Toys "R" Us
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Toys "R" Us is an American toy, clothing, and baby product retailer that was founded in April 1948 by Charles Lazarus in Washington, D.C.
The retailer initially began as Children's Supermart, selling furniture until it refocused itself as Toys "R" Us in June 1957. By the end of the 1970s, Toys "R" Us had opened locations across the United States, followed by another major growth in the 1980s to become one of the U.S.'s leading toy retailers. In the mid-1980s, it expanded internationally and established Canadian and British divisions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 2017, Toys "R" Us filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. and Canada.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2018, Toys "R" Us closed its remaining 200 stores after entering bankruptcy, however certain international divisions outside of the United States continued.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In January 2019, the global (excluding Canada) Toys "R" Us intellectual property was transferred to Tru Kids, Inc. In August 2021, Tru Kids announced that Toys "R" Us would be opening over 400 stores within Macy's starting in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A few new standalone stores would open, starting late in 2021. The flagship store is located in New Jersey at the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A second flagship store was opened inside the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, in November 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Origins
In April 1948, Charles P. Lazarus founded a baby-furniture retailer, Children's Supermart, in Washington, D.C. during the postwar baby boom;<ref name=nytimes>Template:Cite news</ref> the store's site at 2461 18th St NW later became Madam's Organ Blues Bar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The store was acquired in 1966 by Interstate Department Stores, Inc.<ref name="nyt-1967jan20">Template:Cite news</ref>
The focus of the store changed in June 1957, and the first Toys "R" Us, dedicated exclusively to toys rather than furniture, was opened by Lazarus in Rockville, Maryland.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lazarus also designed and stylized the Toys "R" Us logo, which featured a backwards "R" to give the impression that a child wrote it. The store chain grew successfully and built a brand which was recognizable to many children born from the 1960s to the 1990s, and it shared in the success of the birth of popular culture successes of action figures (Star Wars, G.I. Joe), dolls (Cabbage Patch Kids, Rainbow Brite), video games (Nintendo's Super Mario series and other co-developed names, original Sega Genesis stations and titles), and ultimately the co-branded FAO series, as the higher-end FAO Schwarz stores folded.<ref name=nytimes/>
21st century
The board of directors installed John Eyler as CEO (formerly of FAO Schwarz) in May 2000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Eyler launched a plan to remodel and re-launch the chain.<ref name="kidsrus">Template:Cite news</ref> Blaming market pressures (primarily competition from Walmart and Target), Toys "R" Us considered splitting its toy and baby businesses.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On March 17, 2005, a consortium of Bain Capital Partners LLC, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) and Vornado Realty Trust announced a $6.6 billion leveraged buyout of the company.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Public stock closed for the last time on July 21, 2005, at $26.75—a 63% increase since when it first announced that the company was put up for sale. Toys "R" Us became a privately owned entity after the buyout.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The company still files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as required by its debt agreements.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Toys "R" Us announced plans for an IPO on May 28, 2010,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but canceled them on March 29, 2013, citing market conditions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In December 2013, eight days before Christmas, Toys "R" Us announced their stores in the United States would stay open for 87 hours straight.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The flagship store of the retailer in Times Square was open for 24 hours a day from December 1 to 24, to cater to tourists.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The announcement came after snow and rain caused a nearly 9 percent year-over-year decline in US store foot traffic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This move also pushed the retailer to hire an additional 45,000 seasonal workers to cater to the demand of the extended store hours.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> Since the toy business is highly seasonal, more than 40% of the company's sales come in during the last quarter of the year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2014, Toys "R" Us announced its "TRU Transformation" strategy, which concentrated on efforts to fix foundational issues affecting future growth, including making stores less cluttered, improving the customer experience, clearer pricing strategies and promotions, and tighter integration of its retail and online businesses.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2015, the company launched the first of a new concept store called the "Toy Lab" in Freehold, New Jersey.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The new layout provided more space for interactive exhibits and areas to play with new toys before purchase. This concept has since been expanded to stores in California, Delaware, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Bankruptcy
