THE MARKET

Category killers

Toys "R" Us is the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer,
offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brand .
Toys “R” Us is the largest toy-centered retailer and the second largest overall
toy retailer in the United States.
Toys “R” Us Inc. is a toy store chain headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, United
States and also has locations in Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, Finland, Canada
and Australia.
The company sells merchandise in more than 1,550 stores including 849 toys r
us and babies r us stores in the united states, and more than 700 international
stores in 33 countries, consisting of both licensed and franchised stores .
The flagship store in New York City's Times Square (1514 BROADWAY NY) is
the largest toy store in the world, featuring a colorful Ferris wheel.
Toys "R" Us considered splitting its toys and baby businesses.
Toys "R" Us operated as a public company from 1978 until July/21/2005 .
At that time, an investment group consisting of affiliates of Bain Capital Parners
LLC, Kohlberg Kravis, Roberts & Co. (KKR), and Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:
VNO) completed an acquisition of Toys R Us business ( With $1.3 billion in new
equity).

CAUSE : [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). ]

[Closure 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. Twelve more stores were
to be converted to the "Babies "R" Us" format.
Approximately 5,000 jobs were eliminated as a result of the closures.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Toys “R” Us is the largest toy-centered retailer and the second largest overall
toy retailer in the United States.
With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including :
Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com, FAO.com and babyuniverse.com,
Toys R us, provides shopper with an unparalleled online selection of distinctive
toy and baby products . The company also operates Toys.com, which offers
customers exclusive deals from the company's e-commerce sites .

Toys “R” Us has expanded its range of private label toys and sought more
exclusive products offerings from the big toy-makers, seeking to differentiate
itself from its discount rivals.
 HISTORY

Toys “R” Us was born in America as a category-killer .

Charles 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 where the nightclub, Madam's Organ Blues Bar is currently
located. Charles Lazarus began receiving requests from customers for baby toys.
Eventually, with addition of toys , the focus of the store changed in 1957 and
Toys "R" Us as it is known today was born in Rockville, Maryland.
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.
The original Toys "R" Us store design in the 1970s and 1980s consisted of
vertical rainbow stripes and a brown roof with a front entrance and side exit.
Some brown roof locations still exist, although some were painted different
colors or renovated in recent years.
 THE PRODUCT

Amazing place with collection of almost all toy and other play related
needs.

Toysrus.com is a leading online specialty store for a broad assortment of the

most sought-after playthings, providing visitors the same product selection as
“R”Us® stores, but with the time-saving and convenience factor of the Internet.
Launched in 1998 to cater to busy moms, dads and other toy-buying adults,
Toysrus.com is one of the most visited sites in the retail category with nearly
40,000 toys and video game items, exciting toy exclusives, approximately 18,000
baby products and fantastic deals every day.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Innovative moves included opening temporary stores during last year's

holiday season and reintroducing "layaway" = deferred purchase schemes
to support sales during the economic downturn.
The logo was changed in 2006 as logo with alternating sized characters
and a star in the middle of the reverse R.
The letter R was changed from yellow to blue (though the star in logo is
sometimes yellow with the R in blue).
as a testament to the company's expanding global presence, former
President George H. Bush traveled to Japan to christen the premier Toys
"R" Us store in that country .
Today, Toys R Us celebrates more than 25 as the international toy
authority and hit an exciting milestone in 2006 when the company
commemorated its fifteenth year in Japan the company currently operates
more than 160 stores in that country .

[Toys R Us Express]

For the 2009 holiday shopping season, Toys "R" Us decided to try a
smaller store concept to attract customers.
To that effect, 90 "Holiday Express" stores across the United States and
Canada were opened during the 2009 Christmas shopping season.
The Holiday Express stores are much smaller than regular Toys "R" Us
locations, often located in malls, and offer a more limited selection of
merchandise than would be available at a normal sized standalone
Toys "R" Us store.
Toys "R" Us original plan was to keep the Holiday Express stores open
until early January 2010 and close them shortly thereafter, but the success
of many of them prompted the company to reconsider and several were
kept open.
These stores are now branded "Toys "R" Us Express".
Beginning in June 2010, Toys "R" Us began opening more Express
locations nationwide, with 600 stores eventually opening. In addition to
those 600 stores, four Express locations were converted to
Toys "R" Us Outlet stores.
 PROMOTION

Lots of discounted offers in store : they sell above toy on discount for 34 dollars.
Toys r us applies a lot of offers on different products such as :

 Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Deep Blue Sea Musical Activity Mirror

 The Pregnancy Calendar - English Edition
 BreathableBaby Breathable Crib Bumper - Ecru
 Monopoly Disney Edition
 Snuggie for Kids - Princess
 You & Me Get Well Baby Doll & Medical Kit
 Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends Playset - Thomas' Special Delivery
 LEGO Star Wars: The Clone Wars Clone Walker Battle Pack (8014)

There is a section on the website: "Toys r us deals, discounts Toys r us"

where you can save over 70% if the purchase is made online.

BRAND VALUES
Toys “R”US international has become a worldwide toy phenomenon, embodying
a customer philosophy of quality, value and selection under one roof that
resonates with parents around the globe .

BIG BOX: Toys are placed on different levels but the real attraction is the Ferris Wheel .

“One stop shop for toy needs”

Excellent layout
Lower costs because large amounts

“R” Portfolio of Online Brands

Toys“R”Us, Inc. holds a strong portfolio of e-commerce sites, further
advancing its position as the leading dedicated toy and juvenile products
retailer.
These well-established online destinations provide shoppers with a broad
selection of distinctive merchandise. The company’s portfolio of online
brands, which includes Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com,
babyuniverse.com, FAO.com and Toys.com, is a leader in web search
results for toys and baby goods, driving increased traffic to the company’s
e-commerce businesses and providing parents and gift givers with a wide
assortment of the most sought-after products.
Toys “R” Us , Inc. employees enjoy a fast-paced work environment with
diligent, creative passionate colleagues; the opportunity to develop cross-
functional skills; and recognition and rewards for valuable contributions
that drive the company’s success.
 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT “toys R us”
 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 characteristic is the presence of a Ferris wheel in the large central
open space on the top floor of the dungeon .
 The "R” Us name was derived as a pun on the founder's first name,
Lazarus.
 The "R” Us name has been imitated by many other businesses.