Toys `` R '' Us - wikipedia Toys `` R '' Us Toys `` R '' Us Type Private Industry Retail Founded 1948 ; 70 years ago ( 1948 ) Washington, D.C., United States Founder Charles Lazarus Headquarters Wayne, New Jersey, United States Number of locations 1,795 ( Worldwide ) Area served Worldwide Key people Dave Brandon ( Chairman and CEO ) Products Toys Clothing Baby products Video games Revenue US $ 12.4 billion ( 2014 ) US $ 11.54 billion ( 2016 ) Net income US $ - 36 million ( 2016 ) Total assets US $ 6.908 billion ( 2016 ) Owner Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Bain Capital Vornado Realty Trust Number of employees 64,000 ( 2017 ) Parent Interstate Department Stores ( 1966 -- 1978 ) Divisions Babies `` R '' Us Website toysrus.com toysrusinc.com toysrus.ca toysrus.co.uk toysrus.com.au toysrus.co.jp toysrus.nl toysrus.fr toysrus.es Toys `` R '' Us is an American toy and juvenile - products retailer founded in 1948, with its headquarters located in Wayne, New Jersey, in the New York City metropolitan area. Founded by Charles Lazarus in its modern incarnation in 1957, Toys `` R '' Us traced its origins to Lazarus 's children 's furniture store, which he started in 1948. He added toys to his offering, and eventually shifted his focus. The company had been in the toy business for more than 65 years and operated around 800 stores in the United States and around 800 outside the US, although these numbers have steadily decreased with time. Toys `` R '' Us expanded as a chain, becoming predominant in its niche field of toy retail. Represented by cartoon mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe from 1969, Toys `` R '' Us eventually branched out into launching the stores Babies `` R '' Us and the now - defunct Kids `` R '' Us. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. on September 18, 2017, and has also filed for bankruptcy protection in Canada ( see Companies ' Creditors Arrangement Act ). It was announced on March 14, 2018, that all Toys `` R '' Us stores in the United Kingdom would close. The next day, on March 15, 2018, it was announced that the US operations of Toys `` R '' Us were going out of business and selling all 735 locations in the US ; discussion then turned to the fate of Canadian branches. Contents 1 Stores 1.1 Flagship store 1.2 Africa 1.3 North America 1.4 Oceania 1.5 Asia 1.6 Europe 2 Company history 2.1 Geoffrey the Giraffe 2.2 Administration and closure 3 Other brands 3.1 Kids `` R '' Us 3.1. 1 Logos 3.2 Babies `` R '' Us 3.2. 1 Logos 3.3 Toys `` R '' Us, International 3.4 FAO Schwarz 3.5 Toys `` R '' Us Express 4 Toys `` R '' Us Online 5 21st century initiatives 5.1 Charitable giving 5.2 Rooftop solar project 5.3 Integrated store strategy 5.4 Product safety 5.5 `` TRU Transformation '' 5.6 Christmas season initiatives 6 Logos 7 See also 8 Further reading 9 References 10 External links Stores The Toys `` R '' Us / Babies `` R '' Us combined location in Waterbury, Connecticut. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2018 ) The company owns or licenses 739 Toys `` R '' Us and Babies `` R '' Us stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, more than 750 international stores and more than 245 licensed stores in 37 countries and jurisdictions. In 2015, the company launched the first of a new concept store called the `` Toy Lab '' in Freehold, New Jersey. 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. Flagship store In 2001, Toys `` R '' Us opened an international flagship store in New York 's Times Square at a cost of $35 million. The 110,000 square - foot store included various themed zones such as an amusement arcade ( known as `` R '' Cade ), Barbie ( with a life - size dreamhouse ), electronics ( with dedicated sections like Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova and Skullcandy ), Jurassic Park ( with an animatronic T - Rex ), Lego, Wonka and the signature indoor Ferris wheel. The store drew thousands of tourists for over a decade before the company decided to cancel its lease on the space in December 2015. In August 2017, Toys `` R '' Us announced a 35,000 square - foot temporary store near the original one that would be open around the holiday season. Toys `` R '' Us Times Square store front ( 2012 ) Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova machine Toys `` R '' Us Stores per Country Africa South Africa : 67 Egypt : 4 Namibia : 1 Zambia : 1 North America United States : 735 Canada : 83 Puerto Rico : 4 Guam : 1 Oceania Australia : 45 Asia Japan : 161 Mainland China : 100 South Korea : 35 ( Lotte Mart ) Malaysia : 34 Philippines : 27 Israel : 26 Taiwan : 20 Hong Kong : 15 Thailand : 25 Saudi Arabia : 11 United Arab Emirates : 9 Singapore : 8 India : 2 Kuwait : 2 Macau : 2 Bahrain : 1 Brunei : 1 Oman : 1 Qatar : 1 Europe United Kingdom : 106 Germany : 66 Spain : 48 France : 48 Sweden : 18 Denmark : 16 Austria : 15 Norway : 14 Switzerland : 10 Poland : 11 Portugal : 11 