"There have been many sad moments for Toys R Us in recent weeks, and none more heartbreaking than today's news about the passing of our beloved founder, Charles Lazarus," the company said. More recently, Toys "R" Us found itself unable to survive the trends of the digital age, namely competition from the likes of Amazon, discounters like Walmart and mobile games. But for decades, it was Toys "R" Us that drove trends in child's play, becoming a launchpad for what became some of the industry's hottest toys. (Julio Cortez/Associated Press)He opened his first store dedicated to selling only toys in 1957, calling it Toys "R" Us with the "R" spelled backward to give the impression that a child wrote it. By the 1980s and early 90s, Toys "R" Us dominated the toy-store business and its jingle, "I'm a Toys R Us kid" became an anthem for children across the country.

Source: CBC News March 22, 2018 21:45 UTC