bluelight.com measured 2 million customers, while Target.com attracted 1.5 million and Walmart.com drew 1.4 million.
But Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target officials say they aren't worried, counting on their household brand appeal to win over customers online.
Take, for example, Karen Bakos, a 38-year-old Manhattan resident, who is a loyal Amazon shopper, but is open to shopping online at Kmart and the like because of its reputation for affordable pricing.
"If the sites are easy to use, then I would definitely use them," she said. "I just had a baby, and it's hard to get out. I would buy toys and clothing."
__ "I was able to shop for something as obscure as an air mattress. There were three to choose from. It was efficient."
Sharon Allen,online shopper
Sharon Allen, 32, also from Manhattan, never shops online, but used Bluelight.com to do her research to buy an air mattress, which she then purchased at a nearby Kmart. That opportunity is something that Amazon and its other pure e-tailers cannot offer.
"I was able to shop for something as obscure as an air mattress," she said. "There were three to choose from. It was efficient."
Unified business
These discounters make it clear that they see their online and offline businesses as unified, using the stores to advertise the sites through circulars and signage. All three boast that customers can even return unwanted merchandise to their local store, a service that not many e-tailers offer. The Troy, Mich.-based Kmart is in the midst of rolling out Web kiosks in 1,600 out of its 2,000 stores by Thanksgiving, according to Mark Goldstein, chief executive officer of Bluelight.com.
To help expand Internet access to more of their customers, all three are distributing Internet software in their stores. In fact, Bluelight.com has so far signed up nearly 5 million subscribers to its free Internet service, Goldstein said. The company is even offering $450 PCs under its Bluelight label.
Still, each discounter is trying to carve out its own niche. For example, the Minneapolis-based Target says it doesn't want to be caught dead in promotional wars, so it isn't carrying books or CDs.
Instead, Target is limiting its online offerings to 15,000, with a focus on trendy and profitable items like Phillips toasters and Michael Graves house wares, according to Jerry Storch, president, financial services and new businesses.
Kmart is a hybrid of both, mixing such basic products as baby strollers with image-brand items like Martha Stewart sheets. Bluelight.com is now selling 300,000 items, up from 50,000 in June, Goldstein said.
__ "We want to revolutionize e-commerce on the Web."
Jim Breyer,Accel Partners
Then there's the Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart, whose 4-year-old e-commerce venture has been rather rocky.
"We want to revolutionize e-commerce on the Web," said Jim Breyer, managing director at Palo Alto, Calif.-based Accel Partners, which joined with Wal-Mart Stores in January to form Walmart.com, moving its offices to Menlo Park, Calif.
The latest makeover is being spearheaded by Jeanne Jackson, chief executive officer of Walmart.com, who came on board in March.
"It's just a refreshening. We are trying to clean it up," said Jackson. She added that the closing of the site was necessary to shift to speedier technology.
The makeover includes revamping the search engine to make it easier to find any one of 500,000 items, adding sharper graphics, and scrapping a lot of the "impulse" products that are under $5, like 99-cent Bic pens and Windex.
Instead, Wal-Mart has expanded such categories as toys, electronic gadgets, and other gift items.
But Breyer cautioned that Walmart.com's dramatic change in fortunes isn't going to happen overnight. "We are looking at this as a five-to-ten-year process," he said
www.eToys.com Media Advisory
Thursday, November 2, 2000 09:05 AM Mail this article to a friend
http://www.quicken.com/investments/news/story/bw/?story=/news/stories/bw/20001102/a0203.htm&symbol=ETYS
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 2, 2000--eToys Inc. (Nasdaq:ETYS, news, msgs) President and Chief Executive Officer Toby Lenk will host an analyst conference call and Web site tour to demonstrate eToys' new Party and Hobby stores, a redesigned Welcome page at www.etoys.com and a number of new and innovative merchandising features for the holidays.
Note: The demonstration will require you to be connected to the eToys Internet Web site.
WHEN: Friday, Nov. 3, 2000
2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. EST
11:00 p.m. - 11:45 p.m. PST
HOW: Call-in number 913/981-4900
Confirmation No. 796519
RSVP: Media to Katrina Peters, kpeters@etoys.com, 310/998-6910
Analysts to Kathleen Gordon, kgordon@etoys.com
CONTACT: eToys Inc.
Katrina Peters, 310/998-6910
Quote for referenced ticker symbols: ETYS
© 2000, Business Wire
EToys seen leading Holiday sales
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2000 5:58:00 PM EST
NEW YORK, Nov 1 (Reuters) - In the fiercely contested race to be the leading online toy store this holiday season, eToys Inc. ETYS is emerging an early winner, an industry expert said Wednesday......(more)
http://www2.marketwatch.com/quotes/articles.asp?symb=ETYS&sid=148232&source=htx/http2_mw&view=detailed&guid=%7B8315E3DE%2D0ABD%2D4859%2D92CF%2DFDDF202FF589%7D
Etoys jumps on Q2 report; Cisco Systems, Intel edge up
By Tomi Kilgore, CBS.MarketWatch.com
Last Update: 8:07 AM ET Oct 31, 2000
Newswatch
Latest Headlines
NEW YORK (CBS.MW) - Shares of Alacatel rallied in pre-market trading Tuesday after the company exceeded third-quarter profit estimates and raised its revenue forecasts going forward.
The France-based telecom equipment maker's stock (ALA: news, msgs) jumped $5.87, or 10 percent, to $63 in Instinet. The company said net income for the period was 297 million euros ($249.5 million), compared with 83 million euros ($69.7 million) in the year-earlier period, and analyst expectations of a 260 million euro ($218.4 million) profit. See full story.
Separately, the company's optics business said sales should be closer to 7 billion euros ($5.88 billion) than the 6.5 billion euro ($5.46 billion) forecast. Alacatel's stock has been under pressure, along with the rest of the fiber-optics sector, after disappointing fiber-optic sales numbers from Nortel Networks (NT: news, msgs) last week. Nortel added $1.25 to $41.25 in Instinet.
Among others in the fiber-optic space, JDS Uniphase (JDSU: news, msgs) rose $1.56 to $72.88 in Instinet.