Finland : 8 Iceland : 3 Netherlands 1 Company History Charles P. Lazarus ( October 3, 1923 -- March 22, 2018 ) founded Children 's Supermart ( which would evolve into Toys `` R '' Us ) in Washington, D.C., during the post-war baby boom era in 1948 as a baby - furniture retailer. Lazarus, who served in the Army during World War II, opened the first store at 2461 18th St. NW, where the nightclub Madam 's Organ Blues Bar is. He began receiving requests from customers for baby toys. After adding baby toys, he got requests for toys for older children. The focus of the store changed in 1957, and Toys `` R '' Us was born in Rockville, Maryland. Around this time, Toys `` R '' Us 's stylized logo was created, which featured a backwards `` R '' in order to give the impression that a child wrote it. It was acquired in 1966 by Interstate Department Stores, Inc., owner of the White Front, Topps Chains and Children 's Bargain Town USA, a toy - store chain related to Toys `` R '' Us in the American Midwest that would later be combined with the rest of the Toys `` R '' Us chain. The original Toys `` R '' Us store design from 1969 to 1989 consisted of vertical rainbow stripes and a brown roof with a front entrance and side exit. At its peak, Toys `` R '' Us was considered a classic example of a category killer, a business that specializes so thoroughly and efficiently in one sector that it pushes out competition from both smaller specialty stores and larger general retailers. Since the rise of mass merchants like Walmart, Target and Amazon, however, Toys `` R '' Us lost much of its share of the toy market, and fell behind Walmart in toy sales for 1998. To improve the company, the board of directors installed John Eyler ( formerly of FAO Schwarz ) in 2000. Eyler launched an unsuccessful, expensive plan to remodel and re-launch the chain. Blaming market pressures ( primarily competition from Walmart and Target ), Toys `` R '' Us considered splitting its toy and baby businesses. 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. Public stock closed for the last time on July 21, 2005 at $26.74 -- 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. However, the company still files with the Securities and Exchange Commission ( as required by its debt agreements ). Geoffrey the Giraffe The final iteration of Geoffrey the Giraffe 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. Serving as a `` spokesanimal '' for the brand, Geoffrey 's design went through several phases over the next 50 + years before the current star - spotted iteration was finalized in 2007. 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 million of views on YouTube and across social media platforms. Administration and closure 2017 - 2018 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, borrow $2 billion so it can pay suppliers for the upcoming holiday season and invest in improving current operations. The company has stated that its brick - and - mortar stores and online sales sites will continue to operate. A company statement quoted in The Sydney Morning Herald said only U.S. and Canadian operations are affected : `` The company 's operations outside of the US and Canada, including its operations in Europe and Australia and its approximately 255 licensed stores and joint venture partnership in Asia, which are separate entities, are not part of the Chapter 11 filing, '' '' The company has not had an annual profit since 2013. It reported a net loss of US $164 million in the quarter ended April 29, 2017. It lost US $126 million in the same period in the prior year. On December 4, 2017, the company reported that it would be liquidating and closing at least 26 stores in the United Kingdom as part of an insolvency restructuring known as a company voluntary arrangement. A Toys `` R '' Us store in South Miami, Florida on March 30, 2018, after closing had been announced. In January 2018, the company announced it would liquidate and close up to 182 of its stores in the U.S. as part of its restructuring, as well as convert up to 12 stores into co-branded Toys `` R '' Us and Babies `` R '' Us stores. On February 28, 2018, Toys `` R '' Us UK entered administration, putting 3,200 jobs at risk in the UK. This comes after it racked up a £ 15m tax bill, which it is unlikely to pay back. On March 2, 2018, it was announced that all UK stores would begin a liquidation sale and most would close later on. On March 14, 2018, it was announced that all UK stores were expected to close within six weeks. It was later said that its Canadian and 200 US stores may survive. This was followed soon after by the announcement that all of the corporate - owned stores in the United States would also be either sold off to franchisees or shuttered entirely. However, the company would be working to keep 200 stores in the U.S. open and merge them with stronger Canadian operations. However, Toys `` R '' Us announced later that same day that all of