Toys "Я" Us
From Freepedia
| Type | Public (1978-2005)
Privately Owned (2005-present) |
| Founded | Washington, D.C., 1948 |
| Location | Wayne, New Jersey |
| Key people | John H. Eyler, Jr., CEO & Director |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Retail-Toys/Games/Clothing/Baby |
| Revenue | $11,100 million USD |
| Employees | 113,000 |
| Website | http://www.toysrusinc.com/ |
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 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 Toys "Я" Us Chain Spin-Offs
Toys "Я" Us, Inc. also owns other chains:
- Kids "Я" Us - A store that specilizes in kid'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.
- 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
Due to market pressures (primarily competition from Wal-Mart and Target Stores), Toys "Я" Us was considering 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 52wk high, but far short of its all time high of almost $45 in 4Q 1993, and its 5yr high of $31 in 2Q 2001. Toys "Я" Us is now a privately owned entity.
The new owners seem to be willing to try to make the toys division competitive again.
About the Toys "Я" Us logo
The yellow "Я", in quotation marks, is a small child's backwards writing of "R", which is short for "are" (and has nothing to do with the Cyrillic letter Я). The "R" is the most distinctive part of the retailer's colorful kid-friendly logo. A blue star was added to the logo in 1998. The "Я Us" name has been imitated by many other businesses, such as Tiles Я Us and Tuxedos Я Us.Geoffrey the Giraffe
In 1978, Geoffrey the Giraffe, an anthropomorphic cartoon giraffe character was introduced as its mascot, appearing in the company's television commercials. Later, a live-action animatronic Geoffrey was used, created by Stan Winston Studios and voiced by Jim Hanks.
Toys "Я" Us 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."
Advertising jingle
The following song was an integral part of the Toys "Я" Us advertising campaign during the 1980's:
I don't wanna grow up
I'm a Toys "Я" Us kid
There's a million toys
for girls and boys
That I can play with
From bikes to trains
and video games
It's the biggest toy store there is
I don't wanna grow up
Because if I did
I couldn't be a Toys "Я" Us kid
More games, more toys, oh boy
I wanna be a Toys "Я" Us Kid
External links
- toysrus.com (retail, hosted by Amazon.com)
- toysrusinc.com (corporate)
- Yahoo! – Toys "R" Us, Inc. Company Profile
Categories: Companies traded on the New York Stock Exchange | Fortune 500 companies | Retail companies of the United States | Toy companies of the United States | Companies based in New Jersey
