Toys 'R' Us
Webpages concerning "Toys 'R' Us"
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Wikipedia-Article "Toys 'R' Us"
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| Type | Public (1978-2005)
Privately Owned (2005-present) |
|---|---|
| Founded | Washington, D.C., 1948 |
| Location | Wayne, New Jersey |
| Key people | Richard L. Markee Interim CEO & President for Babies "Я" Us |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Toys |
| Revenue | $11,100 million USD |
| Operating income | {{{operating_income}}} |
| Net income | {{{net_income}}} |
| Employees | 113,000 |
| Website | http://www.toysrusinc.com/ |
| {{{footnotes}}} | |
- The correct title of this article is Toys "Я" Us. It appears incorrectly here due to technical restrictions.
Toys "Я" Us (NYSE: TOY) 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 "Я" Us chain was founded by Charles Lazarus in Washington, DC during the post-war baby boom era in 1948. The company has since relocated to Wayne, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City. 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 "'Я' Us" chains
Toys "Я" Us, Inc. also owns other chains:
- Kids "Я" Us - A store that is out of business, dealt with children's clothing.
- Babies "Я" Us - baby superstores.
- Geoffrey's Toys "Я" Us - A spin-off 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 location. Other features include a "Studio G" activity center. Mostly found in the midwest.
- Toys "Я" Us Toy Box - Introduced in 2003, this spin-off of Toys "Я" Us is found in Albertson's, Osco Drug, Jewel-Osco, and Sav-On supermarkets and drug stores.
- Toys "Я" Us KidsWorld - a toy superstore format introduced in 1996.
History
Beginnings
Initially founded in 1948 as a baby furniture retailer, Charles Lazarus began receiving requests from customers for baby toys. After adding baby toys, he got requests for more grown up toys. Eventually the focus of the store changed and Toys "Я" Us as we know it was born.
Strike in Sweden
During the 1990's, when Toys Я Us was starting to establish itself in Sweden, the firm did not want to enter into the standard with the union, so in 1995 the workers of Toys Я Us went out on strike. With the stong support from the public the stores were empty even with the price reductions. Later a "workers blockade" was established aginst the stores, the electric utility company of Sweden did not show up to fix electrical problems, the garbage trucks did not come to pick up trash and so on. When even the banks refused to process financial transactions they gave up.
Toys Я Us eventually signed the labor agreement. Eleven of the company's stores are in Sweden.
Buyout
Due to market pressures (primarily competition from Wal-Mart and Target Stores), Toys "Я" Us had considered splitting its toys and babies businesses. On July 21, 2005, a consortium of Bain Capital Partners LLC, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), and Vornado Realty Trust NYSE: VNO completed the $6.6 billion acquisition of the toy giant. 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 "Я" Us is now a privately owned entity.
Today
The company operates nearly 700 stores in the United States and nearly 600 stores are operating in 29 other countries, some of them under franchises or licenses.
Working Conditions
The working conditions at Toys R Us have steadily declined over the last five years. Benefits have been cut, hours slashed and any full-time employees have been either fired or bought out with a small monetary package. Not only has the employees suffered by the ability to maintain the store has declined due to the reduction in labor available for work on any given day. Unlike many other retail stores, even megastores like Wal-Mart, Toys R Us has consistently treated even the most loyal employees terribly. The new owners as of Summer, 2005 have demostrated little in the way of change in regards to improvement in employee working conditions.
Logo and mascot
The yellow "Я" in quotation marks imitates a small child's backward writing of "Я", which is short for "are". The "Я" is the most distinctive part of the retailer's colorful kid-friendly logo. A blue star was added to the logo in 1999. The "R Us" name has been imitated by many other businesses, such as Tiles R Us and Tuxedos R Us.
In the 1960s, Geoffrey the Giraffe, an anthropomorphic cartoon giraffe, was introduced as its mascot his name followed in the 1970s. Recently, he was reintroduced in commercials not as a cartoon character, but as a real-life giraffe who talks.
Slogans
- "The World's JOY Store!"
- "Big Fun! Low Prices!"
- "Lower Prices. Bigger Selection. Guaranteed."
- "The World's Biggest Toy Store."
- "The World's Greatest Toy Store."
- "Play More, Spend Less."
Trivia
- Most "Geoffrey" stores are located in the midwest.
Toys "R" Us in Popular Culture
Parodies of Toys "R" Us
- Toys "R" Mine (Tiny Toon Adventures)
- Toys "L" Us (The Simpsons)
- J.R.R. Toykins (The Simpsons)
- Boys "R" Us (The Simpsons)
- Spatulas "R" Us (UHF)