its US stores would be closing ; in addition to the stores in the 50 states, all Puerto Rico stores were also closing. The impact this has on Canadian operations is yet to be confirmed. But as of March 14, 2018, MGA Entertainment Inc, a California - based toy company, submitted a bid for Toys `` R '' Us Canada. On March 15, 2018, Toys `` R '' Us officially filed documents with the bankruptcy court to liquidate its US business. The company has indicated in filings that the Canadian operations are profitable and desired to preserve the operations of the 82 store chain through a sale. However, on March 19, 2018, buyers stated that they were interested in acquiring the rights to the Toys `` R '' Us brand name, mascot, and jingle, while other buyers stated that they were interested in purchasing a small number of US stores to operate as showrooms. Liquidation sales started on March 23, 2018 However, CEO of MGA Entertainment ; Isaac Larian, and other investors are pledging $200 million to try to save about 400 of the remaining 735 US stores that are slated to close. A GoFundMe page was started to pledge more money to Toys `` R '' Us. On March 29, 2018, they shut down purchasing on the website, making users redirect to an alternate sales site. Other brands Kids `` R '' Us Kids `` R '' Us was a children 's discount clothing retailer. Their first stores opened in 1983 in Paramus, New Jersey, and Brooklyn, New York. The chain folded in 2003 after the retailer suffered deteriorating same - store sales and to focus more on the Toys `` R '' Us brand. Logos 1983 -- 2003 Babies `` R '' Us The first Babies `` R '' Us store opened in 1996 in Westbury, New York. The store operates as a specialty baby products retailer and has grown to about 260 stores in the United States. The stores offers an assortment of products for newborns, infants, and toddlers. The company also maintains a registry and offers pre and postnatal classes and events. Logos A Babies `` R '' Us store with the 1996 -- 2006 logo The logo used since 2006. Toys `` R '' Us, international Toys `` R '' Us in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada In addition to its expansion in the United States, Toys `` R '' Us launched a worldwide presence in 1983 when the company opened its first international wholly owned store in Canada ( 70 stores headquartered in Concord, Ontario ) and licensed operation in Singapore. Toys `` R '' Us, International operates more than 600 international stores and over 140 licensed stores in 35 countries and jurisdictions outside the United States, including Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Germany ( 60 ), Switzerland ( 7 ), Austria ( 14 ), Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom ( 105 ), among others. The company continued to grow internationally, and made its most recent entry into a new market in November 2011 when it opened its first licensed store in Poland ( Blue City ). Toys `` R '' Us opened their first stores in Japan in 1991 as a joint venture with McDonald 's Holdings Company ( Japan ), Ltd. ( jp ). The joint venture was supposed to last until 2018. However in 2006, Toys `` R '' Us terminated their Japanese joint venture with McDonald 's Holdings. As a result of the termination, Toys `` R '' Us was sued by McDonald 's Holdings for breach of contract. McDonald 's Holdings was awarded an ¥ 1.38 billion ( $13.35 million ) settlement in 2008. After their joint venture ended, Toys `` R '' Us increased their ownership from approximately 48 % to about 61 %. It was announced on March 14, 2018, that all stores in the United Kingdom will close down as a result of going into administration in the previous month. 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. The company closed the FAO Schwarz flagship store in New York on July 15, 2015, citing rising rental costs, but continues to carry FAO Schwarz - branded toys in its Toys `` R '' Us and Babies `` R '' Us stores. A Toys `` R '' Us Express store in The Oaks Mall in Gainesville, Florida 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. 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 ). 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. These stores are known as `` Toys `` R '' Us Express ``. Beginning in June 2010, Toys `` R '' Us opened a total of 600 Express stores. Four more were converted to Toys `` R '' Us outlet stores. Toys `` R '' Us online Toys `` R '' Us began selling toys online with the launch of Toysrus.com in 1998. Following a disastrous Christmas 1999 trading period during which the company failed to deliver gifts on time, 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. 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. 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. It placed at No. 29 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide for 2012. Toysrus.com is one of the most visited sites in the specialty toy and baby products retail category with an assortment of toys. In addition, Babiesrus.com offers 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. 