DisneyShopping.com upgrades web site

DisneyShopping.com has introduced a new web site design that aims to improve the gift-giving process for customers this holiday season. The new site streamlines the online shopping experience and more easily links families with favorite character products, new arrivals and seasonal gift shops. The Walt Disney Company`s shopping portal offers more than 8,000 products on its site, which was redesigned to streamline the online shopping experience and more easily link families with favorite character products, new arrivals and seasonal gift shops.

DisneyShopping.com, No. 55 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide to Retail Web Sites, has experienced double-digit growth in online sales since transitioning to a dedicated online business from an online and catalog format, executives say. The new web site already has contributed to the company’s best October selling period and executives expect it to continue delivering strong results into the holidays.

The new design at DisneyShopping.com, includes white backgrounds with larger pictures of merchandise for improved viewing, more easily navigated product features, and simpler templates. All the new features are intended to encourage visitors to focus on key merchandise, company officials say.

New technology enables refined search capability, helping visitors locate products specifically by character—-even when a name is misspelled—-by product type and pricing. A newly added “left spine” also helps users more easily navigate directly to their desired category, character shop and age range.

Other new site features include Gift Finder, which enables age-specific search; Create-Your-Own for personalizing products; and Streamlined Registration & Checkout to help registered users with quicker checkouts, an online address book, and the ability to view and track complete order history. Registered shoppers also will receive special offers and previews.

DisneyShopping.com is part of Disney Consumer Products, the business segment responsible for applying the Disney brand to merchandise.