Toys R USS – the United States Store chain for kids and their parents
The history of the world’s most successful toy retailer, ToysRUs, Inc., began in 1948, when young Charles Lazarus opened his first child-oriented store. It sold mainly baby cots and furniture, attending to the needs of post-war parents and their baby-boomers. The store was run single-handedly, with Charles being everything from the store keeper to the delivery boy.
Deciding to expand the product assortment, Charles introduced toys for children into his store. The first toy he included into his merchandise was a cradle gym. It turned out to be a huge success, leading to the further expansion of the product range.
Almost ten years later, Charles decided to turn to the new model of selling goods and reorganized his store into a supermarket, where customers could walk between the shelves crammed with products, pick out the toys, they took interest in, and pay for them at the checkout stand. After opening his second supermarket, Charles invented a new name for his retail chain – Toys”?”Us. The backward “R” sent shudders down the spines of grammar teachers and kids’ parents, but it was certainly catchy and worked brilliantly on attracting new customers.
Lazarus was a true revolutionary in retail marketing. He was the first to shift the main focus of selling from the price to the customer and his needs. His policy of friendly services and genuine concern for the customer’s demands has led to a fast growth of his retail chain. In 1978 it became a public company with its catchy name and iconic Geoffrey the Giraffe, soon expanding into what now is one of the largest and most favorite brands in the world.
In 1980’s the company added girls and boys clothing to its vast assortment of goods. In 1996 BabiesRUs department appeared, soon becoming very popular with soon-to-be and just parents.
Today, Toys R USS is the nation’s leading retailer of products and toys for kids of all ages, operating more than 850 stores across the United States. Moreover, ToysRUs is represented by over 600 international stores, and about 140 stores in 35 countries of the world.