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. 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. The company later reported online sales of $1 billion for 2011 and $1.1 billion for 2012. 21st century initiatives Charitable giving Since 2004, Toys `` R '' Us has partnered with the Toys for Tots foundation to serve as a donation site for anyone donating unwrapped toys or monetary gifts. Since the outset of the partnership, Toys for Tots has reported that Toys `` R '' Us campaigns have raised over $55 million and donated more than 4 million toys. The company also has a partnership with K.I.D.S. / Fashion Delivers, a nonprofit organization that connects retailers, manufacturers, foundations and individuals with local nonprofit agencies. Over the past 30 years, Toys `` R '' Us has donated more than $100 million in clothes, toys and books to the cause, and matches its 885 store stores with K.I.D.S. / Fashion Delivers - affiliated charities. Toys `` R '' Us Children 's Fund, a public charity affiliated with the company, partners with non-profits to provide products and monetary gifts to children in need. Toys `` R '' Us Children 's Fund has contributed over $7.6 million to Save the Children initiatives in the wake of natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy, and in 2016, the charity gave a $1 million grant to non-profit resort, Give Kids the World Village. In 2017, the company launched its philanthropic campaign with St. Jude Children 's Research Hospital. Rooftop solar project On April 11, 2011, Toys `` R '' Us announced that it planned to cover 70 percent of the roof of its distribution center ( in Flanders, New Jersey ) with a solar installation. The company claimed this 5.38 - megawatt solar project would be the largest rooftop solar installation in North America. Integrated store strategy On August 23, 2011, Toys `` R '' Us Inc. announced it would open 21 new stores before year 's end, as part of an overall strategy the company has been pursuing since 2006 to house Toys `` R '' Us and Babies `` R '' Us in the same building. The company says the stores provide more shopper convenience. The privately held toy company said this will include 11 `` R '' Superstores -- which have full - size Toys `` R '' Us and Babies `` R '' Us stores in one place -- and 10 stores that will have smaller Toys `` R '' Us and Babies `` R '' Us stores in the same place. The stores will be in 13 states including Alabama, California, Georgia, New Jersey, and Texas. It 's also remodeling 23 existing stores so that the two stores will be in the same place. Product safety Toys `` R '' Us has reportedly implemented high safety standards, and in 2007 vowed to take an aggressive approach towards holding vendors accountable for meeting those standards. 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 ). 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. The company has since adjusted its requirements to meet new federal standards enacted with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. `` TRU transformation '' In early 2014, Toys `` R '' Us, Inc. announced its `` TRU Transformation '' strategy, which concentrates on efforts to fix foundational issues in order to position the company for growth in the future. The company will focus on improving shopping experiences in - store and online. To improve the customer experience, the company plans to manage inventory better, make stores less cluttered and easier to shop, and develop a clear pricing strategy with simpler promotional offers. The company will also focus on integrating its in - store and online businesses more fully. Christmas season initiatives In 2013, Quartz called Toys `` R '' Us the largest standalone toy store chain in the world. Since the toy business is incredibly seasonal, more than 40 % of the company 's sales come in during the fourth quarter of the year. In December 2013, eight days before Christmas, Toys `` R '' Us announced that their stores in the United States would stay open for 87 hours straight. The flagship store of the retailer in New York Times Square was open for 24 hours a day from December 1 up to December 24 -- for a total of 566 consecutive hours to cater to shoppers who were mostly tourists. The announcement came after snow and rain caused a nearly 9 percent year - over-year decline in store foot traffic in the United States. This move also pushed the retailer to hire an additional 45,000 seasonal workers to cater to the demand of the extended store hours. Logos The logo used from 1986 to 2006 in the United States and in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 1986 to May 2008. This logo can still be seen at many older stores. See also Gamleys Toys `` R '' Us, Inc. v. Step Two, S.A Retail apocalypse Further reading `` Charles P. Lazarus : The Titan of Toys `` R '' Us '' by Anne Koopman, 1991 ISBN 1560740221 References Notes Jump up ^ Also written as Toys R Us, without quotation marks. A backwards ' R ' appears in its logo, but in type it is written as a normal ' R ' consistently. Citations Jump up ^ `` Toys '' R `` Us, Inc. reports results for full year and fourth quarter of fiscal 2014 ''. Toysrusinc.com. March 19, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2016. ^ Jump up to : Hals, Tom ; Rucinski, Tracy. `` Toys ' R ' Us seeks bankruptcy to survive retail upheaval ''. Reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Toys `` R '' Us Inc. : Private Company Information - Bloomberg ``. www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved January 9, 2018. Jump up ^ Wood, Zoe ( March 2, 2018 ). `` Toys R Us slashes prices as closing - down sale begins ''. The Guardian. ^ Jump up to : Butler, Sarah ( March 14, 2018 ). `` Toys R Us to shut all UK stores, resulting in 3,000 job losses ''. The Guardian. Jump up ^ Thomas, Lauren ( March 15, 2018 ). `` Toys R Us is closing all of its US stores. Here 's a map of where they are ''. CNBC. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ Hall, Phil ( March 15, 2018 ). `` Toys R Us going out of business, closing all stores ''. Westfair Online. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ https://www.mtlblog.com/news/its-official-toys-r-us-wants-to-sell-all-of-their-canadian-stores Jump up ^ https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2018/03/20/who-killed-toys-r-us.html Jump up ^ https://www.straight.com/life/1051491/homeless-vancouver-bowmac-sign-faces-demolition-when-west-broadway-toys-r-us-shuts-down Jump up ^ https://hypebae.com/2018/3/toys-r-us-bankruptcy-filing-closing-stores-us-uk-worldwide?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share+buttons Jump up ^ `` About Us -- Toys '' R `` Us, Inc ''. toysrusinc.com. Jump up ^ `` Toys `` R '' Us - Toy Lab Progressive AE ``. Progressive AE. Retrieved January 18, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Toys `` R '' Us Makes Shopping Fun With Play Lab ``. Red Tricycle. October 23, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2018. Jump up ^ Bagli, Charles V. ( August 2, 2000 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us to Build the Biggest Store in Times Sq ''. The New York Times. Retrieved March 19. 2018. Check date values in : access - date = ( help ) Jump up ^ Wattles, Jackie. `` Toys ' R ' Us to open a Times Square pop up shop for the holidays ''. CNNMoney. Retrieved December 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Toys `` R '' Us founder Charles Lazarus dies ``. ABC7 San Francisco. 2018 - 03 - 22. Retrieved 2018 - 03 - 22. Jump up ^ `` History -- About Us -- Toys '' R `` Us, Inc ''. toysrusinc.com. Jump up ^ `` Toys ' R ' Us Founder Charles Lazarus Dies at 94 ''. March 22, 2018 -- via www.bloomberg.com. Jump up ^ Corkery, Michael ( 22 March 2018 ). `` Charles P. Lazarus, Toys ' R ' Us Founder, Dies at 94 ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 30 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` History -- About Us -- Toys '' R `` Us, Inc ''. toysrusinc.com. June 1957 -- Foundation of Toys `` R '' Us ®. Retrieved November 7, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Toy Retailer bought by Interstate Department Stores ''. New York Times. January 20, 1967. p. 86. ( Subscription required ( help ) ). Interstate Department Stores Inc., announced yesterday the acquisition for `` several millions in cash '' of the four - store Children 's Supermart, Inc., Washington. Alternate Link via ProQuest. Jump up ^ `` Toys `` R '' Us, Inc. - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Toys `` R '' Us, Inc ``. Referenceforbusiness.com. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Flax, Steven ( June 11, 1989 ). `` Perils of the Paper Clip Trade ''. The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved April 10, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Wal - Mart Dethrones Toys R Us ''. Associated Press. March 29, 1999. Retrieved April 10, 2014. Jump up ^ Johannes, Laura ; Lublin, Joann ( January 12, 2000 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us Names Eyler as Its President and CEO ''. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 16, 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Toys R Us to Close Apparel Chain ''. Los Angeles Times. Bloomberg News. November 18, 2003. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ Hays, Constance L. ( August 12, 2004 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us Says It May Leave the Toy Business ''. The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ Bhatnagar, Parija ( March 17, 2005 ). `` Group to buy Toys ' R ' Us for $6.6 B ''. CNN Money. Retrieved March 16, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Toys ' R ' Us goes private ''. NBC News. Associated Press. July 21, 2005. Retrieved March 16, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Investor Relations -- Toys `` R '' Us Corporate ``. Phx.corporate-ir.net. Retrieved January 20, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Top 10 Christmas commercials of all time ''. www.businessreviewusa.