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U.S. NEWS A7
Friday 23 March 2018

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Toys R Us founder dies days after chain's announced shutdown

ing toys after a couple of grab and fill up themselves, first Toys R Us in Japan.
years when customers be- supermarket-style.In 1965, He himself loomed large
gan asking for them, and Geoffrey the giraffe be- over his industry at the
he quickly concluded that, came the company's mas- heyday of his company,
in the baby-boom years, cot, appearing in his first TV personally traveling to the
toys were a more lucrative commercial in 1973. By the annual Toy Fair in Manhat-
business than furniture. 1980s and early 90s, Toys R tan. Thousands of buyers
He opened his first store Us dominated the toy-store from around the world at-
dedicated to selling only business and its jingle, "I'm a tend but back then, it was
toys in 1957, calling it Toys Toys R Us kid" became an Lazarus whom manufactur-
R Us with the "R'' spelled anthem for children across ers were most anxious to
backward to give the im- the country. impress, said Marc Rosen-
pression that a child wrote In 1992, Lazarus traveled berg, a veteran toy mar-
it. Shopping carts stood with President George H.W. keter and founder of Sky-
ready for customers to Bush for the opening of the BluePink Concepts.q

In this 1992 photo, President George H. Bush, left, listens to Toys
R Us Chairman Charles Lazarus, right, as he visits the toy chain's
second store to open in Japan. Lazarus, the World War II veteran
who founded Toy R Us, has died at age 94. Toy R Us confirmed
Lazarus’ death in a statement Thursday, March 22, 2018.

(AP Photo)

By ALEXANDRA OLSON vive the trends of the digital
NEW YORK (AP) — Charles age, namely competition
P. Lazarus, the World War from the likes of Amazon,
II veteran who founded discounters like Walmart
Toys R Us six decades ago and mobile games. No lon-
and transformed it into an ger able to bear the weight
iconic piece of Americana, of its heavy debt load, the
died Thursday at age 94, a company announced last
week after the chain an- week that it would close or
nounced it was going out sell its 735 stores across the
of business. country, including its Babies
Toys R Us confirmed Laza- R Us stores.
rus' death in a statement. But for decades, it was Toys
"There have been many R Us that drove trends in
sad moments for Toys R child's play, becoming a
Us in recent weeks, and launchpad for what be-
none more heartbreaking came some of the indus-
than today's news about try's hottest toys.
the passing of our beloved Lazarus, the son of a bicy-
founder, Charles Lazarus," cle store owner, modeled
the company said. "Our his business after the self-
thoughts and prayers are service supermarkets that
with Charles' family and were becoming popular
loved ones." in the 1950s, stacking mer-
Lazarus, who stepped chandise high to give shop-
down as CEO of Toys R Us pers the feeling it had an
in 1994, transformed the infinite number of toys. The
toy industry with a business stores created a magical
model that became one of feeling for children roam-
the first retail category kill- ing aisles filled with Barbies,
ers — big stores that are so bikes and other toys laid
devoted to one thing, and out in front of them.
have such an impressive The chain has its roots in
selection, that they drive Children's Bargain Town,
smaller competitors out of the baby furniture store
business. that Lazarus opened 1948
More recently, Toys R Us in his hometown of Wash-
found itself unable to sur- ington, D.C. He began sell-