When one thinks of a toy store, they often imagine bright-eyed children and dragged behind parents, bustling in and out of the wide aisles, looking up and down the towering shelves in search of the newest, sought-after toy that has been promoted all around them. From Nickelodeon and Disney Channel commercials, to online flashing advertisements, the child cannot escape the desire and temptation that consumes him/her.
In today's consumer culture, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish who is being targeted in regard to whether it is the children or their parents. Two well-known toy stores, Toys R Us and FAO Schwarz Toys, seem to have different perspectives as to who their intended consumer is. Toys R Us, aimed toward the children, and F.A.O Schwarz Toys, geared toward the adult audience, both have different perspectives, which is evident through their websites alone. In the attached links, it is clear that Toys R Us' youthful, inviting, mesmerizing website is kid-friendly; portraying happy, smiling children dressed in their Halloween costumes, today's "Hottest Toys" made available for browsing, and the options on the left side of the screen offering the specific viewing of "Girls' Toys" and "Boys' Toys". On the other hand, when on the website for F.A.O Schwartz Toys, my immediate impression is that it is organized, structured, and almost too sophisticated for a toy company. "The Best Brands!", is presented boldly with the accompaniment of the classic wooden toy piano and the stuffed animal dog, presented for the parents appeal and approval.
Now let's be honest. Children could care less about, "The Best Brands!" and the free shipping. What they want to see are the newest, up-to-date toys, the other children playing with them, and the Halloween-themed decor dressing the website. What the parents, also known as, "the money spenders", are interested in is the best toys for their children, how much they cost, and who is the company behind the product. It is no secret that the two toy companies are economically diverse; Toys R Us geared toward the lower and middle-class and F.A.O. Schwartz Toys aimed at the middle-upper class. Therefore shopping at each of the stores is getting two different experiences; one more childlike and the other as being more business-like and mature. With the holiday season a few short months away, it makes one wonder about the analytical approaches it takes to bring in the consumer, whether or not it is the child, or the adult.
Toys R Us: http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2255956
F.A.O. Schwartz Toys: http://www.fao.com/home/index.jsp?searchdef=2194048&affcode=184788&k_clickid=68c232f3-1be6-3928-1aa2-000010f084d1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=FAO_Brand_*General_Exact&utm_term=fao%20schwarz&002=2194048&006=18453879203&007=Search&008=&009=e&012=fao%20schwarz&021=30937692994&025=c&026=
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