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017. Jump up ^ `` What happened to the Toys '' R `` Us giraffe ? ''. That 's it Magazine Bloggers around the world. Retrieved November 15, 2017. Jump up ^ `` April the Giraffe Is Helping Toys ' R ' Us Break the Internet ''. Fortune. Retrieved December 7, 2017. Jump up ^ Jones, Charisse ( September 19, 2017 ). `` Toys R Us files for bankruptcy ''. USA Today. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ Bhattarai, Abha ( September 19, 2017 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us files for bankruptcy amid struggle to pay down billions in debt ''. Washington Post. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ CNBC, Staff ; Cormier, Bill ( September 19, 2017 ). `` Toys R Us joins bankruptcy list as Amazon exerts influence ''. CNBC. AP. Retrieved September 19, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Dunckley, Mathew ( September 19, 2017 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us files for bankruptcy ; business as usual in Australian stores ''. The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved September 19, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Toys ' R ' Us announces plans to close at least 26 shops, just before Christmas ''. The Independent. December 4, 2017. Retrieved December 4, 2017. Jump up ^ Toys R Us is closing up to 182 stores, 27 of them in California LA Times. Retrieved January 24, 2018 Jump up ^ https://www.toysrusinc.com/uploads/tinymce/uploaded/Store%20Closing%20List_2.9.2018.pdf ^ Jump up to : `` Toys R Us UK goes into administration ''. BBC News. February 28, 2018. Jump up ^ `` All Toys R Us stores to close their doors ''. March 14, 2018 -- via www.bbc.co.uk. Jump up ^ Hirsch, Lauren ( March 14, 2018 ). `` Toys R Us is exploring a plan that could keep 200 stores open even after liquidation ''. CNBC. Retrieved March 14, 2018. Jump up ^ Bhattarai, Abha ( March 14, 2018 ). `` Toys R Us to close all 800 of its U.S. stores ''. Washington Post. Retrieved March 14, 2018. Jump up ^ Isidore, Chris ( March 14, 2018 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us will close or sell all US stores ''. CNN. Retrieved March 14, 2018., Jump up ^ Birsch, Lauren ( March 14, 2018 ). `` Toys R Us is exploring a plan that could keep 200 stores open even after liquidation ''. CNBC. Retrieved March 14, 2018. Jump up ^ Bhattarai, Abha ( March 14, 2018 ). `` Toys R Us to close all 800 of its U.S. stores ''. Washington Post. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Restructuring Information. '' Toys `` R '' Us. Retrieved on April 4, 2018. `` On March 15, 2018, Toys `` R '' Us officially announced plans to liquidate the inventory in all 735 of its U.S. stores, including stores in Puerto Rico. '' Jump up ^ `` Bid submitted for Toys `` R '' Us Canada by California toy company ``. Global News. March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ Hirsch, Lauren ( March 15, 2018 ). `` Toys R Us submits plan to liquidate its US business, will close or sell all US stores ''. CNBC. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ WSJ Staff. `` Toys ' R ' Us Files to Wind Down Its U.S. Business ''. Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones. Retrieved 15 March 2018. Jump up ^ `` Toys `` R '' Us in negotiations to sell Canadian business - Toronto Star ``. Jump up ^ Hals, Tom ( March 19, 2018 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us stores may be closing, but name will live on ''. Reuters. Retrieved March 19, 2018. Jump up ^ Thomas, Lauren ( 2018 - 03 - 23 ). `` Toys R Us liquidation sales start after a brief delay ''. CNBC. Retrieved 2018 - 03 - 23. Jump up ^ Isidore, Chris. `` Billionaire CEO on a mission to save Toys ' R ' Us ''. CNNMoney. Retrieved 2018 - 03 - 23. Jump up ^ `` Click here to support Save Toys '' R `` Us organized by Save Toys '' R `` Us ''. gofundme.com. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 02. Jump up ^ `` Toys R Us liquidation sales : Online orders, deadline to use gift cards, more FAQ ''. syracuse.com. Retrieved 2018 - 04 - 02. Jump up ^ Kerr, Peter ( September 4, 1983 ). `` The New Game at Toys - R - Us ''. The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Our history ''. toysrusinc.com. Retrieved May 12, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Babies `` R '' Us, Inc. : Private Company Information - Bloomberg ``. www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017. Jump up ^ news ( September 22, 2014 ). `` Babies `` R '' Us offers free postpartum education classes ``. ABC11 Raleigh - Durham. Retrieved November 30, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Toys '' R `` Us, Inc. Expands Presence in Europe with Market Entry into Poland ''. Business Wire. October 26, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ Yoshihara, Nancy ( September 27, 1989 ). `` Toys R Us to Team With McDonald 's in Japan ''. