Japanese toys were cheap and could easily be bought in bulk. So, the stores were always crammed with new, fascinating toys. What Lazarus really captured was this sense of American abundance after the war and after all those years of depression.”Īn influx of cheaper products coming from Asia, specifically Japan, as it rebuilt its economy, helped the brand. “Toys R’ Us astonished the era’s consumers, who had simply never seen stores that big and crammed with merchandise. Here’s what toy expert Richard Gottlieb had to say: The biggest game changer was the store itself. It resembled more a supermarket than a toy store, with its products stacked high and with plenty of options. The mascot, Geoffrey the Giraffe, became a mainstay in ads and billboards. The marketing was genius, eventually including jingles and ads every Saturday morning. The inverted R was intended to represent a child’s writing. First, the name: it was modern but, as years would prove, timeless as well. From the start, his idea was to be different. Lazarus noticed this and in 1957, he opened a store dedicated exclusively to toys and aptly called it Toys R’ Us. So, parents frequently visited toy stores, especially in times of bonanza like the 50s. The business was moderately successful but, within less than a decade, he realized that the money wasn’t there but somewhere real close: toys. These either break or go out of fashion. So, he borrowed $2000 and took all his savings (another $2000) to create Children’s Bargain Town. My instincts told me the timing was right” “I would sell cribs, carriages, strollers, highchairs-everything for the baby. Why babies? Because World War II had just ended and, according to Lazarus, soldiers were going to go home, get married, have children and live the American dream. Back in 1948, at just 25, he started a company that made baby furniture. In fact, most of the wounds were self inflicted. This is partly true, but Amazon was the last dagger. So, when it went bankrupt, it was natural for us to say: Amazon killed it. In its 70-year history, Toys R' Us would not only rise from humble beginnings, it would also change how we consume toys altogether. So, why did Toys R' Us close? It's a question worth answering. It was the biggest toy store in the world and it went bankrupt.
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