13 July 2006
NZ's largest online toy store is 10 years old!
iQ Toys was started back in 1996 with a handful of toys, a simple website (www.iqtoys.co.nz) and big aspirations. At the
time, it was one of only a handful of online stores and New Zealand's very first online toy store. Run initially from a
spare room in the Auckland house of Shane & Suzette Loomb, iQ Toys now operates from a large building in the Cambridge CBD.
Says Shane "it got to the point where we had boxes of toys in every room of the house, including the bedroom. It was
then we knew it was time to find business premises".
When Shane and Suzette first started the business they were dinks (double income-no kids). The arrival of Max (now 6)
and Jackson (now 4) has given them a different perspective but also offered the advantage of "having two dedicated and
very enthusiastic toy testers that we don't have to pay" says Shane. This year, after nine years of working full time in
paid employment during the day and on the business most evenings, Shane left a six-figure income to work full time in
the business with his wife Suzette.
A focus for Shane since leaving full-time employment has been the Australian market. The company has had a presence in
Australia since 2002 when it developed an Australian version of the iQ Toys website (www.iqtoys.au.com). To further
develop its footprint in Australia Shane is currently in discussions with another NZ company to share its existing
warehouse and distribution facility just outside Sydney.
The product range at iQ Toys is impressive, and with over 1750 products on offer there is more selection than most
traditional toy stores. There are also plans to add a further 250 new toys over the next 2-3 months taking the total
products to over 2000. Says Shane "our goal is to have the most comprehensive selection of toys available, all at great
prices and with the added convenience of online shopping".
The customer base has grown steadily. Initially, most orders came from overseas customers for relatives residing in New
Zealand. Overseas customers have remained a important part of the business but now more and more New Zealanders are
choosing to shop online at iQ Toys. Shane puts this down to the extensive product range, competitive prices (with free
shipping for orders all over $150) and acceptance that shopping online is not risky.
A large amount of thought and time is spent on developing and constantly improving the iQ Toys website.
a.. An innovative birthday reminder service automatically emails customers one week to two weeks prior to birthdays with
toy suggestions appropriate to the age the child is turning. This free service, called 'The Toy Secretary' is extremely
popular and has thousands of registered subscribers.
b.. Another important feature is the wishlist service, where customers can easily create a webpage of gifts suggestions
and email it to friends and relatives worldwide. c.. Also, over 150 of the products have been reviewed by customers and
product reviews make interesting and informative reading. d.. A final development is the integration of a 'Live Chat'
customer service feature, where customers can click on a button on the site and chat in real time with a customer
service operator. This service is expected to be extremely popular at Christmas time with hurried shoppers wanting quick
service. With over 20,000 active customers a great product range and innovative improvements to the website, iQ Toys
looks forward to another great 10 years in business.
www.iqtoys.co.nz
ENDS