Toysrus.com and Amazon.com Launch Imaginarium.com

Posted on August 1, 2001

Imaginarium.com, LLC, an affiliate of Toys ``R'' Us, Inc. and the Internet division of toy retailer Imaginarium, and Amazon.com announced that the two companies are launching Imaginarium.com, a co-branded specialty and learning toy store at Amazon.com. The co-branded store follows on the heels of Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com, two other stores jointly operated under the alliance formed last year between Amazon.com and Toysrus.com.

Imaginarium.com uses its Learning Values System that originated in Imaginarium stores, which allows shoppers to search for toys according to specific developmental skills. The site's Toy Finder feature allows shoppers to combine the Learning Values System search with tools that search the store by age, category or brand. Some of the toy brands offered at the online store include Learning Curve, BRIO, Neurosmith, LeapFrog, Baby Einstein and Madame Alexander.

The co-branded Imaginarium.com store will operate under the terms of the 10-year Strategic Alliance Agreement announced in August 2000 by Toysrus.com and Amazon.com. Under the Agreement, Imaginarium.com assumes the merchandising, planning, buying and inventory management of the store's learning and discovery toy products; Amazon.com manages all aspects of the online shopping experience, including website development, order fulfillment and customer service, and will house Imaginarium.com inventory in its U.S. distribution centers.

``Imaginarium.com is designed to help parents find learning toys that are actually fun, and suited to their child's personality and interests,'' said John Barbour, CEO of Toysrus.com. ``With Amazon.com, we built Imaginarium.com to help shoppers find the perfect toy or a special birthday gift. The store will also be a convenient step for parents who already shop our Babiesrus.com store just as their children reach toddler age.''

Each Imaginarium.com item includes product reviews from educators, parents and experts assembled by Amazon.com editors, as well as reviews from other customers. A monthly newsletter, Learning Toys Delivers, which will feature content and product selections specific to the Imaginarium.com store, plus information about local Imaginarium store promotions and events. The store's Resource Center will also include articles, recommendations, ideas and parenting tips. Imaginarium has 42 freestanding stores across the United States. Acquired in July 1999 by Toys ``R'' Us, Inc., Imaginarium is expanding nationally to more than 200 locations in the next few years.