Etoys (ETYS: news, msgs) climbed 63 cents, or 17 percent, to $4.38 over the Island ECN. The online toy retailer reported late Monday that it lost 33 cents a share in its fiscal second quarter, compared with a per-share loss of 27 cents recorded in the year-earlier period. Analysts polled by First Call expected a loss of 35 cents a share. Revenue rose 95 percent, to $26 million. See full story.
The company expects its third quarter to be the first quarter to show a decreased year-over-year loss. Sales are expected to be between $210 million and $240 million.
Cisco Systems (CSCO: news, msgs) edged up 19 cents $48.25 in Instinet. The stock fell 5.2 percent on Tuesday after Lehman Bros. analyst Tim Luke cut his price target on the stock to $60-$65 from $90, saying uncertainty over capital expenditure spending "may continue to suppress its multiple."
Among other stocks seeing activity, Intel (INTC: news, msgs) tacked on 25 cents to $45.25 in Instinet.
Stock futures posted gains in the early going, indicating a positive open to U.S. share markets. December S&P futures (WP=Z0: news, msgs) added 2.90 to 1,414.10. That was about 4 1/2-points above fair value, according to figures provided by HL Camp & Company. Nasdaq 100 futures (AH=Z0: news, msgs) advanced 49.50 to 3,157.00.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tomi
eToys in the word
Symbol Name Exchange Last Trade Change Volume More Info
ETYS ETOYS INC NasdaqNM Oct 30 $3.75 -0.09375 -2.44% 1,828,400 Chart
ETYS.BE ETOYS Berlin 8:37AM 4.60 0.00 0.00% 0 Chart
ETYS.D ETOYS Düsseldorf 11:04AM 4.50 -0.20 -4.26% 0 Chart
ETYS.F ETOYS Frankfurt 11:03AM 5.00 +0.50 +11.11% 1,938 Chart
ETYS.MU ETOYS Munich 8:16AM 5.10 +0.60 +13.33% 330 Chart
ETYS.SG ETOYS Stuttgart 11:02AM 4.95 +0.20 +4.17% 793 Chart
ETYS.DE ETOYS Xetra Sep 20 6.51 0.00 0.00% 0 Chart
Pre-Market Trade Reporting
Pre-Market Trade Reporting
Monday October 30
Pre-Market
Last: $3.9844 Pre-Market
Best Bid: N/A Pre-Market
High: $4
Pre-Market
Volume: 22,000 Pre-Market
Best Ask: N/A Pre-Market
Low: $3.9375
Pre-Market
Time (ET) Pre-Market
Price Pre-Market
Share Volume
09.25 $ 3.9844 300
09.25 $ 3.9844 1600
09.25 $ 3.9688 5000
09.25 $ 3.9844 400
09.25 $ 3.9844 200
09.23 $ 3.9375 1500
09.23 $ 3.9375 1000
09.21 $ 3.9375 2500
09.21 $ 3.9375 2500
09.20 $ 3.9375 500
09.19 $ 3.9375 1500
09.19 $ 3.9688 2000
09.15 $ 4 2000
09.10 $ 3.9844 100
09.10 $ 3.9844 500
08.46 $ 3.9375 300
08.01 $ 4 100
The company also projected third quarter net sales between $210 million and $240 million, a gross margin between 22 percent and 24 percent and operating losses between 22 percent and 28 percent of revenue, excluding non-cash charges.
After Hours Trade Reporting
Monday October 30 After Hours Most Active
After Hours
Last: $3.9062 After Hours
Best Bid: $3.8125 After Hours
High: $4
After Hours
Volume: 161,900 After Hours
Best Ask: $3.9063 After Hours
Low: $3.75
After Hours
Time (ET) After Hours
Price After Hours
Share Volume
16.14 $ 3.9062 400
16.13 $ 3.9062 100
16.11 $ 3.875 1600
16.11 $ 3.9375 200
16.11 $ 3.9375 400
16.11 $ 3.9375 400
16.11 $ 3.9375 400
16.11 $ 3.9375 100
16.11 $ 3.9375 100
16.10 $ 3.9375 1000
16.09 $ 4 600
16.09 $ 3.9375 1000
16.09 $ 3.9375 1000
16.09 $ 3.9375 1000
16.09 $ 4 400
16.09 $ 4 100
16.09 $ 4 200
16.09 $ 4 700
16.09 $ 4 300
16.09 $ 4 700
16.09 $ 4 700
16.08 $ 4 300
16.08 $ 4 1000
16.08 $ 4 200
16.08 $ 4 500
16.08 $ 4 300
16.08 $ 4 500
16.08 $ 4 500
16.08 $ 3.75 2500
16.07 $ 4 1000
16.07 $ 3.75 1400
16.07 $ 3.75 900
16.07 $ 3.75 25000
16.06 $ 4 1000
16.06 $ 4 1000
16.06 $ 4 500
16.05 $ 3.75 900
16.05 $ 3.75 700
16.05 $ 4 500
16.05 $ 4 500
16.05 $ 4 500
16.05 $ 4 1000
16.05 $ 4 1000
16.05 $ 4 500
16.05 $ 4 1000
16.05 $ 4 7000
16.05 $ 4 1000
16.05 $ 4 1000
16.05 $ 4 1000
16.05 $ 3.9688 2000
Next
Investors may trade in the Pre-Market (8:00-9:30 a.m. ET) and the After Hours Market (4:00-6:30 p.m. ET).