On September 18, 2017, Toys "R" Us, Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, stating the move would give it flexibility to deal with $5 billion in long-term debt by borrowing $2 billion to pay suppliers for the upcoming holiday season and invest in operations.<ref name="usatoday-bankruptcy">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="reuters-bankruptcy">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="wp170919">Template:Cite news</ref> The company has not had an annual profit since 2013. It reported a net loss of US$164 million in the quarter ending April 29, 2017. It lost US$126 million in the same period in the prior year.<ref name="smh-OZ-bus-as-usual"/> It had been paying US$400 million per year to service its debt, which prevented it from investing in improvements to in-store experiences to compete with Amazon and Walmart. Although the "retail apocalypse" was a factor, some analysts cited that the rapid increase in debt occurred under its private equity ownership.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The company was reported to have a total workforce of 64,000 in September 2017.<ref name=reuters-bankruptcy/>
It was initially stated that only the US and Canadian operations would be affected,<ref name="smh-OZ-bus-as-usual">Template:Cite news</ref> and that its brick-and-mortar stores and online sales sites would continue to operate.<ref name="cnbc-bankruptcy">Template:Cite news</ref> In January 2018, the company announced it would liquidate and close up to 182 of its stores in the US as part of its restructuring, as well as convert up to 12 stores into co-branded Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us stores.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On February 28, 2018, it was reported that the company was exploring retaining its stronger Canadian operations, and the divestiture of some of its corporate-owned stores to franchises (leaving approximately 200 in a downsized chain).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Toys "R" Us Inc. later announced that all US locations would be closed.<ref name="US R Us Shutdown">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Toys 'R' Us will close or sell all US stores">Template:Cite news</ref>
On March 15, 2018, Toys "R" Us received approval from the bankruptcy court to liquidate its stores.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="WSJdoom">Template:Cite news</ref> There were buyers interested in acquiring groups of stores to use as showrooms, as well as others interested in acquiring the chain's brand and associated intellectual property.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The company indicated in filings that the Canadian operations were profitable, and desired to preserve the operations of the 82-store chain through a sale.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> MGA Entertainment had made an offer to acquire the Canadian operations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> MGA Entertainment CEO Isaac Larian attempted to raise $200 million through investments and public crowdfunding to purchase at least 400 of the US locations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref>
Liquidation sales began on March 23, 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The chain's online store shut down on March 29, redirecting visitors to information on the liquidation and closures.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 24, 2018, it was announced that the Canadian division would be sold to Fairfax Financial for approximately $234 million, and would continue to operate the locations under the Toys "R" Us name.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Fairfax stated that it was potentially interested in purchasing US locations as an extension of these Canadian operations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On April 13, a bid was made by Isaac Larian to buy 356 Toys "R" Us stores for $890 million, but was rejected on April 17 and was fully scrapped on April 23.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":1"/>
On June 29, 2018, Toys "R" Us permanently closed all of its remaining US locations, after 70 years of operations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In early July 2018, it was reported that unknown benefactors had bought all of the remaining stock of two locations in North Carolina so they could be donated to charity.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In November 2018, Fortune noted that the absence of the retailer during the 2018 holiday season represented a Template:US$ chunk of toy sales from which other retailers could benefit.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Party supply retailer Party City capitalized on the closures by establishing temporary pop-up stores under the branding Toy City, some of which filled vacancies left by Toys "R" Us locations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Restructuring, Tru Kids, Inc., WHP Global, second restructuring, and third restructuring
On October 1, 2018, the company issued a bankruptcy court filing which stated that it would no longer auction off its intellectual property, since its controlling lender planned to "[revive] the business behind the Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us brand names" with a focus on maintaining existing licensing agreements and establishing new retail opportunities. The company evaluated that selling its brand at auction "[was] not reasonably likely to yield a superior alternative."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
At the Toy Industry Association's Fall Toy Preview, the company unveiled plans for a preliminary venture to be known as Geoffrey's Toy Box, a wholesale store-within-a-store concept that the company planned to deploy in time for the holiday shopping season. The company planned to revive the Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us brands in the future.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In November 2018, it was announced that grocery market chain Kroger would add toy displays under the Geoffrey's Toy Box brand to some of its locations, to sell selections of Toys "R" Us private-label products. The brand operates under Geoffrey LLC, an intellectual property holding company within Toys "R" Us.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On January 20, 2019, the company emerged from bankruptcy as Tru Kids.<ref name=ToyBook>Template:Cite news</ref>
Relaunch
