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So, Sock Puppet, have e-dogs had their days?
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 12, 2000 The world's leading online store for pet supplies, Pets.com, closed down Tuesday. The San Francisco-based e-tailer said it was unable to raise additional funding, making it another victim of the current backlash against e-commerce by the venture capital industry. Pets.com is best known for its endearing mascot, Sock Puppet, whose lyrical singing appearances on national television and authorship of a book (Me By Me) transformed him into one of the Internet's most recognized figures. How did a microphone-clutching sweat sock with a watch around his neck, a lopsided look and ears attached by safety pins become such a hot marketing item? After Pets.com shut down, this correspondent caught up with Sock Puppet, who was licking his wounds in a sock drawer. We asked the Internet veteran what lies ahead for online retailing and himself. Here are some excerpts: Times: Sorry about the demise of Pets.com, Sock Puppet. What happened? SP: Pets.com was top dog in the litter of online pet supply stores, No. 1. But it did not matter. May it rest in peace. Times: So it just ran out of venture capital funding? SP: No dough, no go. We just barked up the wrong money tree. Times: Word is that Amazon.com and Walt Disney both invested in Pets.com. But they refused to put up any more funds after your site lost $22-million in the third quarter. SP: (Scratching) Nobody told me we had to make a profit. I hear Disney was advised by somebody named Goofy! Who let that dog out? Woof! Times: You urged people to buy online "because pets can't drive." Was competition too tough? Were shipping costs too high? Were consumers too reluctant to buy online? SP: Online shoppers will buy plenty of books, CDs, toys, clothing and airline tickets. But using the Internet to have bags of pet food shipped to your house apparently isn't much of a priority. Can you imagine? Times: But Sock Puppet, you had your own $2.5-million Super Bowl ad. Your own float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Even interviews on such Disney-owned ABC shows as Nightline and Good Morning America. SP: Ha! Just chew toys on the path to stardom. I'll be back. After all, I was pulling 1.2-million customers a month to my Web site. Best of breed. Times: You got so popular that they started selling Sock Puppet puppets online for $20 a pop and other puppet gear such as a stuffed animal, $50 wristwatches, clothing and drinking bowls for pets. SP: I'm negotiating for a Disney movie: 101 Sock Puppets. Or maybe Old Yeller Sock Puppet. Times: Your Pets.com IPO in February was a dot-com dog and never rose above its $11 asking price. Shares traded below $1 since September. SP: Buyer, beware. I was smart. Skipped the stock and got paid in kibble. Times: How have you taken the loss of Pets.com? SP: Ruff. These are the dog days for online shopping sites. But I've got some job feelers out on the Net. Times: Sounds promising. Who are you talking to? SP: Don't let it get around, but I contacted a former rival, Petopia.com. Even a sock puppet's got to eat! Times: Did you know Petopia recently laid off 120 employees, more than half of its staff? SP: Bummer. I've got a pal named Argyle at Furniture.com, the online furniture store. Maybe that's something I could sink my teeth into. Times: But Furniture.com just shut itself down Monday. SP: Hey, look at this face. I can pitch vitamins and beauty aids! I've got connections at MotherNature.com, BeautyJungle.com, Clickmango.com and Eve.com. Times: Sorry, Sock Puppet. They've all died, too. SP: (Growls) Where's a venture capitalist's ankle when you need one! Times: Maybe this Internet shakeout is just meant to be. Ever heard of Charles Darwin? SP: Uhhhh. What kind of sock is he? Times: I mean Darwin as in natural selection. Survival of the fittest. SP: You want fittest? I can fit size 9 to 13, bucko. Times: Some analysts say the epidemic of dot-com failures was simply delayed because venture capital fever propped up a bunch of iffy e-commerce players. Simply put, are the losers leaving? Is the Internet game still young? SP: No bones about it. Find me a new gig. I'm still a pup and ready to howl! Times: I understand you were created by Chiat/Day, the same ad company that invented the Energizer Bunny and the Taco Bell Chihuahua. That dog lost his job this year, too. SP: Can the Bunny sing? Could the Chihuahua even hold a microphone? All ad bark and no bite. Times: What's the next gig for Sock Puppet? SP: Not sure. As Ed Sullivan once said: It's got to be a really big shoe. And online, of course. Times: Sorry again, Sock Puppet, that you got the boot. Please let us know when you step into your next online opportunity. SP: No problem, oh bright bulb. Just remember which one of us just interviewed a sweat sock! -- Robert Trigaux can be reached at (727) 893-8405 or trigaux@sptimes.com
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From the Times Business report
From the AP
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