Now Santa can see what kids really want!
It’s Christmas day…you’ve gathered the family around and sit down to watch the kids as they excitedly rip the wrapping
off the gifts ‘Santa’ has spent hours selecting. Then it happens…that moment when they have removed enough of the
wrapping to realise what they’ve got. You watch as their face instantly changes to a delighted smile or a disappointed
blank look, which tears at your heart strings.
In the good old days ‘Santa’ had to ask probing questions or get the kids to write a letter advising him of what they’d
like for Christmas. This was always had the potential for disaster. Santa might inadvertently get a child a sailboat toy
when in actual fact by "boat" they were expecting a speedboat toy.
New Zealand’s largest online toy store, iQ Toys (www.iqtoys.co.nz) has come up with a high-tech solution. Kids and/or
their parents can now create an online ‘wishlist’ of toys from the 1,500 toys on the iQ Toys website. Once the wishlist
is created, it can be emailed to friends or family who can then view it by clicking on a link or going to the iQ Toys
website and searching for the wishlist using the child’s surname or wishlist ID.
Over 500 wishlists have been created at iQ Toys in the short time since their launch. By Christmas the number of
wishlists is expected to be in the thousands. Shane Loomb, Director of iQ Toys says that wishlists are becoming an
increasingly popular way of letting friends and extended family know what to purchase, helping gift shopping become more
targeted to the child’s needs and avoiding double ups….no more comments "oh I’ve already got one of the those!". Some
people might feel that it’s against the Kiwi nature to set up a wishlist and email it to all and sundry. But this
sentiment seems to be changing, says Shane. It is now becoming accepted as a way of letting friends or family members
who are often living in other cities or countries know exactly what little Johnny wants. The goal at the end of the day
has to be no more disappointed kids...
ENDS