of Walmart.com, Kmart’s Bluelight.com, Sears.com, Target.com and eToys combined.The outlook looks even better for 2001 and beyond. Online toy sales are expected to grow significantly, at a projected average annual growth rate of 30% to 40% according to AC Nielson. Sales and traffic momentum continue to build. In January 2001, Toys R Us.com saw a huge increase in the number of visitor’s to their sites and a healthy boost in orders compared to the prior year. And, building with the experience gained in their first year with Amazon.com, they are working towards giving their shoppers even greater convenience, exclusive offerings and a seamless “bricks and clicks” shopping experience.Economic ForcastToy "R" Us has just opened a 110,000-Square-Foot Store in Times Square, hopes it can lure the vanishing tourists to the crossroads of the world by giving them "the ultimate family experience." It is believed that terrorist threats and an economic downturn have spurred some parents to put kids and family first as they keep area toy store cash registers ringing. Parents appear to be compensating for the nation's gloom by spending on their kids. Albuquerque toy stores said classic board games, rescue hero outfits and movie tie-in toys have been top sellers as the Christmas rush approaches. Toy store staff have also noticed that some parents may have been influenced by media coverage of rescue work in New York and U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan. Globes and maps, once the Cinderellas of the shelves, are in hot demand as parents and children seek to inform themselves about Afghanistan. And police and firefighter outfits, rather than ghouls and witches, stole the show for Halloween.On the other hand, escapism appears also to be in vogue after a few flat years, as toys inspired by upcoming kids' movies "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," "Monsters, Inc." and "Lord of the Rings" have been selling well. A whole slew of toy man...
