Toys”R”Us Inc.
“All year long, we continually seek new ways to engage with and reward our most loyal customers. Especially during the holidays, our goal is to provide consumers with even more compelling reasons to shop our brand, while helping them fulfill the wishes of the children in their lives,” Amy Avitabile, vice president of integrated marketing communications, said in a statement. “Our enhanced loyalty incentives are just some of the ways we are showing our appreciation of our most faithful shoppers – both long-standing and new.”
In addition to its loyalty and credit card offerings, the toy retail giant also recently rolled out its hotly-anticipated Great Big Toys“R”Us Wish Finder in newspapers and homes across the United States. The 80-page resource spotlights nearly 1,000 of the hottest toys of the season and showcases the company’s services, merchandise assortment and exclusive items. One new feature of the guide is a special edition version featuring a cover that children can “unwrap” to reveal the book. An online version and an app that allows parents to create wish lists are also available.
The company in November unveiled the holiday shopping catalog for legendary toy store FAO Schwarz, which Toys“R”Us Inc. acquired in 2009. The store also recently decorated for the holidays and announced its annual Toys For Tots drive for the U.S. Marine Corps, one of its many community outreach efforts. “For generations, FAO Schwarz has served as a must-see holiday destination for millions of families worldwide where they can enjoy a distinctive shopping experience and discover one-of-a-kind gifts,” Senior Vice President of General Merchandise Lisa Harnisch said.
‘A Quintessential Wonderland’
The spirit of the holidays is central to the company’s 2013 holiday marketing campaign, “Make All Their Wishes Come True,” which allows parents and gift-givers to experience the magic of Toys“R”Us through children’s eyes.
A new television spot as well as digital, radio and print ads created in partnership with Chicago-based The Escape Pod Agency, recently debuted. The television ad follows a group of children who think they’re going on a field trip,wind up at Toys“R”Us “with a free rein of the endless aisles of fun at their fingertips,” the company says.
“While the holidays are a busy time for families, we wanted our new marketing campaign to cause viewers to pause and be reminded of the true joy that lies at the center of gift-giving,” Senior Vice President of Marketing Peter Reiner said. “At Toys“R”Us, we are uniquely positioned to bring smiles to children’s faces – our stores are a quintessential wonderland for kids and kids at heart.”
A Worldwide Authority
Toys“R”Us in 2013 marks its 65th anniversary of delighting children and shoppers of all ages. “Toys“R”Us offers a broad selection of unique toys, including those that can only be found at our stores, old favorites and great values under one roof,” the company says. “With knowledgeable and toy-trained staff members always ready to help customers, Toys“R”Us is the authority when it comes to finding the perfect toy.”
In addition to its Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us brands – which operate a combined 878 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico and more than 690 international stores and over 170 licensed stores worldwide – the company operates a portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babies.com, eToys.com, Toys.com and FAO.com. It employs approximately 70,000 employees.
The company is led by Antonio Urcelay, who became permanent CEO in October 2013 after previously serving in an interim capacity since May. In addition to Urcelay’s promotion, the company also recently named former Walmart and ServiceMaster executive Hank Mullany as President, Toys“R”Us, U.S.