Online Toy Store, Sillyasstoys.com, Ramps Up to Compete with Big Box Retailers This Holiday Season

RICHMOND, VA, October 2005 – Online toy store, Sillyasstoys.com (http://www.sillyasstoys.com), announces its plan to compete for customers with larger retailers, such as Wal-Mart, this holiday season. With consumer spending expected to be low this winter due to the higher costs of gas and home heating fuel, brick-and-mortar and online retailers are bracing for what could be a rough holiday season. Wal-Mart, whose aggressive pricing in 2003 allegedly contributed to the bankruptcy filings of KB Toys and FAO Schwartz, is once again dropping prices for this Christmas buying season.

In this time when many areas of the United States are in distress, independent retailers need to be supported. The small business owner is one of the main foundations of the community, and Wal-Mart's aggressive pricing scheme intends to put financial hardship on these small business owners and, by extension, their communities. In essence, this tactic will undermine the small businessman’s livelihood and will damage the retail community that depends on making a profit during the holiday season. The war for Christmas toy dollars has been declared by Wal-Mart’s announcement. Now online retailer Sillyasstoys.com has entered the battle saying it is happy to compete with the big chains, not on price, but on the quality of customer service and variety of toys and games offered.

Great customer service and responsiveness, once a given in the retail industry, has become a rarity. In an effort to cut costs, large chains have reduced their customer service staffs, forcing shoppers to search for store workers or talk with outsourced customer service representatives who don’t know the products they are selling. “We recognize that many parents and grandparents don’t blindly select toys and games for their children. They often have valid questions and need advice,” says Dave Luebke, president of Sillyasstoys.com. “When you contact us, your call or email isn’t being sent to a detached, customer service rep; you are actually in contact with someone who knows the merchandise being sold.” The toy experts at Sillyasstoys.com not only know the inventory but also have play tested all of the toys. They are able to discuss how the toys work and offer gift-giving advice. “Product knowledge is one area that Wal-Mart cannot compete with us,” states Luebke. “We select the toys, we play with the toys, and we understand the toys. This helps us educate our customers so they can avoid purchasing toys that would be inappropriate for younger children.”

Sillyasstoys.com’s unique and unusual toy product mix is another area that Luebke thinks he can do battle with Wal-Mart. Luebke explains, “Variety is the key here. Sillyasstoys.com customers come to us for toys that they will not find in the bigger national stores. There is little overlap between us and a national chain. If you are only shopping at Wal-Mart or Toys-R-Us, you are missing out on a world of fun, educational, and just plain different toys and games that offer a consistently high play value. That is what we specialize in and what is missing in a Wal-Mart or Toys-R-Us. Sillyasstoys.com is a special place to shop for people who actually care to find something fun that will be remembered for years to come.”


About Sillyasstoys.com
Sillyasstoys.com (http://www.sillyasstoys.com) is dedicated to providing unusual and unique toys and games not found in mainstream stores. They strive to stock only the finest toys that pique children’s interests and excite their imaginations. Founder, Dave Luebke, is also the president of Dave's Comics Inc., a brick-and-mortar comic and toy store located in Richmond, Virginia, which has been going strong for over 23 years.

Contact:
David Luebke
http://www.sillyasstoys.com
Phone: 804-282-1919


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