TOYS“R”US® AND BABIES“R”US® OPEN IN RICHMOND, DELIVERING AONE-STOP SHOPPING DESTINATION FOR AREA PARENTS
Credit: http://www.toysrusinc.com/
The World’s Leading Dedicated Toy and Juvenile Products Retailer Brings Together Two Trusted Brands to Offer a Broad Selection of Merchandise for Kids of All Ages Under One Roof
WAYNE, NJ – (October 3, 2012) – Toys“R”Us, Inc. today announced that Toys“R”Us® and Babies“R”Us®will open on Friday, October 12 at 11801 West Broad Street in Richmond to provide local parents with a convenient, one-stop shopping destination to fulfill the needs of children of all ages. The 58,000-square-foot store represents an ongoing strategy for the world’s leading dedicated toy and juvenile products retailer to bring two trusted brands together under one roof in an integrated Side-by-Side store format. Featuring a new design, the store provides customers a streamlined shopping environment that is easy to navigate and showcases the exclusive product offerings customers have come to expect. The store will celebrate its grand opening weekend with great savings, giveaways, kid-friendly activities and visits from popular costumed characters beginning on Friday, October 12 through Sunday, October 14.
“Integrating the Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us brands in one location is a key initiative for the company, and our customers nationwide have been responding favorably to the convenience and breadth of selection these stores offer,” said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys“R”Us, Inc. “Whether guests are shopping for must-have toys for the kids in their lives or products for the nearly 4,000 babies born in Henrico County each year, this new Side-by-Side store will provide parents with both a convenient shopping experience and great values.”
The company embarked on its integrated store strategy in 2006 when it began renovating existing Toys“R”Us stores to include a small Babies“R”Us store within the same location. Expanding on the success of this Side-by-Side store format, in 2007, the company also started opening brand new Side-by-Side locations constructed from the ground up. Today, these integrated stores vary in size from 30,000 square feet to 70,000 square feet.
The integrated store format provides an exceptional shopping convenience for time-strapped parents, offering a wide selection of toys and juvenile products. Toys“R”Us, Inc. currently operates more than 190 Side-by-Side stores in the United States. The company continues to renovate existing Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us locations to include both brands in a Side-by-Side format, and to open new integrated stores around the country.
With the company’s growing omnichannel offerings, Richmond-area families can also enjoy a seamless in-store and online shopping experience, making it easier than ever to shop with Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us however and whenever they want. For example, “Buy Online, Pick Up In Store” offers customers the ability to shop from the comfort of their own homes and pick up a purchase hours later at their local “R”Us store. Shoppers can also designate an alternate person to pick up their order with “Family and Friends Pick Up.”
Toys“R”Us
For more than 60 years, Toys“R”Us has been a favorite destination for kids and grown-ups alike with its impressive assortment of toys, games, learning aids, electronics, children’s apparel and juvenile furniture. With nearly 600 stores throughout the United States, Toys“R”Us offers a broad selection of unique toys, including many that can only be found at Toys“R”Us, old favorites and great values under one roof. To ensure an enjoyable shopping experience, toy-trained associates are always available to help customers find great gifts for every special occasion or just for fun.
Babies“R”Us
Babies“R”Us is the nation’s leading dedicated juvenile products retailer. Since opening its first store in Westbury, NY in 1996, the chain has grown substantially, operating nearly 260 locations nationwide. Babies“R”Us features a wide selection of products for newborns and infants, including cribs and other furniture, car seats, strollers, formula, diapers, bedding, clothing for preemies through size 5T, toys and plenty of unique gift ideas. Also available is the Babies“R”Us Registry, a convenient online and in-store tool that eliminates guesswork and geographic barriers from gift-buying so friends and relatives can easily visit Babiesrus.com or any store location to select, buy and send the right gift directly to parents waiting for baby’s arrival.
A Foundation in Sustainable Building
Beyond the store’s broad assortment of playthings for kids of all ages, Toys“R”Us/Babies“R”Us Richmond was built with a number of sustainable features with the goal of conserving energy and reducing the store’s overall impact to the environment in the Richmond-area community.
These features include:
- A state-of-the-art Energy Management System (EMS) that monitors environmental conditions and adjusts temperature, lighting and CO2 levels throughout the store in order to utilize natural light and reduce energy consumption
- Custom daylight harvesting system, which includes a number of design components, such as skylights, cutting-edge dimmable fixtures and lighting sensors that reduce up to 50% of electric lighting energy used during the day
- Energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures in outdoor signage instead of florescent signage, which increase energy savings and reduce toxic materials and maintenance costs
- White reflective roof that significantly reduces the amount of heat absorbed by the building which, in turn, reduces the building’s energy requirement for cooling
- Low-flow water closets and urinals and automatic faucets and flush valves, which conserve water
- High efficiency automatic hand dryers that use 80% less energy than standard hand dryers while eliminating the need for paper towel products and therefore lessen the impact on landfills
- A cardboard baler that facilitates recycling and reduces the impact on landfills
- Low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) paint and floor adhesive are used during construction because they produce little odor during application and no lingering odor once cured
- A vestibule entry way system reduces the amount of outside contaminants being tracked into the store interior, while helping to increase indoor air quality
- Toy bollards, made of concrete with recycled white porcelain, that function as safety devices by providing a barrier between vehicles and pedestrians on the sidewalk, and add an element of fun to the storefront
Charitable Giving
In conjunction with the grand opening, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund, a public charity affiliated with Toys“R”Us, Inc., has awarded a $10,000 grant to Make-A-Wish® Greater Virginia to support wish fulfillment in Richmond-area communities. Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Children are at the heart of Toys“R”Us, Inc., and, together with the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund, the company supports organizations that keep children safe and help them in times of need.
The company has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Make-A-Wish through both its national headquarters and local chapters. Since 1995, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund has provided more than $1.8 million to help fulfill the Make-A-Wish mission. Over the last three years, Toys“R”Us, Inc. donated $150,000 in gift cards to Make-A-Wish to make the holidays brighter for wish kids and their families. In addition, Toys“R”Us stores across the country work with their local Make-A-Wish chapters throughout the year to host shopping spree wishes for very deserving children.
About Toys“R”Us, Inc.
Toys“R”Us, Inc. is the world’s leading dedicated toy and juvenile products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 876 Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, and in more than 635 international stores and over 145 licensed stores in 35 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells extraordinary toys in the brand’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com and FAO.com, it provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys“R”Us, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 associates annually worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need. Additional information about Toys“R”Us, Inc. can be found on Toysrusinc.com. Follow Toys“R”Us, Babies“R”Us and FAO Schwarz on Facebook at Facebook.com/Toysrus, Facebook.com/Babiesrusand Facebook.com/FAO and on Twitter at Twitter.com/Toysrus and Twitter.com/Babiesrus.
