This past summer we told you about the ugly Amazon/Toys R Us divorce, which left each retailer selling kids’ stuff on their respective sites. With the holiday shopping season on the horizon, USA Today looks at how Toys R Us is preparing, given its last disastrous, pre-Amazon e-commerce foray, which left many kids getting their gifts after Dec. 25. Writes the paper: “Toysrus.com is angling to take a big share in cyberspace by offering for the first time gift cards and expanding its merchandise to include children’s books and DVDs, services that were prohibited under the previous partnership.” “It’s very exciting to be independent,” said TRU CEO and Chairman Jerry Storch. “What’s important is that we compete on authority… We are not selling…tires or toothpaste. It is all about the toys.” Ooh, slam. It’s also important you don’t punt like you did in 1999, Jerry. And on a personal note, while checking our ToysRUs.com for this post, we found something that would make a good gift. Seeing it listed as In Stock, we ordered it. Ten minutes later we got an e-mail confirmation of our order – and a note the item was on backorder. Not a good sign. Via USA Today