Participation by Market Makers and ECNs is strictly voluntary and as a result may
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sock
waited something better, but we cannot complain
GGGOOOOO ETTTOOOYYYSSSSSSSS¡¡¡¡¡
TABLE - eTOYS <ETYS.O> Q2 results
LOS ANGELES, Oct 30 (Reuters) -
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Quarter Ended Six Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2000 1999 2000 1999
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
(Unaudited)(Unaudited)(Unaudited)(Unaudited)
Net sales $ 25,976 $ 13,306 $ 50,838 $ 21,281
Cost of sales 20,134 10,752 39,549 17,209
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Gross profit 5,842 2,554 11,289 4,072
Operating expenses:
Marketing and sales 25,604 20,012 55,207 31,585
Web site and technology 14,017 12,188 26,543 17,023
General and
administrative 6,594 4,298 14,094 7,254
Goodwill amortization 8,545 9,546 17,035 9,626
Deferred compensation
amortization 3,108 3,314 6,217 7,096
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total operating
expenses 57,868 49,358 119,096 72,584
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Operating loss (52,026) (46,804) (107,807) (68,512)
Interest income
(expense), net (1,386) 1,860 (2,562) 2,786
Provision for
taxes - - - (1)
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Net loss (53,412) (44,944) (110,369) (65,727)
Accretion of
discount and
dividends on
preferred stock (6,589) - (9,095) -
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Net loss applicable
to common
shareholders $(60,001) $ (44,944) $(119,464) $ (65,727)
========= ========== ========== ==========
Basic and diluted
net loss per
common share $ (0.48) $ (0.38) $ (0.97) $ (0.60)
========= ========== ========== ==========
Net loss,
excluding deferred
compensation
and goodwill
amortization costs
and accretion of
discount and
dividends on
preferred
stock $(41,759) $ (32,084) $ (87,117) $ (49,005)
========= ========== ========== ==========
Basic and diluted
net loss per
common share,
excluding deferred
compensation and
goodwill
amortization
costs and accretion
of discount and
dividends
on preferred stock $ (0.33) $ (0.27) $ (0.71) $ (0.45)
========= ========== ========== ==========
Shares used in
computation of basic
and diluted net loss
per common share 125,249 119,374 123,401 108,784
========= ========== ========== ==========
REUTERS
ljoeo.. looks pretty good doens't it?..eom
eTOYS Reports
FREE Complaint SiteRelated Quotes
ETYS
3 25/32
-1/16
delayed 20 mins - disclaimer
Monday October 30, 4:03 pm Eastern Time
Press Release
eTOYS Reports Continued Gains in Fiscal Second Quarter
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 30, 2000--eToys Inc. (NASDAQ: ETYS - news):
Sales Nearly Double to $26 Million
Gross Margin Hits Record 22.5%
Customer Count Reaches 2.4 Million
$61 Order Size Sets Non-Seasonal Record
eToys Inc. (NASDAQ:ETYS - news) today announced financial results for the fiscal second quarter ended Sept. 30, 2000. Net sales for the quarter were $26.0 million, a 95 percent increase over net sales of $13.3 million in the same period a year ago.
Gross margin grew to a record 22.5 percent in the second quarter, up from 21.9 percent in the previous quarter and the third consecutive quarterly increase. Gross profit dollars for the quarter totaled $5.8 million, a 129 percent increase over the same period a year ago. Driving the margin gain was a continuing shift toward higher margin specialty products, including products and advertising sold by the company's BabyCenter unit.
Excluding non-cash charges for deferred compensation and goodwill amortization and non-cash charges attributable to preferred stock, eToys reported a loss for the fiscal quarter of $41.8 million, or $0.33 per share, compared with $32.1 million or $0.27 per share, a year ago. The quarterly loss was $0.02 better than the analysts' consensus of $0.35 per share as reported by First Call. Reported net loss for the quarter was $60.0 million or $0.48 per share, compared with $44.9 million or $0.38 per share during the same period a year ago.
eToys said that it expects its quarterly loss to narrow year over year for the first time next quarter and continue narrowing year over year for all subsequent quarters until breakeven in fiscal 2002.
The company added 223,000 new customers in the quarter, bringing total customer accounts to more than 2.4 million. While a sizable amount of new customers were added in the quarter, current customers continued to demonstrate loyalty by accounting for 44 percent of orders. Average order size for the quarter was $61, a record for a non-holiday quarter.
``This was an important quarter for eToys as we completed a large infrastructure expansion, significantly enhanced our technology capabilities and, at the same time, generated solid business results,'' said Toby Lenk, president and CEO. ``Coming into the holiday season, our systems are performing exceedingly well under day-to-day load and stress-testing, and we're seeing consumer enthusiasm build. Overall, we believe we're well prepared and well positioned for a very successful season.''
Customer acquisition cost for the quarter was $26 per customer based on advertising expense of $5.8 million for the quarter. On a rolling 12-month basis, the company's customer acquisition cost was $36, among the most efficient in the Internet retail industry.
Total fixed and variable fulfillment, customer service and credit card costs were $15.8 million for the quarter. On a rolling 12-month basis, these costs are running at 36.1 percent of revenue.
At the end of the quarter eToys had $111.4 million in cash and $61 million of owned inventory on hand. Additionally, the company said it has, as of Oct. 27, 2000, converted approximately 40 percent of its $100 million face value Series D convertible preferred shares issued in June 2000.
``We have completed the capacity build up program for this year and next,'' said Steve Schoch, executive vice president and chief financial officer. ``Capital expenditures on infrastructure will slow dramatically for the remaining quarters of fiscal year 2000 and on to our expected breakeven point in fiscal 2002. At the same time, annual cash requirements for operations will continue to decrease through breakeven in fiscal 2002.''
The company also reiterated the key initiatives it has undertaken in preparation for this holiday season.
Marketing
The company launched a fully integrated holiday marketing program that includes two new television commercials that began airing in late September, a consumer catalog premiering in November, and new or renewed partnerships with the Rosie O'Donnell Show, McDonald's and Cheerios.
Logistics
The company has completed its migration to 100 percent in-house fulfillment with the completion of warehouse/shipping hubs in southern Virginia and southern California. The facilities, totaling more than 1.9 million square feet, are operational and have been fully stress tested for the upcoming holiday season. The company anticipates these facilities will provide enough fulfillment capacity for at least this holiday season and next.
Information Technology
The company upgraded its Web site technology to state-of-the-art Intel IA 64 bit processors and can support up to 1.6 million peak day visits. eToys' ``back-end'' technology infrastructure can support more than one million database transactions daily, has more than five terabytes of storage space and can process up to 200,000 orders per day. The company's inventory and order processing computer systems are based on 10 IBM NUMA-Q clusters running 40 processors, the fastest ORACLE servers available.
Merchandising/New Channels
The company launched www.ParentCenter.com to be a resource for parents as their children grow beyond BabyCenter's prime age range. The new site also provides the company an additional high margin revenue opportunity. Also, eToys launched a Party store, a Hobby store and a line of exclusive private label merchandise.
