Toys "R" Us
Toys "Я" Us, Inc. (NYSE: TOY) is a toy store chain based in the United States. It also operates in other countries, with around 1,500 stores world wide.
Toys "R" Us, Inc. owns two other chains: Kids "R" Us, a store that specilizes in kid's clothing, and Babies "R" Us.
Due to market pressures (primarily competition from Wal-Mart), Toys "R" Us is moving away from the toy business and focusing instead on its other chains.
The backwards R is the most distinctive part of its logo. The "R Us" name has been imitated by many other businesses, such as Tiles R Us.
In the late 1970s, Geoffrey the Giraffe, an anthropomorphic cartoon giraffe character was introduced as its mascot, appearing in the company's television commercials. Later, a live-action animatronic Geoffrey was used, created by Stan Winston Studios and voiced by Jim Hanks.
In March of 2005, a consortium of investors led by buyout specialists Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. agreed to buy the toy giant for a reported $6.6 billion (USD). [1]