The Kids Window - www.thekidswindow.co.uk

Product Range

The Kids Window is a UK registered private limited company, based in London and Kent. An online department store operating since 2000, it has thousands of items across eight different departments including: Fashion & Clothing, Baby Goods, Prams & Pushchairs, Beds & Furniture, Personalised Items, Toys & Gifts, Outdoor Play, Books DVD's and CD's. Products are sourced from leading brands and specialist suppliers. All are said to meet the necessary safety standards.

Delivery

The company ships to addresses all over the UK. Delivery time varies depending on the product and how it is shipped. The company states that the delivery times given are the best it can provide, and can not be speeded-up by additional payment for a faster delivery service.

UK shipping costs vary depending on the items bought, ranging from approximately £3.99 for a single item of clothing, up to £40 or more for bedroom furniture. The delivery cost of every item is clearly shown alongside each product.

Kids Window claims that you have the same rights buying here as you would in any shop, and offers a full 14 day "no-quibble" money back guarantee. Just send it back for whatever reason and they will refund you in full, "unless, of course, you prefer a replacement or an alternative item". There is a 24/7 customer call centre where you can place orders, it is not clear, however, whether this becomes an automated service outside of normal business hours.

Price/Service comparison

Running a search on high chairs, prices come up cheaper here than at a number of other sites. However, once you put delivery charges on top, there is not a great deal of difference, if any at all. In contrast, I found another major online retailer that offers FREE delivery when spending over £50, with a standard £5.99 charge on orders below this price. Words such as: 'usually arrive' and 'can take several days to be delivered' may put potential customers off. A real drawback is the cost of 'up to £40 or more for bedroom furniture'.

This seems very expensive, especially when many online retailers charge substantially less, if anything at all for larger ticket items.

Ease of navigation/General aesthetics

Although easy to navigate, it is slightly confusing that the eight product categories that appear along the top of the home page as tabs are different from the list that appears in the body text. However, presenting the same group of products under slightly different headings may well drive more traffic to the site, as consumers navigate sites differently depending on how experienced they are: some search, some browse, others need more than one opportunity to find what they are looking for and this effectively doubles the chances of them getting there.

There is a lot of text on the home page, which in terms of branding, could be damaging. Web design has come a long way since Kids Window first appeared in 2000 - the site could do with a lick of paint as it looks very dated.

The functionality however, is excellent. With hyperlinks added throughout, I would argue that this is what many shoppers want - a guided tour of the site in 'black and white'.

Babys-Mart - www.babys-mart.co.uk

Product Range

Babys-Mart began trading as an Internet retailer over 4 years ago. It stocks a range of goods from manufacturers such as Mamas and Papas, Mclaren, Britax, Jane, Kiddyboard, Maxi Cosy, Quinny, Cosatto, XTS, Hauck and Baby Style. It has its own repair workshop, which is also a Maclaren Service Centre, and undertakes most repairs in house, which is a real selling point. Products are distributed across different departments: Wheeled Goods, Car Seats, Nursery Furniture, Nursery Equipment, Safety and Hygeine, Bedding and Decor, Play and Development, Special Offers and Clearance.

Delivery

Babys Mart ship most orders same day if received before 12:00pm. Standard delivery is 2-3 working days, free on orders over £100, £4.99 under £100 in the UK mainland. The company asks customers to allow 3 working days before contacting regarding delivery to allow for the odd ‘log jam'. If you require your delivery faster you can upgrade to its express 24hr working day service, but you must allow 1-2 working days. At this stage, I would feel confident about making a purchase here.

However, the returns policy is long and drawn out. Customers must contact the returns department by email or write to them with order details and a description of the fault: "If possible digital photos could also be sent to help identify the problem."

The company will then, depending on the issue, either contact you to discuss the matter further or issue you with a returns authorisation number. If the fault is deemed to be due to fair wear and tear, damage or misuse, the company will quote for a rectification and customers will also be liable for the carriage charges, which are currently £15 per parcel, £20 for all wooden furniture parcels. Babys-Mart is unable to offer a loan or replacement product while a return is being inspected or repaired. As a whole, the returns policy feels very impersonal, detracting from an otherwise excellent e-commerce experience.

Price/Service comparison

A wider web search on a car seat reveals prices to be in line with the competition, but since it doesn't claim to be cheaper this doesn't serve as a let down. It's only later, when you go to buy a product that it offers to price match. The decision not to 'cheapen' the brand by advertising bargain basement prices everywhere is a sensible one. This is a nice surprise and adds to the quality.

Ease of navigation/General aesthetics

By clicking on the relevant department you will find a range of products with prices and delivery times clearly displayed. Making your final purchase is then very straightforward.

The home page depicts all this month's special offers, which although a good idea, will only drive traffic to the site every four weeks. The great thing about websites is they can be updated daily, so why not use the opportunity to display a fresh offer every day? The Babys-Mart logo and corporate colours are strong, while the navigation buttons down the side make shopping simple and fun. All in all this is a great e-commerce site, only the slightly difficult returns policy lets it down.

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