As of June 21, 2019, the company planned to open new stores in the US slated to be 10,000 square feet, roughly a third of the size of the big box brand that closed in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On November 27, 2019, Toys "R" Us opened a retail store at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On December 7, 2019, a second location was opened at The Galleria in Houston, Texas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On October 8, 2019, the company relaunched the Toys "R" Us website, which would feature a focus on resources and videos highlighting popular toys. The site was established in partnership with Target, with users being redirected to Target.com to place their orders. In 2020, the agreement lapsed, and Amazon replaced Target as the site's fulfillment partner.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Target">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2021, as a result of financial losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the only two US stores once again closed down. The Houston location closed on January 15, 2021, and the Paramus location closed on January 26, 2021. The company stated that they made a strategic decision to pivot their store strategy, so they can look for new stores and platforms that will offer better traffic and that they continue to invest in channels where customers will want to experience their brand.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On March 15, 2021, it was announced that brand management company WHP Global acquired a controlling interest in Tru Kids, which is the parent company of the Toys "R Us, Babies R Us and Geoffrey the Giraffe brands. Going forward WHP will be managing Tru Kids business, and help guiding its expansion. In North America WHP plans to open Toys "R" Us stores, again — ideally ahead of the holiday season and could come on various formats to include flagships, pop-ups, airport locations or mini stores inside other retailers' shops. WHP has not yet set a number of locations it plans to open in the United States. WHP is backed by a $350 million equity commitment from funds that are managed by Oaktree Capital Management. Financial terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On August 19, 2021, WHP announced a new shift in branding by partnering with Macy's to sell toys on the retailer's website and open store-within-a-store locations at 400 department store locations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On December 16, 2021, Toys "R" Us opened a two-story flagship store at a size of Template:Convert in the American Dream Meadowlands mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On August 7, 2022, Toys "R" Us opened new locations in nine states: California, Georgia, New Jersey, Illinois, Nevada, Louisiana, New York, Maryland, and Missouri. These stores are located inside Macy's stores and range from Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The company opened a store in every Macy's location in the United States by October 15, 2022, just in time for the holiday season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A second flagship store was opened inside the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota in November 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On September 29, 2023, WHP announced their intention to open 24 new physical stores in the United States. These stores would be stand-alone locations and would begin to open in 2024. WHP also announced smaller stores that would be located in airports and cruise ships. The first of these smaller stores opened in November 2023, and is located in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Two additional flagship stores were opened during the 2024 holiday season, one at Harlem Irving Plaza in Norridge, Illinois, and a second at Tanger Outlets in San Marcos, Texas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On June 5, 2025, only 6 years to the day of the partnership, the new ASX-listed Australian arm went back into voluntary administration after years of losses.<ref name="aus2">Template:Cite news</ref> The former subsidiary was previously liquidated by administrators in 2018 and was taken up by Hobby Warehouse as an online store from 2019. On July 31, 2025, the company was taken over by Directed Electronics Australia in a deed of company arrangement and removed from the ASX.<ref name=private>Template:Cite news</ref>
On September 16, 2025, the company announced plans to open ten new flagship stores and 20 seasonal holiday shops by the end of 2025. The first flagship would open at Chicago Premium Outlets in Aurora, Illinois on September 20, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The locations of all twenty seasonal holiday shops and eight of the ten flagship stores were revealed on October 16, 2025. The second new flagship store was opened in Camarillo Premium Outlets in Camarillo, California on October 25, 2025, with the third following a week later at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines, Iowa on November 1.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additional flagship stores are expected to open in Arundel Mills in Hanover, Maryland, Westroads Mall in Omaha, Nebraska, Denver Premium Outlets in Thornton, Colorado, Tanger Outlets Deer Park in Deer Park, New York, and Towne East Square in Witchita, Kansas by the end of 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Flagship store in Times Square
On November 17, 2001,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Toys "R" Us opened an international flagship store in New York's Times Square at a cost of $35 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The 110,000 square-foot store included various themed zones such as Barbie (with a life-size dreamhouse), Jurassic Park (with an animatronic T-Rex), Lego, and the signature indoor Ferris wheel. The flagship store also served as a gaming destination, partnering with Microsoft to be the world's first location to launch the original Xbox console on November 15, 2001.<ref name="microsoft2001">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2006, the store added a Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova arcade machine in its electronics department. The store later added a full amusement arcade, known as "R"Cade.
