Who Needs ‘Em?
Traditional retailers are no longer the only game in town.
When Craig Winchell attended the 1998 American International Toy
Fair in New York, he was sure he'd have no problem lining up
sales for Conscience, his interactive board game for parents to
teach their children the difference between right and wrong with
real-world examples. But disappointment soon set in, as Winchell
realized not even one of the major retailers in attendance had any
interest in the game. Ten years ago, that might have been the end
of Winchell's entrepreneurial pursuit. But not today, in the
age of the Internet.
As Winchell discovered, a whole slew of e-tailers were willing
to take a risk on new yet unproven products. EToys was just one of
the dotcoms on the prowl for products like Conscience, hoping to
set their sites apart from traditional retailers. Thanks to those
e-tailers willing to take the chance on him, in 1998,
Winchell's company, GoRu (Golden Rule) Products, sold close to
5,000 games. And in 1999, sales for his Dallas, Texas, company
approached 10,000 units. Although Winchell, 39, currently generates
20 percent of his sales through specialty retailers, the majority
of his sales continue to rush in through major Internet retailers
Amazon.com, eToys.com, and toysmart.com.
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