Almost 10 years later, Lazarus opened his store, which allowed customers to examine and pick out products on their own and pay for them at a checkout stand. With the opening of his second store, he settled on the name Toys“R”Us®
Lazarus believed that success meant focusing on the everyday shopper, such as a parent searching for the perfect birthday gift or a child hoping to spend his or her weekly allowance. In the pre-mall, pre-discount store days, specialty retailing and off-price positioning were revolutionary concepts that Lazarus leveraged to his advantage. Through his ingenuity, Lazarus expanded his fledgling business into a toy conglomerate that became a public company in 1978 with established community roots and a loyal customer base from coast-to-coast. With its iconic mascot Geoffrey®the Giraffe introduced in February 1960 and the catchy jingle, “I Don’t Want to Grow Up, I’m a Toys“R”Us Kid®,” Toys“R”Us has become one of the most recognized and beloved brands in the world.