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Toys 'R' Us Founder Charles Lazarus Dies at 94
- He transformed the toy industry from seasonal to year-round
- Debt, discounters, online rivals ultimately crushed the chain
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Charles Lazarus, who combined supermarket-style service with touches of whimsy in creating Toys “R” Us Inc., a longtime retail success that fought high debt and fierce competition and finally succumbed just last week, has died. He was 94.
He died Thursday in Manhattan, Michael Goldstein, a close friend who was the company’s former chairman, said in a phone interview. Amy von Walter, a spokeswoman for Toys “R” Us, said the news adds to the chain’s “many sad moments” recently, but she added that the company “will forever be grateful for his positive energy, passion for the customer and love for children everywhere.”