Toys R Us marketplace case study: book a demo to start yours
Toys”R”Us is a globally recognized retail chain specializing in toys and children’s products, providing a diverse range of toys, games, and related items in both physical and online stores. If you’d like to start your own marketplace like Toys R Us, you’re facing a buy vs build decision. So before you decide to build it in-house on top of Spree open-source, consider using Vendo, which is the feature-rich Enterprise Edition cutting your time-to-market to a few weeks.
Build vs Buy a marketplace?
The decision to use open-source has many upsides, such as having full ownership and the flexibility to modify as needed, but these benefits come at a price. Building a complete marketplace solution is a lengthy and costly venture, often extending over months or years, as observed from various marketplace projects.
Unless you’ve raised a considerable amount of funding, a pre-packaged, all-in-one marketplace solution like Vendo is usually a better choice, advice from a person with extensive experience in charging for marketplace development.
Back to the Toys R Us marketplace case study
Toys “R” Us, known for its extensive range of toys, games, and juvenile products, significantly impacted the retail market as a multivendor marketplace. It served as a go-to destination, catering to diverse customer preferences in the realm of playthings and child-related merchandise.
The marketplace’s success was rooted in its wide array of products, embracing both timeless classics and cutting-edge innovations. With a user-friendly interface and a plethora of options, Toys “R” Us provided a seamless shopping experience for its clientele, ensuring accessibility and convenience.
Moreover, Toys “R” Us showcased adaptability by staying attuned to market trends and embracing technological advancements. The brand’s commitment to innovation facilitated its evolution into an e-commerce giant, harnessing the power of the internet to reach a broader audience.
It streamlined the shopping process by offering an online platform that mirrored the in-store experience, allowing customers to explore an extensive catalog from the comfort of their homes. This shift to online retail not only expanded its reach but also amplified customer engagement, enabling Toys “R” Us to cater to a more tech-savvy demographic.
Furthermore, the Toys “R” Us marketplace thrived on fostering brand loyalty and trust through various initiatives. It implemented loyalty programs, personalized customer interactions, and robust customer service, nurturing enduring relationships with its patrons.
Additionally, strategic marketing campaigns and collaborations with reputable brands fortified its position as a go-to destination for quality toys. These efforts contributed to a loyal customer base and sustained market relevance, marking Toys “R” Us as a pinnacle in the toy industry’s landscape.
How to emulate Toys R Us marketplace success?
Here’s what you’d be getting with a Vendo free trial:
- Book a marketplace demo call: We’ll set up your demo marketplace and populate it with products, so you could give it a try and start selling in 14 days
- Customize your Storefront: Use the drag & drop page builder or custom CSS
- Onboard Brands: Invite your brands or choose brands from our catalog
- Select Products: Curate products and collections manually or automate it
- Embed products: Make your content, newsletters, social media shoppable
- Get Paid: Get paid as soon as products are shipped by the brands
- End-to-end automation: brands sync, fulfillment, payouts, invoicing, taxes
When you’ve tried all that and it works, start thinking about building your own, custom-made marketplace project based on Spree Commerce. First, by decoupling the storefront and going headless with Vendo marketplace API, and later with your own backend, if you decide you really need it. Just lift and shift the storefront.
Nobody has to know what’s under the hood, right?