Expectations Regarding Third Quarter Operating Results
As of October 30, 2000, the company anticipates that its consolidated results of operations for the fiscal third quarter ending December 31, 2000 will include the following:
Net sales between $210 million and $240 million;
Gross margin between 22 percent and 24 percent;
Operating losses between 22 percent and 28 percent of revenue
(excluding non-cash charges for deferred compensation and goodwill amortization and non-cash charges attributable to preferred stock); and
Cash and cash equivalents at Dec. 31, 2000 between $100 million and $120 million.
These are forward-looking statements that are subject to the risks and uncertainties described below under the subheading ``Forward-Looking Statements.'' Actual results may differ materially from the expectations expressed above. The company does not undertake any duty to update these forward-looking statements and does not intend to do so until the next announcement of its quarterly operating results.
About eToys.com
Based in Los Angeles, eToys Inc. (www.eToys.com; www.eToys.co.uk; AOL Keyword eToys) is the premier Internet retailer for children's products with an extensive selection of both nationally advertised and specialty toys, software, books, videos, music, video games, hobby products, party goods and baby oriented-products. By combining this extensive selection, with helpful and fun ideas and award-winning customer service, eToys offers consumers a unique one-stop source for children's products. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, BabyCenter, Inc. (www.babycenter.com; www.babycenter.co.uk, www.parentcenter.com), eToys offers Webby-award winning content and community, as well as an extensive selection of merchandise for new and expectant parents.
Public Access to Analyst Conference Call
eToys will webcast today a management discussion of financial results live beginning at 1:30 p.m. PST (4:30 p.m. EST). The webcast will be available at www.etoys.com by clicking on the ``Earnings Conference Call'' link in the ``Learn More'' box on the bottom of the main page. To listen to the live call, please go to the Web site at least fifteen minutes before the start of the call to register and download any necessary software. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available approximately two hours after the call and will be archived until the end of the year. Reporters without webcast capabilities may contact Gary Gerdemann at eToys, 310-998-6823, for call information.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this document that are forward-looking involve risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the company's expectation of operating losses and negative cash flow for the foreseeable future. There can be no assurance regarding when or if the company will achieve profitability or, if achieved, whether profitability can be sustained or increased on a quarterly or annual basis in the future; whether the company will be able to raise additional capital on favorable terms when required, or at all, or the amount of additional capital that will be required to achieve profitability; or whether the company will be able to achieve its expectations expressed herein regarding revenues, gross margins, pro forma operating loss margins and cash and cash equivalent balance as of and for the quarter ending December 31, 2000. Other risk factors include the company's limited operating history, unpredictability of operating results, seasonality, inventory risk, reliance on key vendors and distributors as well as the competitive marketplace. Other risks are set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000, under the heading ``Business - Additional Factors That May Affect Results,'' in the company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2000 and in the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Note on Financial Presentation
Financial results are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, except shares used in computation of basic and diluted net loss per common share for the six month period ended Sept. 30, 1999. Shares used in computation of basic and diluted net loss per common share is the weighted average number of common shares outstanding. For the six month period ended Sept. 30, 1999, this also includes the pro forma effects of the automatic conversion of the company's Series A, B and C Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock into shares of the company's common stock effective upon the closing of the company's initial public offering as if such conversion occurred on April 1, 1999, or at the date of the original issuance, if later.
-0-
eToys Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Quarter Ended Six Months Ended
September 30, September 30,
2000 1999 2000 1999
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
(Unaudited)(Unaudited)(Unaudited)(Unaudited)
Net sales $ 25,976 $ 13,306 $ 50,838 $ 21,281
Cost of sales 20,134 10,752 39,549 17,209
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Gross profit 5,842 2,554 11,289 4,072
Operating expenses:
Marketing and sales 25,604 20,012 55,207 31,585
Web site and technology 14,017 12,188 26,543 17,023
General and
administrative 6,594 4,298 14,094 7,254
Goodwill amortization 8,545 9,546 17,035 9,626
Deferred compensation
amortization 3,108 3,314 6,217 7,096
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Total operating
expenses 57,868 49,358 119,096 72,584
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Operating loss (52,026) (46,804) (107,807) (68,512)
Interest income
(expense), net (1,386) 1,860 (2,562) 2,786
Provision for
taxes - - - (1)
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Net loss (53,412) (44,944) (110,369) (65,727)
Accretion of
discount and
dividends on
preferred stock (6,589) - (9,095) -
--------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Net loss applicable
to common
shareholders $(60,001) $ (44,944) $(119,464) $ (65,727)
========= ========== ========== ==========
Basic and diluted
net loss per
common share $ (0.48) $ (0.38) $ (0.97) $ (0.60)
========= ========== ========== ==========
Net loss,
excluding deferred
compensation
and goodwill
amortization costs
and accretion of
discount and
dividends on
preferred
stock $(41,759) $ (32,084) $ (87,117) $ (49,005)
========= ========== ========== ==========
Basic and diluted
net loss per
common share,
excluding deferred
compensation and
goodwill
amortization
costs and accretion
of discount and
dividends
on preferred stock $ (0.33) $ (0.27) $ (0.71) $ (0.45)
========= ========== ========== ==========
Shares used in
computation of basic
and diluted net loss
per common share 125,249 119,374 123,401 108,784
========= ========== ========== ==========
-0-
eToys Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share amounts)
September 30, March 31,
2000 2000
----------- ----------
(Unaudited)
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 111,394 $ 139,627
Inventories 102,386 60,309
Prepaids and other current assets 25,529 14,350
----------- ----------
Total current assets 239,309 214,286
Property and equipment, net 123,987 54,488
Goodwill, net of
accumulated amortization 127,434 142,828
Other assets 10,314 13,556
----------- ----------
Total assets $ 501,044 $ 425,158
========== ==========
Liabilities and stockholders' equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 84,410 $ 32,422
Accrued expenses 13,568 10,789
Current portion of long-term
notes payable and capital
lease obligations 10,789 6,090
----------- ----------
Total current liabilities 108,767 49,301
Long-term notes payable
and capital lease obligations 28,421 10,471
Long-term convertible
subordinated notes 150,000 150,000
Series D Redeemable Convertible
Preferred Stock; $.0001 par value,
10,000 shares authorized; 6,900 and
none issued and outstanding at
September 30, 2000 and March 31, 2000,
respectively 52,750 -
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock; $.0001 par value,
600,000,000 shares authorized;
129,192,187 and 121,214,105
issued and outstanding at
September 30, 2000 and March 31,
2000, respectively 13 12
Additional paid-in-capital 528,936 476,529
Receivables from stockholders (740) (1,817)
Deferred compensation (25,914) (37,082)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,272) (1,803)
Accumulated deficit (339,917) (220,453)
----------- ----------
Total stockholders' equity 161,106 215,386
----------- ----------
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 501,
Oct 27,2000
With Labor Market Barren, Employers
Tempt Help With Cars, Cheese Balls
By Yochi J. Dreazen
Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
BLAIRS, Va. -- When eToys Inc. decided to open a new distribution center in this tiny town nestled in the hills of southeast Virginia, the biggest draw wasn't the area's well-maintained highways, proximity to three airports, or tax incentives. It was the sky-high unemployment rate.
