Toys"R"Us, Inc. Helps Parents Keep Kids Safe With 'Great Trade-In' Event, Following Successful Removal of Nearly Half a Million Potentially Unsafe Baby Gear Items Since Program Began in 2009

WAYNE, N.J., Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Toys"R"Us, Inc. today announced it will host its fifth "Great Trade-In" event in Babies"R"Us® and Toys"R"Us® stores nationwide from Friday, August 26 through Sunday, September 18, once again providing parents and caregivers with the opportunity to trade-in used and potentially unsafe baby gear in exchange for 25% savings on a new item.  Since the company launched its first "Great Trade-In" event in August 2009, nearly half a million items have been turned in at its stores across the country.  In an effort to help parents and caregivers remove even more unsafe products from circulation, four new product categories -- swings, walkers, bouncers and entertainers -- have been added to the "Great Trade-In" event.

The "Great Trade-In" event is a national safety program designed to call attention to the fact that certain used baby products, such as cribs and car seats, are not the best candidates to be handed down or resold.  In addition to concern over recalled products that may still be in circulation, advances in product safety in recent years may have rendered older models unsafe and noncompliant with the newest standards.  For example, new crib standards recently took effect on June 28 that prohibit the manufacture or sale of traditional drop-side rail cribs, strengthen crib slats and mattress supports, improve the quality of hardware and require more rigorous testing.

"As a company dedicated to children's safety, Toys"R"Us, Inc. continues to stay at the forefront of emerging safety issues and concerns, and is committed to offering parents and caregivers the safest products available," said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys"R"Us, Inc. "With increased product safety standards for items such as cribs, the 'Great Trade-In' provides an excellent opportunity to bring older, and potentially unsafe products, to our stores in exchange for savings on those that meet today's more stringent requirements."

New Crib Safety Standards

On June 28, 2011, new crib standards from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) took effect that prohibit the manufacture or sale of traditional drop-side rail cribs, strengthen crib slats and mattress supports, improve the quality of hardware and require more rigorous testing. All cribs sold in Babies"R"Us and Toys"R"Us stores and online meet these updated federal requirements, and the company has not carried drop-side cribs as part of its assortment since December 2009.

While all new cribs sold must meet these new requirements, consumers should be aware that these new standards also prohibit the re-selling of older cribs that do not meet these rigorous requirements.  

"Consumers should be extremely wary of using second-hand cribs, whether they've borrowed one from a friend or purchased one from a yard sale, as it is most likely they would not meet the new crib standards and could present safety hazards," said Nancy Cowles, Executive Director of Kids in Danger (KID), a consumer advocacy organization. "These updated standards are the toughest in the world, and the 'Great Trade-In' event is an opportunity to exchange an old item for savings on a new crib that is sure to meet these rigorous new requirements."

Child care facilities have until December 28, 2012 to ensure that the cribs they use meet the new standards.  The "Great Trade-In" event provides these centers the opportunity to begin immediately complying with these enhanced requirements, and save significantly on their new cribs.  

American Academy of Pediatrics Updates Recommended Use of Car Seats

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age two, or until they reach the maximum height or weight for their seat.  In its new guidelines, the AAP also advises that most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.  

For parents whose little ones are about to outgrow their infant car seat and transition to a convertible car seat or even outgrow their convertible seat and now need a booster seat, the "Great Trade-In" event provides the opportunity to save on one of the most important items for keeping kids safe while on-the-go.

Helping Parents Be Proactive on Children's Safety

In addition to the "Great Trade-In" event, Toys"R"Us, Inc. offers the following resources to help parents and caregivers keep their children safe:

• Toysrus.com/Safety, the company's dedicated Safety website, features information on the company's industry-leading safety standards for products sold through its stores and websites, seasonal tips for preventing accidental injury and product recall information.
• Recall notifications sent via e-mail by signing up through Toysrus.com/Safety, which nearly 250,000 customers have done since the feature was made available.
• Current recall information is posted on easily-visible Safety boards at each store location.
• Tools and resources for parents to keep track of the products in use in their homes with a Product Record List and Eight Steps to Keep Kids Safe checklist is available online at Toysrus.com/Safety and in-stores upon request. These tools are designed to make relevant product information readily available in the event of a recall so parents and caregivers can act quickly to remove unsafe products from use.

'Great Trade-In' Event Details

The "Great Trade-In" event begins Friday, August 26 and continues through Sunday, September 18 in Babies"R"Us and Toys"R"Us locations nationwide. During this time, stores will accept any used cribs, car seats, bassinets, strollers, travel systems, play yards, high chairs, kids' beds, and newly eligible for this year's "Great Trade-In" event, swings, walkers, bouncers and entertainers, in exchange for a 25% savings on the purchase of a new baby item, in any of these product categories, from select manufacturers.  

Brands participating in the "Great Trade-In" event include Babi Italia®, Babies"R"Us, Baby Cache®, Baby Einstein™, Baby Trend®, Bergamo®, Bright Starts™, Britax®, Carter's®, Chicco®, Combi®, Contours by Kolcraft®, Delta™, Europa Baby®, Evenflo®, Graco®, Jeep®, Lamaze®, Little Tikes®, Maxi-Cosi®, Safety 1st®, S1 by Safety 1st®, Signature Series by Graco®, Sorelle™, Step2® and Summer Infant®.  Customers can save 25% on a new purchase, within any of the specified product categories, from any of the aforementioned manufacturers, in Babies"R"Us and Toys"R"Us stores nationwide on the day they trade in their used item.  

In addition, customers may exchange any number of used items, from any manufacturer, in the specified product categories.  Day care centers or other organizations who wish to exchange items in bulk are encouraged to contact their local Babies"R"Us or Toys"R"Us store prior to trading in their used items to ensure adequate availability of new merchandise.

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 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 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, Inc.