What kind of person logs onto a site called ToiletPaperWorld.com?
A scatological preteen would be disappointed; there's not a potty joke around. A candidate for "Jeopardy" or "Millionaire," though, might benefit from the site's link to the Toilet Paper Encyclopedia, a compendium of facts like where and when toilet paper made its first appearance (China, 1391), and who invented the flush toilet (Sir John Harington in 1596).
Kenn Fischburg, the site's creator, acknowledges that the name is a gimmick. "The site's a bit of fun, sure," he said. "But really, it's strictly business."
Indeed, ToiletPaperWorld.com is the Web sales arm of the Consumers Interstate Corp., a distributor of janitorial supplies that has grown to more than $25 million in annual sales.
Now it wants to reach out to small businesses and consumers — customers unlikely to order enough to warrant a personal sales call, but who might be willing to buy online a case of toilet paper, or any of the 10,000 other items the company offers.
"Let's face it, calling the site Consumers.com isn't going to generate much excitement," he said.
Fischburg has farmed out the fulfillment process, so he does not have to keep extra inventory on hand. He is passing the shipping costs on to the customers. And he has done no advertising, figuring that word of mouth will do the trick.