Differential your assortment, or at least your Barbie

Pfreemanevans | July 02, 2007, 02:59 PM

This week I went to a very nice event at the revitalized FAO Schwarz store on Fifth Avenue here in NYC. The event promoted the newly launched Barbie shop on the second floor of the store where girls and their parents create their own Barbie look. There is a nifty computer interface with clear directions that prompt girls to select the Barbie or one of her “friends” (only the Blonds are true Barbies, brunettes or those of other ethnicities are “friends”). Then there is a series of fashion and accessory choices that allow the girls to style their own Barbie -- kind of a Build A Bear for the girly set. Once the parents go pay for the doll that the girls design, a receipt with a bar code is given and it takes about 15 minutes for the new doll to be ready. The girl’s name appears on a big flat screen about the register and it is time to scan your receipt and wait for your Barbie to come waltzing down the runway with a big sign next to her saying, “Styled by [insert excited girl’s name here].” And, talk about unbridled enthusiasm; the little girls I saw at the event were literally jumping up and down with glee as they saw their new Barbie coming down the runway. This is a terrific example of how FAO is reinventing itself to offer classic toys in new ways and to provide assortments not found elsewhere. In an increasingly competitive online retail arena, this effort is a lesson to retailers that differentiation will be critical in the coming quarters and years.