Amazon launches imaginarium.com
  07/31/2001 2:35:35 PM MDT Albuquerque, Nm
  By Dustin D. Brand; Owner AMO

Co-Branded with Toys-R-Us, Amazon launched the specialty toys web site.   Expanding their year old alliance with Toys 'R' Us, Amazon.com launched Imaginarium.com, an online store for specialty and educational toys.

  This store is the third Toys 'R' Us property to go online at Amazon, following the launches of Toysrus.com last fall and Babiesrus.com earlier this year.

  "Imaginarium.com is designed to help parents find learning toys that are actually fun and suited to their child's personality and interests," said John Barbour, CEO of Toysrus.com, the online unit of Toys 'R' Us, in a statement.

  As with the two earlier online stores, Toys 'R' Us-owned Imaginarium will oversee product selection, planning, buying and inventory management and Amazon will manage the Web site and customer service, as well as the warehousing and product distribution.

  Imaginarium isn't a Toys 'R' Us or Amazon.com invention and Toys 'R' Us purchased Imaginarium, the largest specialty toy retailer in the U.S., in July 1999. The Imaginarium 42-store chain is slated to expand to more than 200 sites during the next few years. Imaginarium is also launching "stores within a store" at Toys 'R' Us locations nationwide.