In August 2017, Toys "R" Us announced a 35,000 square-foot temporary store near the original one that would be open around the Christmas shopping season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Charitable giving
From 2004 until the company's end in 2018,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Toys "R" Us Inc.,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the former owner of Toys "R" Us, had partnered with the Toys for Tots foundation to serve as a donation site for anyone donating unwrapped toys or monetary gifts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, there is no evidence that the current parent, Tru Kids Inc., has continued Toys "R" Us's relationship with Toys for Tots and the Toys for Tots Foundation has not included any recent information on their website concerning Toys "R" Us since the Toys "R" Us Inc. bankruptcy filing in 2018.
Product safety
Toys "R" Us had reportedly implemented high safety standards in 2007 and had vowed to take an aggressive approach towards holding vendors accountable for meeting those standards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Former chairman and CEO Gerald L. Storch, testifying before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government on toy safety in September 2007, said he supported new legislation strengthening toy-safety standards and outlined new initiatives the retailer had set forth to ensure that its customers receive timely information on recalls (including a new website).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2008, the company introduced stricter product safety standards exceeding federal requirements. Among the new standards was a requirement for materials inside toys to meet a standard of 250 parts per million of lead for all products manufactured exclusively for the retailer (compared with the federal standard of 600 ppm). Toys "R" Us also announced the requirement that baby products be produced without the addition of phthalates, which have raised concerns about infant safety.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The company had adjusted its requirements to meet new federal standards enacted with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Feature film
A feature film is in development, produced by Story Kitchen and Toys “R” Us Studios, as announced on April 22, 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Toys "R" Us was also featured in several feature films, including The Blues Brothers (1980),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Eloise at Christmastime (2003), which featured the Times Square flagship store,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Roofman (2025).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Spirit Halloween: The Movie (2022) was filmed at a Spirit Halloween formerly occupied by Toys "R" Us.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Other brands
Imaginarium
Imaginarium was a private label brand of Toys "R" Us for most of their toys that was acquired in 1999.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> Originally after the acquisition by Toys "R" Us in 1999, it also operated stores until 2004.<ref name="kidsrus"/>
Kids "R" Us
Kids "R" Us was a children's discount clothing retailer. Their first stores opened in February 1983 in Paramus, New Jersey, and Brooklyn, New York.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The chain folded in January 2004 after the retailer suffered deteriorating same-store sales and to focus more on the Toys "R" Us brand.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="kidsrus"/> While the standalone stores closed in 2003, the stores combined with Toys "R" Us would stay until at least 2007 when they all closed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Babies "R" Us
The first Babies "R" Us store opened in April 1996 in Westbury, New York.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 1997, Toys "R" Us acquired Duncan-based Baby Superstore, Inc., a 78-store chain, for $376 million. The locations were converted into Babies "R" Us.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The store operates as a specialty baby products retailer and grew to about 260 stores in the United States. The stores offer an assortment of products for newborns, infants, and toddlers. The company also maintains a registry and offers pre- and post-natal classes and events.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2011, Toys "R" Us began to open co-branded locations with Babies "R" Us departments at 21 new locations and 23 remodeled locations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Babies "R" Us reopened in July 2023 with a new flagship location inside the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On May 10, 2024, it was announced that Babies "R" Us would be opening 200 store-within-a-store locations inside of Kohl's. These locations opened in the fall of 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
FAO Schwarz
In May 2006, Toys "R" Us, Inc., acquired toy retailer FAO Schwarz including the retailer's flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, as well as its e-commerce site, FAO.com.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The company closed the FAO Schwarz flagship store in New York on July 15, 2015, citing rising rental costs, but continued to carry FAO Schwarz-branded toys in its Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us stores until 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Toys "R" Us Express