EToys hopes the move will help it deal with one of the biggest problems facing the nation's retailers and manufacturers as they gear up for this holiday season: finding enough temporary workers amid the tightest labor market in recent U.S. history. Nationally, the unemployment rate is just 3.9%, the lowest level in nearly three decades. Though the job market was also crunched in late 1999, this year's squeeze is even more severe, forcing everyone from J.C. Penney Inc. to Williams Sonoma Inc. to be more generous -- and creative -- with their referral bonuses, job perks and recruiting tactics such as car raffles and bus fare.
For eToys, the upcoming holiday season has the potential to make or break the company. Although the online toy retailer finished last year's holiday season as the Web's third- most-visited retail site, its stock plummeted in the days after Christmas as skittish investors fretted about customer-service problems that plagued many online retailers. As a result, the company hopes to improve this year's delivery schedule -- a goal that helped spur its decision to build the new East Coast facility in Blairs, Va., where the jobless rate ranges from 5.6% to 9%, making it easier to quintuple the center's work force during the holiday season. "These days, labor is the driving issue," says Ted Augustine, eToys' chief logistics officer.
Though employers have struggled throughout 2000 to recruit and retain workers, the labor shortage is becoming particularly acute now, when companies rely on an army of temporary help such as retirees, college students and stay-at-home parents, to help survive the holiday crush. At Macy's 85 East Coast locations, which boost their in-store sales force by close to 50% during the holiday season, officials now operate recruitment centers in each store where would-be employees can fill out applications and be hired on the spot.
Meanwhile, as early as May, recruiters from catalog-retailer Lands' End began dropping bowls of free cheese balls and chocolate at college fraternity and sorority houses with recruitment signs urging "Come have a ball with us." The company, based in Dodgeville, Wis., whose employee ranks swell to 8,000 from 6,000 during the holiday season with workers taking telephone orders, packing and shipping items -- will provide $20 a day in transportation costs for those traveling to work by bus from the nearby town of Reedsburg. Workers can purchase health and life insurance benefits at a lower cost than last year, and those who refer other employees are entered in a raffle for a new Saturn.
Some employers aren't wasting time with perks and going straight for workers' wallets instead. SubmitOrder, based in Columbus, Ohio, which handles distribution for companies like Kmart subsidiary BlueLight.com, has raised wages for its seasonal workers to between $10 to $11 an hour, up 10% from last year. Workers who stay on from October to December get a $250 bonus. "When I was in college, I earned $1.25 per hour," the company's chief executive, Dennis Spina, says wistfully.
And at Limited Inc., the employee discount for holiday workers has been significantly sweetened. Last year, workers got 30% off items they bought from the store where they worked. This year, a employee working within the Limited empire at say, a Victoria's Secret store, will also receive 20% off at other Limited affiliated stores, such as Bath & Body Works. The retailer also sent letters to anyone who worked for the company during last year's holiday season or summer months offering them extra money if they would come back. "It's just an all-out war for workers," says spokesman Anthony Hebron.
It wasn't always this way. As recently as the mid-90s, many companies were able to find seasonal workers relatively easily, simply hanging up a "Help Wanted" sign and waiting for would-be employees to walk through the front door. But now, the nexus of workers who fill holiday slots have their pick of positions. The unemployment rate for college-age students, for example, was 6.4% in September, down from 7.2% a year earlier, according to the Labor Department. And the jobless rate for elderly Americans, including many who are semiretired, was just 2.8%, only a notch higher than its level a year earlier.
Those types of numbers are what drew eToys to Blairs, a small town just over the state's border with North Carolina. The area job market was once dominated by the textile plants that are still visible from the highway, but many of the plants closed their doors and moved jobs overseas in recent years, laying off tens of thousands of workers. The cutbacks left eToys with a ready pool of labor and unused buildings.
On a recent sunny afternoon, a cacophony of voices echo through the two cavernous buildings as workers race to fill orders and ready packages for shipment. The facility, already packed floor to ceiling with thousands of toys and games for the holidays, looks like something out of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," complete with conveyor belts rushing bins of toys to packing tables and shipping areas.
Currently, the distribution center typically employs about 300 people, ranging from workers manning tables of wrapping paper to security guards charged with ensuring that other employees don't smuggle any X-Men action figures home with them. By December, however, the facility's work force will have swollen to more than 1,500, and eToys will keep the buildings open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to keep up with a flood of preholiday orders
To keep townspeople aware of job openings here, eToys contracts with two local temporary-help agencies, and also runs job fairs in the facility and occasional question-and-answer sessions at area schools. The company also operates an "employee store" that sells slightly damaged toys for as much as 95% off its retail price. Melissa Elliot, a seasonal employee who joined the company after working at a convenience store and as a waitress, found a garden playset for her daughter that was marked down to $4.50 from $69.99. "For $4.50, I got Christmas," she says.
For many seasonal employees such as Ms. Elliot, eToys offers a breath of fresh air after months or years of low-paying jobs. Dianna Crawley was working as a cleaning woman earlier this year when she overheard a co-worker say that eToys was hiring seasonal help at $8 an hour, far more than the $5.50 an hour she, a mother of three, was earning.
