Firebox.com
| Firebox.com | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Firebox.com homepage | |
| Web address | http://www.firebox.com/ |
| Slogan | "Not For Everyone." |
| Commercial? | Yes |
Type of site | Online Retailer |
| Registration | Optional |
| Available in | English |
| Owners | Michael Smith and Tom Boardman |
| Created by | Michael Smith and Tom Boardman |
| Launched | June 1998 |
| Revenue | £14.4m in 2010[1] |
Alexa rank |
 21,177 (April 2014)[2] |
| Current status | Online |
Firebox.com is an electronic commerce based in London, England, that was created in 1998 as hotbox.co.uk, an internet retailer founded by university friends Michael Acton Smith and Tom Boardman.[3] Their inventory covers many different products from baby toys to high-tech gadgets.
History
Two friends in college, Michael Acton Smith and Tom Boardman decided that they had a good idea for a new drinking game – the Shot Glass Chess Set. The idea prompted them to create a completely online company where people could purchase this and other obscure but “cool” products. The idea was to create a site where the public could meet with original and interesting products. They began in Cardiff, Wales as hotbox.co.uk, then in 1999 moved to London and relaunched as Firebox.com [4] Recently Firebox.com launched a US site and has set up a US-based distribution center.
Michael Acton Smith is also the founder of Mind Candy makers of Perplex City, an alternate reality game based on puzzles, a missing artifact and a fictional city. In 2008 Acton Smith also launched Moshi Monsters, an online game/social networking site for pre-teens which grew to over 4 million users by July 2009.[5]
Products
- Gifts
- Gadgets
- Toys
- Games
- Firetots
- Lifestyle
- Design
- Technology
- Geek
- Eco-friendly
- Retro
- Experiences
- WTF - What the firebox
Most of the products sold on Firebox.com are skewed towards people who are into obscure or abstract items that are unique and hard to come by otherwise.[6] The site states:"We're very selective though - so only the most original, most exciting products get picked."[7]
External links
- Firebox.com
- Mind Candy Design (Founded by Michael Acton Smith)
- Perplex City Website (Created by Mind Candy)
- List of Awards and Reviews
References
- ↑ http://levelbusiness.com/doc/company/uk/03874477/financials
- ↑ "Firebox.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2014-04-01.
- ↑ Firebox About page
- ↑ Article on the first years of Firebox.com.
- ↑ http://www.socialmedia.biz/2009/07/16/the-hottest-game-startup-in-europe/
- ↑ A review from Product Reviews
- ↑ Firebox About page