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ `` McDonald 's sales hit record high ''. The Japan Times. February 5, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2018. ^ Jump up to : `` Toys `` R '' Us to take control of Japan operations ``. Reuters. May 13, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ Anderson, Mae ( May 28, 2009 ). `` Toys R Us Acquires High - end FAO Schwarz ''. Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` FAO Schwarz toy store in NYC closing July 15 ''. usatoday.com. ^ Jump up to : Verdon, Joan ( September 15, 2009 ). `` Toys R Us goes on the offensive ''. The Record. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ DeMarrias, Kevin G. ( December 30, 2009 ). `` Toys R Us will keep selected Holiday Express stores open ''. The Record. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Toys `` R '' Us Announces Plans to Open 600 Toys `` R '' Us Express Stores in Malls and Shopping Centers, Doubling the Number of Toys `` R '' Us Locations Nationwide for 2010 Christmas Season ``. Press Releases -- Toys `` R '' Us Corporate. September 9, 2010. Retrieved December 1, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Toys '' R `` Us, Inc. Acquires eToys.com ''. Business Wire. February 12, 2009. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ Hansell, Saul ( December 23, 1999 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us Falls Behind on Shopping ''. The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ Masterson, Michele ( August 10, 2000 ). `` Amazon, Toysrus.com join ''. CNNfn. Retrieved March 15, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Toys R Us wins Amazon lawsuit ''. BBC News. March 3, 2006. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Metz, Rachel ( June 12, 2009 ). `` Amazon to pay Toys R Us $51 M to settle suit ''. USA Today ( Associated Press ). Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Woodward, Kevin ( November 20, 2012 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us debuts a dedicated e-commerce site for China ''. Internet Retailer. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Top Children Websites in the world ''. www.similarweb.com. Retrieved February 7, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Toys ' R ' Us Buys Toys.com Domain Name for $5.1 M ''. domainnamewire.com. February 27, 2009. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Brohan, Mark ( April 20, 2011 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us opens a dedicated e-commerce fulfillment hub ''. internetretailer.com. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Toys ' R ' Us 2012 10 - K ''. Jump up ^ `` Toys for Tots celebrates 10th anniversary with Toys '' R `` Us - Good News Planet TV ''. Good News Planet TV. November 14, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Shaquille O'Neal, Toys `` R '' Us # PlayItForward for Toys for Tots ``. Retrieved November 21, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Marine Toys for Tots Foundation ''. www.toysfortots.org. Retrieved November 21, 2017. Jump up ^ Lockwood, Lisa ( August 15, 2016 ). `` K.I.D.S. / Fashion Delivers Selects Honorees for Annual Gala ''. WWD. Retrieved December 5, 2017. Jump up ^ `` US : Toys R Us supports K.I.D.S / Fashion Delivers with $100 million donation ''. ToyNews. Retrieved January 23, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Toys ''. Save the Children. Retrieved November 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Toys '' R `` Us Children 's Fund and Company Make Generous Donations to Give Kids The World ''. Give Kids The World Village. Retrieved November 28, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Join Toys `` R '' Us and Babies `` R '' Us in supporting St. Jude ``. Retrieved December 14, 2017. Jump up ^ Lombardi, Candace ( May 11, 2011 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us building massive rooftop solar project ''. CNET. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Toys R Us to open 21 new stores before year ends ''. Yahoo.com ( Associated Press ). August 23, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ d'Innocenzio, Anne ( Associated Press ) ( December 16, 2007 ). `` Toys R Us CEO vows to push toy safety amid slew of recalls ''. The Post and Courier. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Safety ''. toysrus.com. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Kavilanz, Parija B. ( September 12, 2007 ). `` Mattel CEO contrite before Senate ''. CNN. