Grandparents Reach for the Mouse this Christmas

Grandparents Reach for the Mouse this Christmas

There’s a growing willingness among the older population to turn to the internet when doing their Christmas shopping this year, if a trend seen by one leading Nelson toy retailer is an indicator.

Nelson’s specialist educational toy shop Crackerjack Toys has seen impressive growth in activity on the sales website it launched last year. Company owner Ailsa Cowan says anecdotally grandparents are among some of the top users of the new Crackerjack Toys site, finding it a highly useful resource when it comes to shopping for gifts for the youngsters in their lives.

She says many older people struggle with mobility or have problems getting into the central city shop when they need to, so the Crackerjack Toys website has opened up new opportunities for them this Christmas.

“It seems that in the past older people have been nervous and reluctant about online shopping.” But Mrs Cowan says those she’s spoken to, say knowing they’re actually dealing online but with a real shop makes them more comfortable and confident about purchasing products.

“Having a free phone number also encourages customers to contact the shop with any questions about products.”

She believes grandparents are very conscious about buying quality fun, imaginative and stimulating toys, books and games, rather than cheap imported goods sold by many big box retailers and faceless international internet sites.

Statistics New Zealand figures show one of the fastest growth areas in online shopping is people in the 65 to 74 age bracket.

Alisa Cowan says orders are being received from throughout the country because many regional towns and centres don’t have specialist toy shops like Crackerjack Toys.

“Surprisingly however, there have been a number of orders from the Auckland region, from people wanting to take advantage of the free freight offer for all purchases over $30.00, rather than face the high freight costs demanded by similar retail operations.”

Mrs Cowan says overall the Crackerjack Toys online experience has shown that for retailers to increase their business opportunities, they need to investigate how they can operate a quality sales website with an associated 0800 free phone number, alongside a traditional business model.

About Crackerjack Toys

Crackerjack Toys is an independent toy store based in Nelson City. Crackerjack Toys can be found in the Central arcade next to Farmers on Trafalgar Street.

Our philosophy is to enrich and grow young minds through play and discovery, by providing a wide range of fun, imaginative and stimulating toys, books and resources which are handpicked for quality and value. The friendly knowledgeable staff is more than happy to help you find the correct toy or gift to suit each child, making sure it is suitable for their individual taste needs and stage of development.

www.crackerjacktoys.co.nz

ENDS

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