Tuesday, November 19, 2013

(BN) Amazon’s Toys Cheaper Than Wal-Mart Online

(Bloomberg ) Amazon.com Inc.'s toy prices were lower than those available online from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. last week as retailers seek to attract shoppers heading into the crucial holiday selling season.

Amazon's prices, excluding those from its third-party sellers, were 3 percent lower on average than Wal-Mart's on a basket of 87 toys, according to a study conducted by Bloomberg Industries on Nov. 14. Including the Marketplace vendors, which use Amazon's platform to sell their own products, the pool of comparable goods expanded to 115, and Wal-Mart was cheaper by 1.2 percent, on average.

The pricing battle may help determine which retailers win consumers' toy purchases during the holiday season. Sales in November and December account for 20 percent to 40 percent of U.S. retailers' annual revenue, according to the National Retail Federation.

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