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Toys ' R ' Us, Wal - Mart boosting safety standards ''. MSNBC ( Associated Press ). February 15, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Verdon, Joan ( March 26, 2014 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us : New game plan or same toy story ? ''. NorthJersey.com. Jump up ^ Wilson, Marianne ( March 26, 2014 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us posts Q4 loss ; store updates part of new ' transformation ' strategy ''. Chain Store Age. Jump up ^ Wilson, Marianne ( March 27, 2014 ). `` Toys ' R ' Us to update U.S. store base ; creating store of the future ''. Chain Store Age. Jump up ^ This Christmas could be make - or - break for Toys `` R '' Us. Matt Phillips. Quartz News. November 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2014 Jump up ^ Toys R Us Creates Hell On Earth With 87 - Hour Christmas Marathon. Krystina Gustafson. The Huffingtonpost. December 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2014 Jump up ^ Toys R Us to stay open for 87 hours straight. Krystina Gustafson. NBC News. Retrieved May 10, 2014 Jump up ^ Times Square Toys `` R '' Us stays open 24 / 7 Archived May 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine... MyFox New York Staff. Fox News. December 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2014 Jump up ^ Cloudy Forecast for Holiday Spending Prompts More Promotion Stuart Elliott. The New York Times. October 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2014 Jump up ^ Retailers extend hours to help time - crunched shoppers. Mike Snider. USA Today. December 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2014 Jump up ^ Toys `` R '' Us to Hire 45,000 Employees Nationwide in Advance of 2013 Holiday Shopping Season. PR NewsWire. Retrieved May 10, 2014 Jump up ^ Toys R Us holiday hiring same as last year. Emily Jane Fox. CNN Money. September 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2014 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toys `` R '' Us. Wikinews has related news : US toy retail giant Toys R Us files for bankruptcy in US, Canada Official US retail website Corporate website Kohlberg Kravis Roberts Founders Jerome Kohlberg Jr. Henry Kravis George R. Roberts Selected current investments Academy Sports + Outdoors Aricent Group Bharti Enterprises Capsugel CICC Café Coffee Day Colonial Pipeline Del Monte Foods Dollar General Eastman Kodak El Paso Corp. Energy Future Holdings First Data Hospital Corporation of America KION Group Laureate Education Legg Mason Legrand Magma Fincorp Maxeda Nielsen Holdings Northgate Information Solutions NXP Semiconductors Oriental Brewery Pets at Home ProSiebenSat. 1 Media Sealy Corporation Seven West Media TDC A / S Toys `` R '' Us US Foods Visma Wild Yageo Zhone Technologies Bain Capital People Bill Bain Eric Kriss Mitt Romney Portfolio Companies Aleris Bain & Company Bain Capital Ventures Bavaria Yachtbau Bombardier Recreational Products Brake Bros Brookstone Burger King Burlington ( department store ) D + M Group Dollarama Domino 's Pizza DoubleClick Edcon GOME Electrical Appliances Guitar Center Gymboree HD Supply iHeartMedia Hospital Corporation of America Kansas City Bolt and Nut Company plant Michaels New Life Lodge NXP Semiconductors Sealy Corporation Staples Inc. Toys `` R '' Us Warner Music Group The Weather Channel Worldpay Aspen Education Group Aspen Achievement Academy Academy at Swift River Bromley Brook School Excel Academy Mount Bachelor Academy New Leaf Academy NorthStar Center Oakley School Wellspring Academies Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toys_%22R%22_Us&oldid=837290137 '' Categories : Companies based in Passaic County, New Jersey Companies based in Ontario Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017 Companies that have entered administration in the United Kingdom Retail companies of Canada Retail companies of the United States Toy companies of Canada Toy companies of the United States Retail companies established in 1948 Retail companies disestablished in 2018 Li & Fung Private equity portfolio companies Babycare Kohlberg Kravis Roberts companies Bain Capital companies Toy retailers Wayne, New Jersey Toys `` R '' Us 2005 mergers and acquisitions American companies established in 1948 Canadian companies established in 1983 2018 disestablishments in the United Kingdom 2018 disestablishments in New Jersey 2018 disestablishments in Ontario 1948 establishments in New Jersey 1983 establishments in Ontario Hidden categories : CS1 errors : dates Pages containing links to subscription - only content Webarchive template wayback links Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism Use mdy dates from February 2018 Articles needing additional references from February 2018 All articles needing additional references Interlanguage link template link number Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Cebuano Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska ไทย Українська 粵語 中文 16 more Edit links This page was last edited on 19 April 2018, at 22 : 17. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when did bargain town become toys r us
Answer: 1966