Welcome to Jungle Vibes' new

interactive home on the Web!

More than a traditional store, Jungle Vibes has always offered hands-on fun, toys, gifts and education for kids of all ages. We like to say Jungle Vibes is where adventure begins! African arts, jewelry, an eclectic selection of books and music and lots of links to

our North Bay, California, community are found here. The store is something we can only approximate on the site--you have to come in person to feel the effects of jungle surround-sound and the rain-forest waterfall. It's unlike any other store on earth.

After 15 years as a brick-and-mortar store on the Main Street of our hometown of Petaluma, why do we choose now to add online sales and more interactivity? It just makes sense in uncertain economic times to offer even more customer service and explore how we can face challenges together, and with a sense of fun--the stuff that gets you through all the rest!

We're in the middle of a historic shift from the roaring 90's to what we are to become, perhaps a place we'd rather be--more community centered, richer in communications that are mutually beneficial, agreed upon and personal. We're more interested in building relationships--becoming part of the center of a healthy local economy--than offering slick advertising campaigns. In this relocalized future, your hometown businesses and friends do well when you do well.

Here's a snapshot of what is changing: Information about the availability of items at the downtown location only a click away. Up-to-date calendars of workshops, play dates, events and links to important community information. Quick and easy gift certificate purchasing and free mailing. Shipping will be expanded and streamlined.

After two significant expansions from humble beginnings to our 3000-square-foot emporium, we are expanding again--but this time virtually. Our new shopping cart function will let us warehouse more inventory for our customers than we could display in our retail location. Along with this we are creating a few new technology-oriented jobs.

There is growing evidence that being on the Web is not just selling on the Web; our Web site helps customers and encourages and informs purchases at the brick-and-mortar stores. If this trend continues, the benefit of a Web will be mostly in helping the home store, not just in selling things online.

For instance, we'll offer a full catalog of belly-dance clothing and jewelry and Indian wall hangings on the Web, to be picked up in the store, lending much greater depth to our inventory. Some specialties like carved bone and horn tribal jewelry will be featured as a preview on the Web even before containers arrive from overseas.

Costumes, tights, stockings, wigs, and dress-up will launch in the fall, but will remain available year round because of the new Web store warehousing system.

By using the Web site to avoid a lot of wasted paper and money, we can put the savings directly into making Jungle Vibes a better store, more responsive to our customers and the community. Not the least of the benefits is better deals for our customers, with a stronger offering of sales, specials and intent coupons.