Condoms with everything

Lycos today put condoms over everything and opened the Web’s first virtual department store, but it says UK shoppers will have to wait until Valentine’s Day to get the full monty. The US Lycos Store claims to sell everything from contraceptives to cars. This Internet extravaganza is piloted in the UK from today, with readers able to bid in an auction for two Furbies, RRP £39.99, which will be auctioned off for charity between now and 23 December. Richard Spinks, Lycos UK business development director, said the promotion is designed to show what the system is capable of. He says it will charge £495 per £10,000 page views for businesses wishing to take part. Spinks said: "This is the perfect way for businesses to test the benefits of selling over the Web." When asked which product stood out the most, spunky Spinks swiftly replied: "Condoms". Lycos has grown to the point where it has the fourth biggest Internet audience, behind Yahoo!, AOL and Microsoft. It acquired Wired Digital for $83 million earlier this year.®