Toys"R"Us, Inc. Urges Parents and Caregivers to Help Remove Unsafe Items From the Marketplace During Upcoming 'Great Trade-In' Event

WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Toys"R"Us, Inc. today issued a new call to action for customers to rid their homes of potentially unsafe old and second-hand baby products and exchange them for savings on a new item during the "Great Trade-In" event.  This national safety program, first introduced in August 2009, draws attention to certain used baby products that can carry potential hazards, but are still in circulation, making them poor candidates to be handed down or resold.  In fact, according to product safety advocacy organization Kids In Danger, recalled products that have not yet been removed from homes and other facilities have continued to cause harm to infants and children.

In 2011, Kids In Danger conducted an analysis of product safety issues reported at SaferProducts.gov, an online database where consumers can share concerns about product safety with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The analysis found that one in seven of the reports and injuries included in the database regarding children or children's products involved products that had been recalled, with most of the incidents occurring after the item was recalled.

"The 'Great Trade-In' event was conceived to raise awareness of the dangers surrounding used and second-hand products that are still in circulation, and we're proud of the impact the program has made since its inception," said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys"R"Us, Inc. "Toys"R"Us is committed to ensuring the safety of children, and we continue to stay at the forefront of emerging safety concerns, while offering parents and caregivers the safest products available."

Since the first "Great Trade-In" event, approximately 600,000 used and potentially unsafe baby products have been removed from circulation and turned in at "R"Us® stores nationwide. Some traded-in items were missing parts or were damaged, while others that were decades old showed obvious signs of wear and tear and would be considered non-compliant by today's more stringent product safety standards. 

The company's sixth "Great Trade-In" event begins Friday, January 27 and continues through Monday, February 20 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, 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.  Through this program, Toys"R"Us, Inc. continues to raise awareness among parents about ways to be proactive where children's safety is concerned. 

The CPSC advocates not purchasing used items that have a history of safety problems, including cribs, play yards and bassinets.  Items in these specific categories may have been recalled or affected by recent enhancements to federal or voluntary standards and regulations for safety testing that render older models unsafe or non-compliant with current standards. 

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. 

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 returning their used items to ensure adequate availability of new merchandise.

Additional Safety Resources for Parents and Caregivers

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 approximately 280,000 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.

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 879 Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, and in more than 600 international stores and over 150 licensed stores in 35 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. Additional information about Toys"R"Us, Inc. can be found on Toysrusinc.com. Follow Toys"R"Us, Babies"R"Us and FAO Schwarz on Facebook at Facebook.com/Toysrus, Facebook.com/Babiesrus and Facebook.com/FAO and on Twitter at Twitter.com/Toysrus and Twitter.com/Babiesrus.

SOURCE Toys"R"Us, Inc.