May 2000
Online toy stores see the wisdom of their elders (Reuters Securities)
Posted Saturday, May 27, 2000
Business is not child's play, even when you are in the business of selling teething rattles and Barbie dolls.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000524/n23123308.html
Irwin Toy Limited Financial Results (PR Newswire)
Posted Saturday, May 27, 2000
Irwin Toy Limited reports net earnings of $1,717,000 or 32 cents net earnings per share for the year ended January 31, 2000 compared with a net loss of $3,341,00 or 63 cents loss per share for the preceding year.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/000525/irwin_toy_.html
Dot Com Toy Sellers Dominate Traditional Brick-and-Mortar Retailers (Business Wire)
Posted Saturday, May 27, 2000
Offline toy powerhouses like Toys `R' Us still have a tough time competing online against Web-based retailers. Amazon.com,
SmarterKids.com, and eToys battled for the top spot, while brick-and-mortar giants KB Toys, Toys `R' Us, Wal-Mart, and J.C.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/000526/ma_forrest.html
Mattel's new CEO gets $5.3 million pay, bonus in 2000 (Reuters Securities)
Posted Saturday, May 27, 2000
Mattel Inc.'s new Chief Executive Robert Eckert will receive a salary and bonuses totalling about $5.3 million in 2000, not including stock options, in a three-year contract similar to, but not as generous as one given his predecessor, Jill Barad.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000526/n26461513.html
Play-By-Play Awarded Licensing Rights. (PR Newswire)
Posted Wednesday, May 24, 2000
Play-By-Play Toys & Novelties, Inc. today announced that it has been awarded licensing rights for Nintendo's(R) POKeMON(TM) in Europe.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/000523/tx_play_by.html
Broken Toys (The Industry Standard)
Posted Wednesday, May 24, 2000
Educational-toy retailer Toysmart.com officially closed its doors yesterday, though its site remains online. Bought by Disney last August, Toysmart is the latest online toy retailer to bite the dust in recent weeks, following Nickelodeon's RedRocket.com on May 5 and KBkids.com, which fired 45 of its 145 employees two weeks ago.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/is/20000523/bs/broken_toys_1.html
eToys Unveils New Dinosaur Den, One-Stop Shop for All Things (Business Wire)
Posted Sunday, May 21, 2000
eToys Inc., the leading Internet retailer of children's products, today unveiled a new destination on its Web site devoted exclusively to dinosaurs. The site, accessible at www.etoys.com, combines interesting dinosaur facts, dinosaur activities, Jurassic Jokes, dinosaur kits, action figures, games, videos, books, software, music, video games and more.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/000518/ca_etoys_i.html
Toysmart, KBkids see executive shake-up (CNet)
Posted Sunday, May 21, 2000
The online toy industry continues to show signs of a shakeout. Within the past few days, high-level company executives from Toysmart and KBkids have been fired or have resigned.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/cn/20000518/tc/toysmart_kbkids_see_executive_shake-up_1.html
Zany Brainy Opens Three New Stores (Business Wire)
Posted Thursday, May 18, 2000
Zany Brainy, Inc., a leading specialty retailer of high quality toys, games, books and multimedia products, today announced that it opened three new stores in the past three weeks.
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/000516/pa_zany_br.html
Mattel says names Kraft's Eckert as CEO (Reuters Securities)
Posted Thursday, May 18, 2000
Barbie Doll maker Mattel Inc. on Wednesday named Kraft Foods head Robert Eckert as chief executive to replace Jill Barad, who was forced out in February after a turbulent three years at the top of the world's largest toymaker.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000517/n17584746_5.html
Beanie Baby Co. Sues Over Promotion (AP Financial)
Posted Thursday, May 11, 2000
The company that makes Beanie Babies is upset that the Tropicana hotel-casino used its wildly popular plush toys in a slot machine promotion.
http://biz.yahoo.com/apf/000505/beanie_s_s_2.html
Marvel Creates Licensing Joint Venture With Sony (Individual Investor)
Posted Thursday, May 11, 2000
Marvel Enterprises announced a joint licensing venture with Sony Pictures Consumer Products on Wednesday, one of many expected to follow.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ii/000508/magic25a_000508.html
LEGO's Spielberg product targets young moviemakers (Reuters)
Posted Thursday, May 11, 2000
LEGO, the venerable Danish toymaker, is launching a new product that will allow children to get in touch with their inner Steven Spielberg.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20000509/en/multimedia-lego_1.html
KBkids.com fires 30 percent of work force (CNet)
Posted Thursday, May 11, 2000
KBkids.com joined the ranks of struggling e-tailers today, firing about 30 percent of its staff.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/cn/20000510/tc/kbkids_com_fires_30_percent_of_work_force_1.html
Wooden Toys Recalled (Associated Press)
Posted Thursday, May 11, 2000
A Georgia toy maker is recalling about 9,000 hand-painted, wooden stacking toys because a peg in the base can come off, presenting a choking hazard to young children.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000510/us/wooden_toy_recall_1.html
eToys Plans New Product Categories, Anticipates Profit (InternetNews)
Posted Thursday, May 4, 2000
Children's product retailer eToys Inc., which said Wednesday that it
expects gross profits to exceed expenses in fiscal 2001, is extending its reach by adding party goods and hobby categories to its existing offerings for the holiday season.
http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0,2171,4_353611,00.html
Sega aims at Y30 bln cost cuts in 2000/01 (Reuters Securities)
Posted Wednesday, May 3, 2000
Video game console maker Sega Enterprises Ltd said on Friday it aims to cut costs by nearly 30 billion yen in the year that started on April 1 in a bid to return to profitability on a parent operating basis.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000420/n3.html
Nintendo sees no earnings effect from EU warning (Reuters Securities)
Posted Wednesday, May 3, 2000
Japanese game console maker Nintendo Co Ltd said on Monday it expects no effect on its earnings from the European Commission's formal warning that its product distribution appears to violate EU antitrust rules.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000430/bm.html
eToys & Gap unite for online, in-store promotion (Reuters Securities)
Posted Wednesday, May 3, 2000
Internet toy retailer eToys Inc. and international clothing retailer Gap Inc. on Tuesday announced the launch of a nationwide summer cross-marketing initiative.
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/000502/ez.html
Mattel Boss Gets $40M Severance (Associated Press)
Posted Wednesday, May 3, 2000
The toy company that makes Barbie may be struggling financially, but its former boss isn't. She just received a nearly $40 million severance package.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000430/bs/mattel_barad_1.html
Pokemon Sales Lift Hasbro Earnings (Associated Press)
Posted Wednesday, May 3, 2000
Hasbro Inc.'s first-quarter earnings climbed about 10 percent over a year ago, beating analysts' expectations thanks to strong sales of Pokemon toys and games.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000425/bs/earns_hasbro_2.html