Ms. Crawley quit her job about three weeks ago and applied to eToys that same day. The next morning, she received a phone call telling her to be at work by 8 a.m. the following day to start her new job manning a conveyor belt at the plant. "I had spent six months looking for a job that pays as much as I'm making now," she says, smiling. "I had no idea that it could be so easy."
Write to Yochi J. Dreazen at yochi.dreazen@wsj.com
Updated ETYS DD Links:
http://www.sockthestocks.com/profiles/etys.htm
Thursday September 21, 7:00 am Eastern Time
Press Release
Netoy.com Launches 2Animate Web Site
INTERNET WIRE -- Netoy.com Corporation (OTC: NTOY - news) announced the release of its cutting edge 2Animate web site today (www.2animate.com).
Gilbert Serrano, President of Netoy.com said "2Animate is the missing link between the manufacturer and the consumer. Many thousands of products are manufactured and sold to consumers each year that require some assembly by the consumer. The 2Animate product allows the manufacturer to convert existing printed drawings and instructions into animated assembly, service and repair instructions which can be provided to the consumer, either on a CD or via the Internet, quickly and economically. These easy to follow animations which clearly show how a product is assembled, serviced or repaired will enable the manufacturer to provide a better solution to the consumer for these tasks."
Steve Arend, President of Netoy.com's wholly owned subsidiary said "2Animate's mission is to transform the printed instruction industry through the use of technology. By enabling the manufacturer to provide a better solution to the market place we hope to revolutionize how the assembly, servicing and repair of products is accomplished." He said "2Animate believes that it has a head start in becoming the leader in the Animated instruction and instruction services business by being able to deliver the best of market solution to its customers now. After one year of development, 2Animate is positioned to launch the animated instruction revolution."
About Netoy.com
Netoy's core business is providing a full range of recognized and emerging toys and collectibles via the Internet, with an operational philosophy focused on superior customer service, quality merchandise and extensive selection. Netoy.com was recently recognized by BizRate.com as a "Customer Certified Gold Star Merchant"; others earning the award were e-Toys (NASDAQ: ETYS - news) and Smartkids (NASDAQ: SKDS - news). 2Animate, Inc. is a division of Netoy.com.
6:16PM ET - CustomerAssistance.com to Provide eCustomer Care Solutions To Leading Online Retailer - CustomerAssistance.com Selected as Customer Care Provider for eToys - (Comtex)
DEERFIELD, Ill., Sep 12, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- CustomerAssistance.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of APAC Customer Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: APAC), announced today that eToys Inc. (Nasdaq: ETYS), the premier online retailer of children's products, has been signed as a customer. eToys is recognized as one of today's top-tier online commerce companies.
8:47AM ET - CustomerAssistance.com to Provide eCustomer Care Solutions to Leading Online Retailer CustomerAssistance.com selected as customer care provider for eToys (Comtex)
DEERFIELD, Ill., Sep 12, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- CustomerAssistance.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of APAC Customer Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: APAC), announced today that eToys Inc. (Nasdaq: ETYS), the premier online retailer of children's products, has been signed as a customer. eToys is recognized as one of today's top-tier online commerce companies.
6:16PM ET - CustomerAssistance.com to Provide eCustomer Care Solutions To Leading Online Retailer - CustomerAssistance.com Selected as Customer Care Provider for eToys - (Comtex)
DEERFIELD, Ill., Sep 12, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- CustomerAssistance.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of APAC Customer Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: APAC), announced today that eToys Inc. (Nasdaq: ETYS), the premier online retailer of children's products, has been signed as a customer. eToys is recognized as one of today's top-tier online commerce companies.
8:47AM ET - CustomerAssistance.com to Provide eCustomer Care Solutions to Leading Online Retailer CustomerAssistance.com selected as customer care provider for eToys (Comtex)
DEERFIELD, Ill., Sep 12, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- CustomerAssistance.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of APAC Customer Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: APAC), announced today that eToys Inc. (Nasdaq: ETYS), the premier online retailer of children's products, has been signed as a customer. eToys is recognized as one of today's top-tier online commerce companies.
CNBC- POWER LUNCH
ETOYS (ETYS) PRESIDENT, CEO AND FOUNDER TOBY LENK ON THE TOY BUSINESS FROM THE WYNDHAM BEL AGE IN WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
SEPTEMBER 13, 2000
SUMMARY: Lenk says the company is very excited about the upcoming holiday season. Lenk comments on the competitors in the toy retailing space. Lenk says that consumers like to shop online.
Bill: You could sell these at eToys, Toby Lenk the founder and CEO of eToys.
We could, but typically our focus is on children's things.
Bill: You don't want to broaden your horizons?
We like to stay focused on just kids and family.
Bill: Last year there were problems. The high-profile problems are not just for you, but the whole industry. The shortages of products and problems of delivery and so forth. What do you make of this holiday season?
I think that this holiday season is going to be the time for us to shine. For the really good e-tailors to shine and prove their stuff and every holiday we get very excited and we are very excited about this holiday season. I will add there is a lot fewer people out there this holiday season. The other people aren't going to be around this year.
Bill: Fewer, but bigger and more prepared and your pals at Toys "R" Us are teaming up with Amazon.com.
We have increased our capacity by 10x and in house capacity. We have capacity for the next two years and we have a major investment this holiday. We will be good as we were last year.
Bill: Let me bring in some email questions, I forgot to set this up, I can't do it the sun is shining in my eyes there. Two prevailing points from viewers. One says why buy your company's stock when I can buy a stronger retailer like an Amazon.com and who is teamed up with Toys "R" Us. The other says why not buy you? You continue to show growth and the stock has fallen off, but that is systematic of the other e-tailers, not you.
Last year we had upwards of ten competitors in the space. This year there is one competitor out there and that is Toysrsus.com, using Amazon as a third party service provider. Last year with the intense competitive environment, we are at number one, we are almost three times the size of the number the two player, Toys "R" Us. We have the best customer experience, the best content and the best children's selection and the best brand name and we have dominant leadership. In an environment of upwards of ten to one competitors the market leader can only gain or hold share. The other thing is I always expected one competitor to be out there. There is plenty of to go around.
Bill: What about the possibility of hooking up with a bricks and mortar site? I will give you example, I recently bought something from an online retailer, I won't mention who it is. They have a bricks and mortar and online presence. What I did online was I was able to access their warehouse of my local bricks and mortar store, find out if they had it in product and I could choose to either pick it up or they would deliver it to me in the next day. Isn't that where we are going in this business?