For the 2009 holiday-shopping season, Toys "R" Us tried a smaller-store concept to attract customers and 90 "Holiday Express" stores across the United States and Canada were opened.<ref name=TRUoffensive>Template:Cite news</ref> The Holiday Express stores are smaller than regular Toys "R" Us stores, often in malls, and offer a more limited selection of merchandise than would be available at a stand-alone Toys "R" Us store. Most (if not all) of these 90 stores were opened in shopping-center and mall spaces that had been vacated by store chains closing their doors during the recession (including KB Toys, several of which were taken over by Toys "R" Us).<ref name=TRUoffensive/> Toys "R" Us's plan was to keep the Holiday Express stores open until early January 2010 and close them shortly thereafter, but the success of so many prompted the company to reconsider and several were kept open.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> These stores are known as "Toys "R" Us Express". Beginning in May 2010, Toys "R" Us opened a total of 600 Express stores. Four more were converted to Toys "R" Us outlet stores.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As with the larger basic Toys "R" Us stores, these locations also closed along with the outlet stores in the United States during summer 2018.
Online operations
Toys "R" Us began selling toys online with the launch of Toysrus.com in 1998.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following a disastrous Christmas 1999 trading period during which the company failed to deliver gifts on time,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Toys "R" Us entered into a ten-year contract with online retailer Amazon in 2000 to be the exclusive supplier of toys on the website.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Amazon eventually reneged on the terms of the contract by allowing third-party retailers to use its marketplace to sell toys, citing Toys "R" Us's failure to carry a sufficiently large range of goods, including the most popular lines.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2006, Toys "R" Us successfully sued Amazon; the company was awarded $51 million in damages in 2009, just over half of the $93 million initially claimed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
It placed at No. 29 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide for 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Toysrus.com was one of the most visited sites in the specialty toy and baby products retail category with an assortment of toys.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, Babiesrus.com offered a wide selection of baby products and supplies and access to the company's baby registry.
Looking to expand its web portfolio, in February 2009, the company acquired online toy seller eToys.com from Parent Co., which filed for bankruptcy protection in December 2008. Financial terms were not disclosed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Around the same time, it was reported that Toys "R" Us, Inc. bought Toys.com for an estimated $5.1 million. Today, the company operates Toys.com to list unadvertised and exclusive deals available on its portfolio of e-commerce sites.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2010, Toys "R" Us, Inc. reported that its Internet sales grew 29.9% year-over-year to $782 million from $602 million, and in April 2011, the company announced plans to open a dedicated e-commerce fulfillment center in McCarran, Nevada.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The company later reported online sales of $1 billion for 2011 and $1.1 billion for 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Under Tru Kids, the Toys "R" Us website was revived in 2019 in partnership with Target. Online orders were being redirected to Target.com for fulfillment. In 2020, the site switched to Amazon as its fulfillment partner. This lasted until 2021, when fulfillment was handed over to Macys.com as part of their deal with Toys "R" Us.<ref name=":4"/><ref name="Target"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Mascot
Formerly known as "Dr. G. Raffe" in 1950s print advertisements for Children's Bargaintown, Geoffrey the Giraffe evolved in name and appearance over the next decade to become the official mascot of the renamed Toys "R" Us. He also made his first TV commercial appearance on television in 1973.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Serving as a "spokesanimal" for the brand, Geoffrey's design went through several phases for more than 50 years before the star-spotted iteration was finalized in November 2007.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2017, the company sponsored the live camera broadcast for April the Giraffe, which helped support giraffe conservation and awareness. The sponsored camera of pregnant April the giraffe went viral with millions of views on YouTube and across social media platforms.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
- Jamie Morgan & Muhammad Ali Nasir (2020) "Financialised Private Equity Finance and the Debt Gamble: The Case of Toys R Us." New Political Economy.
- "Charles P. Lazarus: The Titan of Toys "R" Us" by Anne Koopman, 1991 Template:ISBN
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