Early Learning Centre - a great retail website (Early Learning Centre)

Member Name: cjc3001

Product:	Early Learning Centre
Date:	29/10/08 (58 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Customer reviews & wish list function are particular benefits

Disadvantages: Free delivery would always be welcome!

I've used the Early Learning Centre's website several times now over the last few years, following the arrival of my niece. For me, it's more convenient for me to use the website rather than physically visiting a shop, because firstly there isn't a shop in the vicinity of my home, and secondly because I wouldn't normally be taking my niece shopping so there's no need for me to visit a shop for her to try before she (or I) buys.

The website itself is very well designed, with a variety of search options; you can either search via genre of toy, i.e. music, roleplay, outdoor toys and so on, or by age, gender, price, learning skills or brand. This makes this website particularly effective whether you have a really specific idea of what you wish to buy, or if you are just looking for inspiration around a general theme.

The website shows strong images of the product you are browsing, a clear indication of the age range of the product, and also customer reviews from people who have already purchased the item, which I've found really helpful in the past when making my selections. The website itself is also easy to navigate through, and I've never found it to throw up any error messages, or to crash.

As well as easily being able to identify special offers, you can create wish lists of items you would wish to buy in the future, and there's also an 'email a friend' option (which I've found helpful when checking that I'm buying the right presents for maximum brownie points!).

Delivery is also quite reasonable, and if the product you want is out of stock, you can order it & only be charged once it's available for dispatch, even if this means part of your order is dispatched immediately & the other items are to follow, and you only pay the one delivery charge.

There are also the usual functions you would expect from the website of a high street store, such as a store finder, the ability to order via catalogue number if known, and I particularly like the fact that if the product isn't found to be suitable once it's arrived, it can be returned either via post or by taking it back to a shop with the delivery note, with no time limit.

All in all, this is a website I've found to offer a great service, and one which I will continue to use & recommend in the future.

Summary: A fantastically convenient way to buy all sorts of toys