Toys “R” Us

Shop Toys “R” Us

In 1948, young entrepreneur Charles Lazarus opened a baby furniture store called Children's Supermart in Washington, D.C. The original goal of the store was to cater to families raising children in the new baby boom era, and Lazarus soon branched out beyond furniture into product categories like books and toys. Realizing that toys were constantly in demand because of their tendency to break or go out of style, Lazarus decided to focus primarily on this niche. When he opened his second store, therefore, he named it Toys "R" Us and styled a unique logo with a backwards letter "R." The new store brought the supermarket model to toy-buying for the first time. Toys "R" Us was incredibly popular among kids and parents, and it quickly expanded coast to coast. The company went public in 1978 and continued to venture into new territory with the formation of its Kids "R" Us and Babies "R" Us divisions.

Today, Toys "R" Us is the world's leading toy retailer. It operates more than 850 stores in the United States, in addition to more than 240 stores in countries across the globe. The company was once again acquired by private investors in 2005. In addition to selling major name brand toys, Toys "R" Us also maintains an eponymous private label.

Babies & Kids Merchandise

Products

The products made under Toys "R" Us' own name run the gamut in terms of style. The brand's most popular line is Toys "R" Us Plush, which offers a wide array of stuffed animals. Options include different breeds and colors of domesticated animals like cats and dogs, as well as a broad range of farm animals and zoo animals--including monkeys, elephants, penguins, sheep, snakes, lions, tigers, and many more. Of course, you can also find plenty of classic teddy bears as well.

Beyond plush toys, the brand has relatively small collections in several different categories. Dress-up toys allow kids to create their own jewelry and accessories that they can wear for fun. Toys "R" Us action figures aren't based on any specific property. Instead, they make use of more generic characters like dinosaurs and dragons. Musical toys like drum sets and keyboards give tots the ability to get creative and discover their artistic side. Beyond actual toys, the Toys "R" Us brand also offers useful parenting accessories like batteries, umbrellas, and even sunscreen--which can help you ensure that your children have safe fun wherever they go.

Swap.com's Rating of Toys “R” Us

Since Toys "R" Us is already a major distributor of toys from other name brands, its private label doesn't try to be too competitive. The selection of plush toys definitely defines the brand, and kids of all ages will be able to appreciate all the stuffed animals the collection has to offer--as an added bonus, you can often find great deals on these particular toys. Other options are relatively sparse, but you may be able to make a good find if you have something particular in mind. On the whole, we give the Toys "R" Us brand 3.5 stars out of 5.