Horses for Courses - Save 15% storewide

July is absolutely the best time of the year up here in North Queensland. I am loving all the events on at the moment, and there are lots of visitors as well. No doubt coming here to soak up the sun. This weekend is the Townsville Cup, which is one of the biggest social events on the calendar. It's an excuse (who needs one) to dress in all your finery and go and check out the fillies. Our retail store will be closed on Saturday; as we know that many of our hip and happening Mums will be getting ready for the races. As long as we are in horse racing celebratory mode, we figure you should be as well. So we have 15% off in the eStore all weekend. You need to enter the code EQUINE at checkout to get your discount. Your goodies will then be packed and sent Monday when we are back on deck. Our regulars know we only have these offers a few times throughout the year, so you better get racing!

Have a great weekend

Deborah

Webkinz - is there such a thing as an educational plush toy?

People who know me and the store and pretty familiar with my philosophy on toys and activity programs. At Entropy we love being a battery free zone and there is not a plastic or throwaway toy in sight. We stock good quality wooden toys and educational toys that have great play value. Generally speaking I am not a fan of toys that encourage children to spend more time at the computer. However; Webkinz ARE different and I spent a lot of time in Webkinz World checking whether the educational value of these plush toys was really enough to justify their inclusion in our store. After all, we have pretty lofty standards to uphold!

So, what are Webkinz? Webkinz are a collection of plush toys with a difference. Each Webkinz pet comes with a unique tag containing a secret code to open Webkinz World; a fun, interactive and safe learning environment for children. Once inside Webkinz World children adopt and name their pet and are then invited into a virtual world where they need to care for their pet. This includes feeding it, making and decorating their pet's room, and communicating with other Webkinz friends. In order to look after their pet children need to earn Webkinz World money, known as KinzCash. They can do this by completing quizzes, undertaking jobs at the employment office and playing games. Children can create unique spaces for their pets and add their own touch to the design; grow an outdoor garden, exercise, and lots of other fun activities.

Members can also safely 'chat' using pre-constructed messages that are flexible and cover lots of topics. Webkinz World changes every day, with new challenges, making it an interesting and exciting place for children to visit. It's one of the fastest growing sites on the internet and is best suited for children aged 6-14 years.

It's not just for kids though; at Entropy all of us have adopted pets and we love the interactivity and fun of the site. Kids can learn to care for a pet, share time with their friends and most importantly, use their imaginations. There are heaps of Webkinz to choose from; the hard part is picking the first one to start your collection.

Customer service in e-commerce stores

Like it or not, e-commerce is going to continue its growth, as more and more of us 'time poor' mothers look for alternatives to spending our precious spare time dragging the children around shopping centres. I personally dislike shopping centres quite a lot, so I have been an on-line shopper for a while now. Some people are reticent about purchasing on-line as they feel there is no replacement for touching and feeling a product. I understand this completely, that's why at Entropy we always make an effort to give you a decent product description and photos. One of the key things on-line shoppers are looking for is good customer service. I want to give you two examples of experiences I have had recently that were at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Young Nugget is four years old and his room is due for a makeover so I went on-line to look at some linen alternatives. I find this the best way to do my research. I found some gorgeous choices, but only one on-line store that had 'in stock' the complete range I was after. I duly placed my order, for a not insignificant amount. Two weeks passed and no delivery, no update, nothing. So I think it is about time I followed this up and send the store an email asking for an update. I get one back telling me that none of the items I wanted were 'in stock' and that my order 'might' get dispatched this week and that normal dispatch times are 7-21 days. Argh!! this is one of my pet dislikes of some e-commerce sites that give the rest of us a bad name. This practice is known as selling on consignment. That is, the store does not actually have the item in stock, and when an order comes through they then place an order with the supplier so they can fill your order. The least that a store can do in this situation is let you know what is happening. So I have shopped at this store twice; for the first time and the last time.

At the other end of the spectrum I have had totally satisfying customer service from www.costumebox.com.au. I am off to a Venetian ball that is a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House. I needed a Venetian mask for myself and the other half and these are not that easy to come by. So I check online; great pics, looks like items are available; I place my order late on a Sunday night. I get an email back before 8.30 am on Monday morning to let me know the items have been sent. Bouquets to you costumebox and brickbats to the other e-commerce site that shall remain nameless.

At Entropy, everything you see on our website is in our store. If you order by 2pm then we will send your order that day, with a tracking number from Australia Post; so you will always know where your parcel is. Our commitment to you is to always have great customer service, and some fun along the way.

ps: pics of the Venetian ball to come... should be a hoot.