It is an interesting question, in our space, Toys "R" Us made a strategy, to buy online and return to stores. Interestingly no longer will you be able to buy at a Toys "R" Us store and return to the store. Some players are repudiating that and going the other way. There are different segments of customers out there and they care about different things. The customer we are looking for wants more selection are more content, more convenience and they don't want to have to return stuff they want it right the first time. That is what we help them do.
Bill: What do you think of the holiday shopping season, even with the Fed raising rates?
In our space, you always buy stuff for the kids. People want to shop online and that is the thing. People who do a good job of servicing that and will have a great opportunity ahead of them.
Bill: Nice to see you, thank you for joining us.
Thank you, Bill.
PC Data Online: Traditional Online Retail Sites Dominate Buying in Slow August
Jcrew.com, etoys.com and oldnavy.com Show Large Gains
RESTON, Va., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazon.com continued to lead all Internet retailers in August with 1.6 million buyers, down from 1.8 million buyers in July, according to a report released today by PC Data Online.
Ticketmaster.com maintained the No. 2 position with 595,000 buyers, and buy.com climbed back to the No. 3 position in the rankings with 466,000 buyers. Cdnow.com jumped four positions to the No. 4 slot from No. 10 with 441,000 buyers.
"Online retail activity lagged in August, as the last days of summer took consumers away from their PCs," said Cameron Meierhoefer, Internet analyst for PC Data Online. "But even with a slight drop in buyers from July, the level of buying activity at top sites doubled over August of last year. If this trend holds, leading web retailers will have something to smile about going into the Holiday season."
Jcrew.com posted the largest gain in August and jumped to the No. 18 spot from No. 47 in July with 128,000 projected buyers. Behind it with a jump of 19 positions was toy retail site etoys.com, which earned the No. 15 position from No. 34 in July.
Oldnavy.com made its first showing in the Top 20 at No. 20 in August with 119,000 buyers.
Staples.com and office.com both advanced in the August rankings. With 140,000 buyers, staples.com landed at the No. 14 position from No. 20 in July, while office.com with 130,000 buyers claimed the No. 17th slot from the No. 27 position in July.
The data for the Top 20 Online Retailers is gathered through a proprietary software tool that tracks "unique visitors" and "unique buyers" on each web site. Each visitor or buyer is counted once, regardless of how many times the individual visits a site or buys from a site. This sample includes over 120,000 home Internet users. Total home Internet users are estimated at approximately 81 million.
PC Data Online defines Internet retail sites as web sites where visitors can actually purchase products. They include neither shopping domains that provide free downloads, product reviews, or purchasing incentives, such as coupons, nor other types of e-commerce sites, such as auction, travel reservation or financial service sites.
Headquartered in Reston, VA, PC Data has been a leading provider of technology intelligence since it was established 1991. Its PC Data Online division is a leading source of web measurement and analysis in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and Italy. It also conducts real-time Internet surveys through its panel of over 120,000 home Internet users.
Wednesday, September 13-Los Angeles-Wyndham Bel Age
1020 North San Vincente Blvd. West Hollywood, California 90069
Phone (310) 854-1111
Musical Guest: John Waite
www.johnwaite.com
We move on to the heart of Southern California. Broadcasting live from the luxurious Wyndham Bel Age, with its stunning panoramic view of Los Angeles,
Bill Griffeth will be joined by an impressive executive line-up. The top names in the diverse L.A. economy include Northrop Grumman Corp. {NOC} chairman and CEO Kent Kresa, Mattel Inc. {MAT} chairman and CEO Robert Eckert, eToys Inc. {ETYS} CEO Toby Lenk, Hilton Hotels Corp.'s {HLT} Stephen Bollenbach and Broadcom Corp. {BRCM} co-chairman and CEO Henry Nicholas.
9/12/00 - CustomerAssistance.com to Provide eCustomer Care Solutions To Leading Online Retailer - CustomerAssistance.com Sel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEERFIELD, Ill., Sep 12, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- CustomerAssistance.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of APAC Customer Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: APAC), announced today that eToys Inc. (Nasdaq: ETYS), the premier online retailer of children's products, has been signed as a customer. eToys is recognized as one of today's top-tier online commerce companies.
CustomerAssistance.com will assist eToys as it seeks to further enhance the on-line shopping experiences of customers. According to Gomez Advisors, eToys was recently ranked #1 in customer confidence, based on the company's ability to "operate a highly reliable Web site, maintain a knowledgeable and accessible customer service organization, and provide quality and security guarantees." Additionally, the September 4 issue of Fortune magazine reported that Resource Marketing, a Columbus, Ohio, company that studies online marketing, gave the eToys web site its top ranking among 50 sites evaluated in providing a positive overall experience for e-shoppers.
The global customer relationship management industry is $200 billion today and expected to grow to $500 billion by 2005, according to a new Lehman Brothers report entitled, "Fulfilling the E-Commerce Dream." And, according to a recent Datamonitor study, the annual growth rate for web-based CRM is predicted to accelerate from 49 percent in 1999 to more than 70 percent by 2001. In today's Internet economy, customer service is a business imperative," said Peter Leger, president and CEO of APAC Customer Services. "Today's e-businesses are looking for partners who can provide complete customer care solutions -- the people, process and technology. CustomerAssistance.com provides just that."
The need for outsourced eCRM services offered by organizations such as CustomerAssistance.com is especially acute in "e-tailing." The Gartner Group's "eTail eService Functionality Study" released last month found that only six percent of virtual retailers currently offer a web site feature which permits an online shopper to ask the virtual retailer to telephone them and have an e-service representative answer their questions. The Gartner Group study also revealed that less than 30 percent of virtual retailer web sites acknowledge to the shopper that their e-mail inquiry was received.
CustomerAssistance.com's eCRM Solution
At the heart of CustomerAssistance.com's solution is e.PAC(SM), a scaleable, multimedia platform that supports a broad range of integrated, Internet-based functions and facilitates interaction between customers and service agents both electronically and on a personal level. e.PAC allows the customer to select their preferred method of interaction such as online chat or email, or request an immediate or scheduled call back from a service agent. To further assist customers, e.PAC allows service agents to share forms, share browser control, provide split screen comparison functionality and even "push" Web pages to a customer for their review. This real-time synchronization of customer and agent screens facilitates clear communication and enhances overall customer satisfaction.
