Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us Customers Can Order From Anywhere and Pick Up Anywhere With Enhanced Omnichannel Offerings Making Shopping Even More Convenient

WAYNE, N.J., Sept. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Toys"R"Us, Inc. today announced that it has expanded its omnichannel offerings, providing customers the ability to shop wherever and whenever in the way that's most convenient for them. With a robust e-commerce site, mobile shopping capabilities and a network of more than 870 stores across the country, it has never been easier to shop with THE toy and baby products authority.

Toys"R"Us® has enhanced its popular "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" service, making it more convenient than ever for customers to find that must-have toy for their child or pick up a gift for an expectant parent or new baby. Originally launched just before the 2010 holiday shopping season, the "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" program was expanded earlier this year to all Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us® stores* nationwide.  Now, just in time for the 2011 holiday season, customers using "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" have the ability to designate an alternate person to pick up their order through "Family and Friends Pick Up."  

"Our omnichannel offerings allow us to leverage the strengths of our store and online businesses to create a seamless shopping experience for our customers, so they can shop with us whenever and however they want," said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys"R"Us, Inc.  "Our e-commerce growth, which has been particularly strong, will continue to benefit from these new capabilities. This is the time of year when parents are looking to Toys"R"Us to find that must-have item on their child's wish list, and our new omnichannel offerings will help advance customer service and satisfaction during the upcoming holiday season."

New e-Commerce Fulfillment Capabilities

As the company continues to grow its e-commerce business, this summer it opened a new distribution center in McCarran, NV, dedicated solely to the fulfillment of online orders. To provide additional support to Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com, this fall the company will begin leveraging the inventory from approximately 760 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores nationwide to help complete online orders.  This "Ship from Store" program will not only improve the speed with which customers receive their items, but will also provide an additional option to fulfill online orders, should online inventory for a particular item run low.  

"Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" Continues to Grow, Adds "Family and Friends Pick Up"

Over the past year, "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" has also been expanded to include more products, with customers now able to choose from more than 10,000 items eligible for this service. "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" offers customers the ability to browse and shop from the comfort of their own homes, while giving them the flexibility to pick up their purchases conveniently at the Guest Services desk at a nearby "R"Us® store.  Appealing to customers who want to avoid shipping costs or for last-minute purchases, "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" is a complimentary service and guarantees in-store access within two hours of ordering. 

As an added convenience for shoppers, new this year to "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" is "Family and Friends Pick Up," which allows customers to designate an alternate person to pick up their order at a nearby store.  Sure to be a hit with busy parents on-the-go, "Family and Friends Pick Up" enables them to enlist the assistance of grandparents and friends to make sure they can quickly obtain the right gift for their child.  

Items eligible for "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" are indicated as such on their product pages on Toysrus.com and Babiesrus.com.  Customers can enter their zip code to find the five nearest stores with inventory to determine where the item is available for pick up.  Orders must be picked up within five days, and only the purchaser or the person they have designated may pick up the order. A driver's license or government-issued ID is required to pick up an online order in-store.  

Following are additional services available to help customers shop with Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us wherever, whenever and however they want this holiday season:

Find It In Stores – Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us customers can check whether a product is in-stock at their local store with a few simple clicks of their mouse on Toysrus.com.  Once they choose an item and arrive at the product description page, customers can confirm its availability at stores up to 50 miles from their home by clicking "Select a Store" and entering their zip code. 

Place an Online Order from an "R"Us Store for Free Home Delivery – To accommodate customers who are already shopping in a Toys"R"Us or Babies"R"Us store for a certain item and find that it may be out-of-stock, or the item they wish to purchase is available online only, store associates can determine availability of the item on the expanded catalog on Toysrus.com and have it shipped to the customer's home – free of charge.**

Locate Stock in a Nearby Store – Store associates can also locate inventory of out-of-stock items at a nearby store.  Depending on the customer's preference and when they need the item, the product can either be sent to the customer's home or placed on hold for same-day pick up at an alternate location.

E-mail Notification When an Out-of-Stock Item on Toysrus.com Becomes Available Online – Online shoppers searching for that specific LEGO® set or Disney® Princess item only to find that it is temporarily out-of-stock on Toysrus.com can take advantage of the "Notify Me When Available" option.  By signing up for notification, the customer will receive an e-mail alert as soon as the item becomes available online for purchase.

* "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" is not available in Toys"R"Us Express or Outlet locations.

** Some exclusions apply.

About Toys"R"Us, Inc.

Toys"R"Us, Inc. is the world's leading dedicated toy and juvenile products retailer, offering a differentiated shopping experience through its family of brands. Merchandise is sold in 874 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, and in more than 520 international stores and over 200 licensed stores in 34 countries and jurisdictions. In addition, it exclusively operates the legendary FAO Schwarz brand and sells extraordinary toys in the brand's flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. With its strong portfolio of e-commerce sites including Toysrus.com, Babiesrus.com, eToys.com and FAO.com, it provides shoppers with a broad online selection of distinctive toy and baby products. Headquartered in Wayne, NJ, Toys"R"Us, Inc. employs approximately 70,000 associates annually worldwide. The company is committed to serving its communities as a caring and reputable neighbor through programs dedicated to keeping kids safe and helping them in times of need.

SOURCE Toys"R"Us