Babies R Us
The company currently operates 585 stores in the United States and 716 stores in 34 other countries, with some of them under franchises or licenses. The flagship store in New York City's Times Square is the largest toy store in the world,featuring a colorful Ferris wheel.
It is also the second largest toy store chain in the United States (Wal-Mart being the largest).
History
The early years
The original location is now Madam's Organ Blues Bar on 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan
Chuck Lazarus initially started Children's Supermart, which would later evolve into the modern day Toys "R Us in Washington, DC during the post-war baby boom era in 1948 as a baby furniture retailer. Its first location was at 2461 18th St, NW, where the nightclub, Madam's Organ Blues Bar is currently located.
Eventually, the focus of the store changed in 1957 and Toys "R" Us as it is known today was born in Rockville, Maryland when Toys "R" Us was acquired in 1966 by Interstate Stores, owner of the White Front and Topps Department Stores as well as Children's Bargain Town USA, a sister toy store chain to Toys "R" Us in the American Midwest which would later be rebranded as part of the Toys "R" Us chain. Toys "R" Us is also notable for making its mark in popular culture for being mentioned, parodied, or appearing in movies and TV shows, such as Back to the Future, The Blues Brothers, The Simpsons, Family Guy,The Flintstones, and Mystery Science Theater 3000.
The Bluesmobile races through the Dixie Square Mall, emerging from the Toys "R" Us store on the left side, from The Blues Brothers.
A replica of the Chrysler Building, made entirely of Lego bricks, on display at the Times Square location of Toys "R" Us in New York City.
The buyout
After several major missteps in the marketplace, mainly precipitated by the removal of a member of its Board of Directors, Toys "R" Us experienced difficulty. In an effort to improve its company, the Board of Directors installed John Eyler, formerly of FAO Schwarz.
Eyler launched an unsuccessful, and very expensive plan to remodel and re-launch the chain. Blaming market pressures (primarily competition from Wal-Mart and Target), Toys "R" Us considered splitting its toys and baby businesses.
On July 21, 2005, a consortium of Bain Capital Partners LLC, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Public stock closed for the last time at $26.74, just pennies from the 52-week high, but far short of its all time high of almost $45 in fourth-quarter 1993, and its five-year high of $31 in 2Q 2001.
Toys "R" Us is now a privately owned entity.
An exterior of a typical second generation Toys "R" Us store in Rome, Georgia, United States.
Amazon.com lawsuit
In early 2006, Toys "R" Us won a major battle against Amazon.com after years of bitter battles over their original 10 year contract made at the height of the dotcom boom at the turn of the century. The battle focused on exclusivity rights as viewed from both company's perspectives.
Amazon announced the loss of the case late in the quarter to its stock owners.
Shutter of 87 stores
On January 9, 2006, Toys "R" Us announced that 87 stores in the United States would close that year, most closing within the spring. 12 more stores were to be converted to the "Babies "R" Us" format.
One of the first new super stores to open is in Rockford, Illinois, and is expected to open by mid-September.
Affiliated chains
Toys "R" Us store at United Square Mall, Singapore
Toys "R" Us, Inc. Kids "R" Us stores now are co-branded with some Toys "R" Us stores, located inside most Toys "R" Us locations.
One of the Kids "R" Us locations was found at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Babies "R" Us logo used until 2007
Babies "R" Us - Superstores specializing in clothing, furniture, toys and other accessories for babies.
Bikes "R" Us - Bike store inside Toys "R" Us (UK only)
Geoffrey's Toys "R" Us/Geoffrey - Retailtainment stores named for Toys "R" Us' mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe, offering toys, juvenile merchandise, and children's apparel all in one location. Mostly found in the American Midwest, but are also found in Texas, Mississippi, and North Carolina.
The first store under the "Geoffrey" banner opened in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, but eventually closed because of poor sales figures. Two other remaining Geoffrey's Toys "R" Us stores in Wisconsin still exist in nearby markets, such as the Green Bay, Wisconsin and Appleton, Wisconsin markets.
These stores are currently in the process of being reverted back to regular Toys "R" Us stores as of spring 2008.
Toys "R" Us Toy Box (introduced in 2003) - This version of Toys "R" Us is found in Albertsons, Giant, Jewel-Osco supermarkets, and stores in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Toys "R" Us KidsWorld - A toy superstore format introduced in 1996. (Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Taiwan (Republic of China), and other)
Imaginarium - An independent chain of kids toy stores with a focus on learning toys, located mostly in malls was bought by Toys "R" Us in 1999.
When most of the Toys "R" Us stores were remodeled, their layouts were redesigned to included an Imaginarium department.
Studio Alice- Found inside Toys "R" Us in Japan.
Logos
The yellow reverse "R" in quotation marks, which is similar to the Cyrillic letter Я, (ISO 9: Я), imitates a small child's backward writing of "R", which is short for "are". The current, modernized Toys "R" Us logo was introduced in 1977 as logo #1, a blue star was added to the logo in late-1998/early-1999 during the Toys "R" Us "Concept 2000" era and is dubbed logo #2, the "Concept 2000 Star" logo.
Logo #2 was seen earlier in the 2000s decade on the Nickelodeon game show, Double Dare 2000; and on new "Concept 2000" Toys "R" Us stores or older stores that were converted to "Concept 2000" stores. The "R Us" name was derived as a pun on the founder's first name, Lazarus.
Newly refurbished stores now display the revised logo, as does the UK website and all media publications.
Mascot
Geoffrey in his current design.
Geoffrey Jr.
In the 1960s, an anthropomorphic giraffe cartoon character was introduced as Toys "R" Us' mascot. Today, Toys "R" Us International operates, licenses or franchises approximately 688 toy stores in 33 countries outside the United States.
Toys "R" Us Japan
Toys "R" Us Japan
Australia, established 1993, 32 stores and 1 Babies "R" Us store
Austria, 10 Stores
Bahrain
Canada, established 1984, 65 stores
China (Mainland), established December 2006
Denmark, established 1995, 13 stores
Egypt
Finland, established 2006, 4 stores
France
Germany, established 1987, 48 Stores, domicile of Toys "R" Us Europe (Cologne)
Greece, Coming Soon in 2009
Hong Kong, established 2006, at least 7 stores, 24 toy boxes
Iceland, Opened October 2007, 2 Stores and at least three more will open.
Indonesia
Republic of Ireland
Israel, established 1995 , 23 stores in 2006
Italy
Japan, established 1989, 148 stores and 20 Babies "R" Us stores
Kuwait
Macau
Malaysia, 15 stores
Netherlands, 17 stores
Norway, 8 stores
Philippines, established 2007, at least three stores
Portugal
Qatar, 1 store, in Doha
Saudi Arabia
Singapore, established 1984, 7 stores including Vivocity
South Africa, 18 stores
South Korea
Spain
Sweden, established 1994, 13 stores
Switzerland, 4 Stores
Taiwan (Republic of China)
Thailand, established 2005, 6 stores
Turkey
United Arab Emirates, located in Deira near the Reef Mall and a recent one just opened in Festival City
United Kingdom, established 1985, 74 stores and 2 Babies "R" Us stores
United States, established 1948 as Children's Supermart
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