TOYS ‘R’ US: THE DEMISE OF THE TOY EMPIRE

The case study tells the story of Toys ‘R’ Us which used to be the most prominent player in toys business. Founded in 1957 by Lazarus, Toys ‘R’ Us had grown tremendously in the industry. Proclaimed as “one of the outstanding companies in all of retailing” by Goldman Sachs in 1985, Toys ‘R’ Us started to see its downfall after Lazarus had stepped down in 1994. Having led by different CEOs since then, Toys ‘R’ Us saw a hope in John Eyler who led Toys ‘R’ Us in 2000. In his 5 years serving as its CEO, Eyler, described as “an innovative and passionate marketer with entrepreneurial leadership and the energy needed for the toy market”, had tried many strategies. However, did he manage to save Toys ‘R’ Us from falling deeper?