Virtual Piggy Adds Toy Store Clients in the U.K.

Virtual Piggy is adding merchants in the U.K., setting up its youth money management and ecommerce system at Toy Galaxy and Toadstool companies.

Virtual Piggy's system allows teens to make purchasing, money management and saving decisions by themselves, while allowing parents to set up certain controls and limits. Its service, available online and on mobile, is free to end users.

“Our privacy and control features are resonating well with parents, children and stores throughout Europe,” says Joe Peden, general manager of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Virtual Piggy, in a May 21 press release.

Toy Galaxy is a major retailer in the U.K. Its planned online store will have more than 9,000 products. London-based Toadstool offers toys made to stimulate learning and creativity. Virtual Piggy is based in Hermosa Beach, Calif.

While Virtual Piggy continues to add merchants, it faces challenges connecting the generation gap between parents and kids. To bridge this gap, the company has added a number of new hires, including former PayPal executive Iain Herd as its global mobile product director.