Toys "R" Us

History:
Early years:
Charles Lazarus initially started Children's Supermart (which would evolve into Toys "R" Us) inWashington, DC during the post-war baby boom era in 1948 as a baby-furniture retailer. The company operates approximately 875 Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores in the United States, more than 600 international stores and over 140 licensed stores in 35 countries and jurisdictions. Its first location was at 2461 18th St, NW, where the nightclub Madam's Organ Blues Bar is located. Lazarus 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. Toys "R" Us was acquired in 1966 by Interstate Department Stores, owner of the White Front, Topps and Children's Bargain Town USA, a sister toy-store chain to Toys "R" Us in the American Midwest that would later be rebranded as part of the Toys "R" Us chain.

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 locations, often located 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 shoppingcenter 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' original plan was to keep the Holiday Express stores open until early January 2010 and close them shortly thereafter, but the success of 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 locations nationwide. In addition to those 600 stores, four Express locations were converted to Toys "R" Us outlet stores.

Product safety:
Toys R Us has taken a leadership position on toy and baby-product safety, beginning in 2007 when millions of toys from China were recalled for high lead levels. The company has reportedly implemented high safety standards, and in 2007 vowed to take an aggressive approach towards holding vendors accountable for meeting those standards. Chairman and CEO Gerald Storch, testifying before a Senate appropriations subcommittee 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. In fall 2010, after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Food and U.S. Drug Administration (FDA) issued a joint warning advising parents to stop using sleep positioners, Toys R Us removed sleep positioners from its in-store and online inventory throughout North America.

Charitable Giving:
The ToysRUs Childrens Fund, a public charity affiliated with ToysRUs, Inc. founded in 1992, supports various childrens organizations, including those providing disaster relief to children and families who are victims of large-scale crises. The Fund also provides grants to leading organizations that support children with special needs. Since 2004, ToysRUs, Inc. has raised over $23.6 million and collected 3 million toys during the holiday season to support the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. During times of disaster, ToysRUs, Inc. and the ToysRUs Childrens Fund together have provided product and monetary donations specifically to aid in Save the Childrens efforts to help protect children, ensure their safety in shelters and at community recovery sites and support their emotional recovery during times of disaster. Financial support totaling more than $3.5 million has been donated. ToysRUs, Inc. also works with Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) to help provide products in the wake of natural or other crises.

Recent Initiatives:
Rooftop Solar Project:
On April 11, 2011, Toys "R" Us announced that it plans to cover 70 percent of the roof of its distribution center (located in Flanders, New Jersey) with a solar installation. The company claims this 5.38-megawatt solar project will be the largest rooftop solar installation in North America.

Integrated Store Strategy:

On August 23, 2011, ToysRUs Inc. announced it would open 21 new stores before years end, as part of an overall strategy the company has been pursuing since 2006 to house ToysRUs and BabiesRUs 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 ToysRUs and BabiesRUs stores in one location - and 10 stores that will have smaller ToysRUs and BabiesRUs stores in the same location. The stores will be in 13 states including Alabama, California, Texas and New Jersey. It is also remodeling 23 existing stores so that the two stores will be in the same location.