MARSH ADDS INTERACTIVITY TO ITS WEB SITE FOR KIDS

RANDY WEDDINGTON

INDIANAPOLIS -- Marsh Supermarkets here has upgraded the children's area of its Web site (www.marsh.net), further expanding an already extensive selection of activities for its Kids Club members.

"We recently added interactive and animated games just to keep the site fresh and more fun for the children," Jodi Marsh, vice president of community relations, told SN.

"These were up and running on Nov. 29, though some other areas are still under construction."

The games -- including Nibbly the Worm (in which players "help the worm eat all the apples"), Centipdo, Connect 4 and Tail Fighter -- are accessed from an arcade page hosted on-site.

Marsh also provides links to other games at popular children's sites like pbskids.com, nick.com and nickjr.com.

This upgrade is one of the newest additions to an established operation.

"Our Kids Club program has been very successful for us," said Marsh. "We launched the children's component of our Web site in May of last year."

One explanation for this success is the chain's attentiveness to its patrons.

"We receive a lot of positive comments about our site," she said. "That's the reason we took it forward -- we listened to our customers and responded to them."

The company used the feedback to reassess its Web site.

"We're always looking at ways to improve the site, to give the kids a reason to keep logging on," she said.

Timely promotions also figure into this strategy.

"We currently have customers enter online to win free 'Harry Potter' movie passes," Marsh added. "That's quite an enticement."

The Kids Club site is designed for kid-friendly navigation.

Visitors are greeted by mascot Fielding the Mouse flying an airplane (with motion and sounds by flash animation) on a home page that provides simple, clear access to all activity areas.

These areas (highlighted by giggles from Fielding when they're selected) are impressively varied.

At the post office, kids can read mail to Fielding and send their own letters to him.

The clubhouse describes membership benefits and signs up new club members.

A hospital offers links to children's health sites.

At the library, viewers can turn on the lights and check out the book Fielding's currently reading or read another from the shelves.

A "What's in the Store" section lists a Treat of the Week as well as a Kids Recipes selection that has a pop-up window for Fielding's Cookbook.

And from the playground, kids enter the Fun and Games area. It contains the arcade along with an assortment of puzzles, coloring pages and word games.

With so many available options, this site, which stands out among online supermarket offerings for children, is another example of a company tradition.

"We have always been an innovator in the industry," said Marsh.

"As far as waiting for someone else to do something, that's not usually our style," she added.

Marsh has maintained a comprehensive Web site since January 1998.

It launched its Kids Club version on May 5, 2000.

Marsh operates 70 Marsh Supermarkets, 32 LoBill Foods and 193 Village Pantry convenience stores.