EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct. 18 -- Mattel's Girls Interactive Group, a division of the world's largest toy maker Mattel (NYSE: MAT - news) today announced an agreement with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT - news), the global leader in retailing, to expand the Barbie brand at Wal-Mart stores and at the company's online store, while adding links from the Barbie.com Web site to Wal-Mart's Web site. The agreement will allow visitors to Barbie.com expanded purchase options by linking them from the site directly to Walmart.com's Barbie boutique. Wal-Mart is the first retail-marketing relationship for Mattel's Girls Interactive Group, which has heretofore offered no e-commerce elements to any of its group of branded Web sites. Similar agreements are under consideration with other major retailers.
Under the terms of the agreement, links to www.walmart.com will be prominently featured in the "Parents" section of the Barbie.com site, and in the "Product Catalog" area. These areas contain content developed for and targeted to parents who visit the site. Clicking on the Walmart.com link will take visitors into the site's designated Barbie Boutique, which will offer an assortment of Barbie product available both online and at Wal-Mart retail locations. On the Walmart.com Web site, Barbie.com will receive targeted placements, including on the home page, during the term of the agreement. The agreement will launch with the Barbie.com Web site, but within the year 2002 will be extended to include additional Mattel brand boutiques, such as BarbieCollectibles.com and DivaStarz.com, among others.
"We are pleased to collaborate with Wal-Mart and Walmart.com in a venture that opens up new revenue streams for both partners, while giving the consumer the best online and retail experience," said Christina DeRosa, vice president Web site and media, Barbie/Girls Division.
"Barbie.com's five-plus million monthly visitors will be directed to Wal-Mart and Walmart.com, the top retailer in the country. In turn, Wal-Mart's millions of customers will be given increased awareness of and information about the Mattel's Girls Division's products."
About Mattel Girls Division
For more than four decades the Barbie� doll has remained the most popular fashion doll ever created. Mattel has maintained the Barbie doll's popularity by adapting her look, lifestyle and fashions to meet changing times while evolving her world into an overall lifestyle brand for girls. While the Barbie� Brand represents Mattel's initial roots in girls' toys, the girls division now dominates the market with several best-selling brands including American Girl�, Diva Starz(TM), What's Her Face!(TM) and Polly Pocket!(TM). A natural extension of the brands to the online world, Mattel's Girls Interactive Group provides girls of the 21st century a new way to interact with their favorite playmates. Mattel's Girls Interactive Group consists of Barbie.com, KellyClub.com, WhatsHerFace.com, DivaStarz.com, BarbieCollectibles.com and licensed Mattel-branded interactive software and video game titles. With headquarters in El Segundo, California, Mattel has offices and facilities in 36 countries and markets its products in more than 150 nations throughout the world.
Mattel, Barbie, American Girl, Diva Starz, What's Her Face! And associated trademarks are U.S. trademarks of Mattel, Inc.
