eToys ‘Discovers’ Educational Toys

Online toy seller eToys (Nasdaq: ETYS) announced today that it has reached an agreement with Discovery Toys, the direct seller of children’s educational and developmental products, to be its exclusive online distributor.

The move extends eToys’ reach into the children’s product market at a time when the company is already experiencing its share of good fortune as a leading e-tailer of toys. Problems with ToysRUs.com have left eToys in a strong position to see significant growth during the 1999 holiday shopping season.

“Our objective of creating the industry’s gold standard shopping experience begins with the largest and most diverse selection of children’s products,” said Jane Saltzman, vice president of merchandising for eToys, Inc. “Our relationship with Discovery Toys, and the addition of their inspiring and imaginative products, significantly strengthens this cornerstone of our business.”

eToys Already Education Friendly

eToys adds Discovery Toys to a Web site that already puts an emphasis on children’s education and interactivity. eToys had content and agreements with the National Zoo, NASA and other educational organizations to present experts, content and Q&A sessions with astronauts and animal experts.

The new Discovery Toys Boutique at eToys.com will open the first week in November. The site will allow parents to easily find products by age and developmental level. Standard Discovery Toys categories will be found at the site, including Thinking and Learning, Auditory, Visual, Tactile, Motor Skills, Language, Logic and Reasoning, Social and Emotional, and Life Skills.

Discovery Comes with Its Own Reputation

Discovery Toys has gained acclaim for its children’s products that offer more than just entertainment. Each product is designed to stimulate mental growth among children from newborns through age 12. Examples include the Hide Inside soft box filled with sounds, shapes and textures. Each element of the toy services a function, from building auditory and tactile skills to stimulating thinking and learning.

“For more than 20 years, Discovery Toys has been creating products that inspire, challenge and provoke mental stimulation among children,” said Tom Simmer, president and COO of Discovery Toys. “Our relationship with eToys fulfills our strategy to strengthen and broaden the Discovery Toys brand. Consumers now have access to our products through the traditional in-home demonstrations and also through the Internet,” added Zimmer.

About eToys and Discovery Toys

Based in Santa Monica, California, eToys is a leading Internet retailer of children’s products, with an inventory of 100,000 items. The company also owns BabyCenter, a community Web site for new and expectant parents.

Discovery Toys is based in Livermore, California, and is a direct seller of educational toys, books and software. It sells its products through a network of 20,000 consultants in the U.S. and Canada.