Toys "R" Us
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- The title of this article is incorrect because of technical limitations. The correct title is Toys "Я" Us.
Toys "R" Us Template:Nyse is a toy store chain based in the United States. It also operates in other countries, with around 1,500 stores world wide. The Toys "R" Us chain was founded by Charles Lazarus in Washington, DC during the post-war baby boom era in 1948. The flagship store in New York City's Times Square is the largest toy store in the world, featuring a colorful ferris wheel.
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Other Toys "R" Us Chains
Toys "R" Us, Inc. also owns other chains:
- Kids "R" Us - A store that specilizes in kid's clothing.
- Babies "R" Us baby superstores.
- Geoffrey's Toys "R" Us - A variation of the toy store named for the store's wisecracking "spokesanimal", Geoffrey the Giraffe and offering toys, juvenile merchandise, and children's apparel all in one convenient location. Other features include a "Studio G" activity center.
- Toys "R" Us Toy Box - Introduced in 2003, this variation of Toys "R" Us is found in Albertson's, Osco Drug, Jewel-Osco, and Sav-On supermarkets and drug stores.
- Toys "R" Us KidsWorld - a toy superstore format introduced in 1996.
- Geoffrey Stores
Competition from Discount Stores and Other Retailers
Due to market pressures (primarily competition from Wal-Mart and Target Stores), Toys "R" Us is moving away from the toy business and focusing instead on its other chains.
About the Toys "Я" Us Logo
The backwards yellow "R", found in quotation marks and more recently, a blue star, is the most distinctive part of the retailer's colorful kid friendly logo. The "R Us" name has been imitated by many other businesses, such as Tiles R Us and Tuxedos R Us.
Geoffrey the Giraffe
In 1978, Geoffrey the Giraffe, an anthropomorphic cartoon giraffe character was introduced as its mascot, appearing in the company's television commercials. Later, a live-action animatronic Geoffrey was used, created by Stan Winston Studios and voiced by Jim Hanks.
KKR Buyout
In March of 2005, a consortium of investors led by buyout specialists Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. agreed to buy the toy giant for a reported $6.6 billion (USD). [1] (http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/17/news/fortune500/toysrus/index.htm?section=cnn_topstories)
The Toys "R" Us Song
The Toys "R" Us Song was a song used in many different Toys "R" Us commercials in the 1980s and 1990s.
I don't wanna grow up
I'm a Toys "R" Us kid
They've got a million toys at Toys "R" Us
That I can play with
From bikes to trains to video games
It's the biggest toy store there is (gee whiz!)
I don't wanna grow up, because if I did
I wouldn't be a Toys "R" Us kid.
External links
- toysrus.com (retail, hosted by Amazon.com) (http://www.toysrus.com/)
- toysrusinc.com (corporate) (http://www.toysrusinc.com/)
- Yahoo! – Toys "R" Us, Inc. Company Profile (http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/11/11495.html)Template:Retail-stub