Do you shop online?

You probably do, and if you haven't yet, you will. Recent studies have shown that people your age make up a major part of the folks who buy things through the Internet. In fact, the number of people who bought things online last year was 22% more than in 2003.

Eventually, everybody will have bought something online!

So why not do your shopping with Whyville? And we don't mean face parts and projectiles. We're talking real things like your favorite band's latest CD, the book your cousin told you about, or even your shampoo.

How? We're about to open a "General Store" where you can buy just about anything, like you can at Amazon.com. In fact, Whyville is now an Amazon affiliate, which means that anything that's on Amazon.com, we can make available on Whyville.

It's just another way that we City Workers are looking to support Whyville. If you're going to buy something online anyway, why not buy it through us? Same price, same security, and you help support Whyville to boot!

What's especially cool about the "General Store" (don't worry, that's not the name!) is that you, the average Whyvillian, can help us decide what to sell in the store. Every time someone buys something that you've suggested, you'll get a clam commission! That means if you suggest the first Harry Potter movie, and ten people buy the first Harry Potter movie through Whyville, you'll get a bunch of clams added to your account!

Of course, there will be a limit to how many things you can suggest, so be thoughtful. You know more about what you and your friends like to buy on the web, so this is a chance for you to REALLY help Whyville out.

We will offer a bunch of awards and contests, assuming things go well. We'll give awards to those folks whose suggestions have the most sales in a certain month. If you suggest a book that becomes a best-seller in Whyville, you'll get a special prize -- we might do a Book Hour on that book in the Greek Theater and ask you to help come down on stage and run it!

In the long run, we'd like to set it up so you can actually shop with your Whyville friends.

We really want this to be a special place on Whyville, for everyone, so we'd like your involvement. That includes your input on the name of the store! Check out the poll on the Welcome Page to see what ideas we've come up with so far.

Get your thinking caps on, and your shopping shoes, too!

City Hall