About APAC Customer Services and CustomerAssistance.com
APAC Customer Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: APAC) is a leading provider of comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for Fortune 1000, mid-tier and "dot.com" companies in the financial services, telecommunications, retail, insurance, technology, automotive, travel and health care sectors.
CustomerAssistance.com delivers a full suite of electronic CRM (e-CRM) products and services, including e.PAC(SM), a multimedia platform that supports a broad range of integrated, e-commerce-based customer interaction capabilities. Expanding upon its core competency of CRM solutions, APAC Customer Services recently added solutions integration services to its array of customer care programs. This new business unit -- Aligned Customer Relationship Solutions(SM) (ACRS) -- leverages the company's flexible business model and focuses on aligning with clients to implement customer care solutions specific to their needs.
To help its clients better manage relationships with their customers, APAC Customer Services develops and delivers end-to-end customer care, customer acquisition and Web-enabled CRM programs. Through these offerings, APAC Customer Services offers superior, real-time customer care via the Web and traditional call centers. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, the company employs approximately 18,000 people and has 55 customer interaction centers across the nation. For more information, call 1-800-OUTSOURCE or visit www.apaccustomerservices.com or www.customerassistance.com.
Aligned Customer Relationship Solutions (ACRS) and e.PAC are service marks of APAC Customer Services, Inc.
Forward Looking Statements
This release contains certain statements that describe the Company's assessments of future business conditions and the outlook for the Company based on available information. Whenever possible, the Company has identified these "forward-looking" statements by words such as "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "estimates," and similar phrases. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions the Company believes are reasonable; however, such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by these statements. Readers are encouraged to review the section captioned "Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in the Form 10-K for the year ended January 2, 2000, and the disclosures contained in the Company's 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the quarter ended July 2, 2000 which describe other important factors that may impact the Company's business, results of operations and financial condition.
SOURCE CustomerAssistance.com
CONTACT: media, Alyssa Wright of The Townsend Agency, 858-457-4888,
ext. 141, awright@townsendagency.com; or investor relations, Gary Holter of
APAC Customer Services, Inc., 847-236-5478, gsholter@apacmail.com
URL: http://www.apaccustomerservices.com
http://www.customerassistance.com
http://www.prnewswire.com
(C) 2000 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.
InternetFundmanager.com issued a Company Report on August 25, 2000 for Etoys Inc.
On August 25, 2000 InternetFundmanager.com analyst D Rivas issued a 7 page Company Report on Etoys Inc. Report highlights: 'An ACCUMULATE rating was reiterated.'
Report No.: F0154806
Agilent Technologies Inc. (A)
Raging Bull Msg 5
Yahoo Msg 14
News 7
Motley Fool Msg 2
To view this company's report click here <http://www.company.sleuth.com/index.cfm?ticker=A>.
eToys Inc. (ETYS)
Raging Bull Msg 27
Yahoo Msg 32
TVAlerts 1
To view this company's report click here <http://www.company.sleuth.com/index.cfm?ticker=ETYS>.
Hewlett-Packard Company (HWP)
Raging Bull Msg 7
TVAlerts 3
News 36
Motley Fool Msg 5
To view this company's report click here <http://www.company.sleuth.com/index.cfm?ticker=HWP>.
New Tel Limited (NWLL)
Raging Bull Msg 59
Yahoo Msg 3
To view this company's report click here <http://www.company.sleuth.com/index.cfm?ticker=NWLL>.
Monday September 11, 6:49 pm Eastern Time
Toys R Us sued for alleged privacy violations
WASHINGTON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Online visitors to Toys R Us Inc.'s (NYSE:TOY - news) Web site filed 11 class action lawsuits last month alleging the No. 1 U.S. toy retailing chain tracks online users' activities and shares the data with third parties, according to a Toys R Us regulatory filing on Monday.
The company, which is based in Montvale, N.J., believes it has ``substantial'' defences to the claims and plans a vigorous defence, it said in a quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The suits generally purport to bring claims on behalf of all persons who have visited one or more of the company's Web sites and either made an online purchase or allegedly had information about them unlawfully ``intercepted,'' ``monitored,'' ``transmitted'' or ``used,'' according to the filing.
Six of the 11 suits were filed in New Jersey, and nearly all of them named Coremetrics Inc., an Internet marketing company, as a defendant, as well as Toys R Us affiliates Toysrus.com Inc. and Toysrus.com LLC.
The suits, which were also filed in Texas and California, seek unspecified damages, Toys R us added in its report for the quarter ended July 29.
Toys R Us shares fell 1/16 to $18-11/16 on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday.
OT:Electronic business
Internet, change, technology,
rating of companies
Danger of Web. Under the influence of the histories of success in Internet, many implement their own formulas to triumph". But the reality is more complex of that than it seems and those postulates usually lead to the failure. This note analyzes the false beliefs more diffused on the Web and he/she relates pioneers' experiences in electronic trade.
Turned to the past. Eight tendencies in the technological sand of the sales and the marketing that you/they help to capitalize the big changes that register as for access to the information, demands and the clients' expectations, strategies for the chain of supply and tactical of administration of channels.
How to value to the point com". The specialists of the consultant McKinsey use a focus of discounted box flow--rating method based on the current value of the future flows of revenues--, supported in the micro-economic analysis and in scenarios pondered in function of their occurrence probability, to value to the new generation of companies of Internet.
After Hours Trade Reporting
Monday September 11 After Hours Most Active
After Hours
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Best Bid: $5.8125 After Hours
High: $5.875
After Hours
Volume: 7,900 After Hours
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Low: $5.75
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Time (ET) After Hours
Price After Hours
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18.24 $ 5.875 500
18.24 $ 5.875 500
18.24 $ 5.875 300
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18.09 $ 5.7812 100
18.09 $ 5.7812 100
18.09 $ 5.875 100
18.08 $ 5.875 100
16.13 $ 5.7812 200
16.04 $ 5.8125 500
16.02 $ 5.7812 200
16.01 $ 5.75 5000
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