406:, Lazarus recalled that his venture into toy retailing was not planned when he opened his first store in 1948, telling the publication, "The toy business was kind of an accident...I started out selling a few baby toys and realized that customers didn't buy another crib or another high chair or playpen as their family grew, but they did buy toys for each child."
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business based on his customers' habits and preferences. Lazarus noticed that parents frequently visited his store to purchase the latest toys and stuffed animals, as their children lost interest in their older toys in favor of new ones. During the 1950s, he began exploring the idea of opening a new
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Following WWII, Lazarus returned to
Washington, D.C., to enter the children's furniture business during the late 1940s. He was inspired by his generation of service members who, like himself, returned from WWII, married, and began having children. Lazarus began selling cradles and cribs inside his
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father's existing bicycle store. With help from an uncle who was already in the furniture store business, Lazarus soon took over the family's entire storefront. In 1948, Lazarus opened his first store, Children's
Bargain Town, a children's furniture store located at 2461 18th St. NW in the
700:"This interview with Charles Lazarus for the Columbus Jewish Historical Society was recorded November 12, 1995 as part of the Columbus Jewish Historical Society Oral History Project recorded by Bette Young"
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458:(CEO) of Toys "R" Us in 1994. He remained chairman of the company until 1998. That same year, Walmart surpassed Toys "R" Us as the largest toy retailer in the US for the first time.
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and introduced the "I'm a Toys "R" Us kid." jingle. The company was considered a retail titan by the 1980s as it began to expand overseas with locations in
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Over the next several decades, Toys "R" Us, headed by
Lazarus, expanded to suburban shopping areas across the US. Under Lazarus, the company created the
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was a sex therapist. Charles and Helen were married until her death on August 17, 1995. His third wife was interior decorator Joan
Regenbogen.
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on March 22, 2018, at the age of 94. His death occurred just one day before Toys "R" Us began liquidation sales in the United States.
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Lazarus was married three times. He had two daughters with his first wife, Udyss
Lazarus; they divorced in 1979. His second wife
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417:. Lazarus tweaked the name and logo by turning the "R" around to face the left to appear as if a small child had written it.
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Though
Lazarus originally focused on children's furniture and strollers, he soon became interested in the
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in 1948. He opened his first store dedicated exclusively to toys, which he named Toys "R" Us, in 1957.
354:, where he was raised as a child. His parents, Frank Lazarus and Fannie Firkser, owned and operated a
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store dedicated to toys, which were more profitable, rather than children's furniture.
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retail chain, which evolved from a children's furniture store he originally opened in
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672:"Charles Lazarus, who turned a Washington bike business into Toys R Us, dies at 94"
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829:"Toys R Us founder Charles Lazarus dies days after chain's announced shutdown"
718:"Toys R Us founder Charles Lazarus dies days after chain's announced shutdown"
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802:"Toys R Us founder Charles Lazarus dies at 94, as toy empire liquidates"
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776:"Toys R Us founder Charles Lazarus dies at 94 as his company folds"
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appeared with
Lazarus at the opening of the first Toys "R" Us in
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530:"Toys"R"Us.com – Toy Store – Shop Toys, Games & More Online"
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In 1957, Lazarus opened his first toys-only store in nearby
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neighborhood of
Washington, D.C. He primarily focused on
744:"Charles P. Lazarus, Toys 'R' Us Founder, Dies at 94"
585:"Charles P. Lazarus, Toys 'R' Us Founder, Dies at 94"
878:"Charles Lazarus, Founder of Toys R Us, Dies at 94"
322:(October 4, 1923 – March 22, 2018) was an American
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629:"Toys 'R' Us Founder Charles Lazarus Dies at 94"
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16:American entrepreneur and founder of Toys "R" Us
854:"Toys R Us founder Charles Lazarus dies at 94"
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326:, executive, and pioneer within the retail
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1016:20th-century American businesspeople
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986:American businesspeople in retailing
981:American toy industry businesspeople
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627:Arnold, Laurence (March 23, 2018).
597:from the original on March 31, 2018
583:Corkery, Michael (March 22, 2018).
704:Columbus Jewish Historical Society
698:Young, Bette (November 12, 1995).
670:Smith, Harrison (March 22, 2018).
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470:residence at 960 Fifth Avenue in
466:In August 2013, Lazarus sold his
800:Thorne, James (March 22, 2018).
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1011:People from the Upper East Side
742:Corkery, Michael (2018-03-22).
442:President of the United States
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1006:Businesspeople from Manhattan
996:United States Army soldiers
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218:(before 1995)
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454:Lazarus stepped down as
342:Early life and education
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476:Carlos Rodriguez-Pastor
456:chief executive officer
358:. Lazarus served as a
330:. Lazarus founded the
320:Charles Philip Lazarus
413:. He named the store
402:In an interview with
499:Mount Sinai Hospital
422:Geoffrey the Giraffe
279:Geoffrey the Giraffe
902:Business positions
677:The Washington Post
495:respiratory failure
483:Helen Singer Kaplan
411:Rockville, Maryland
404:DSN Retailing Today
211:Helen Singer Kaplan
748:The New York Times
590:The New York Times
478:for $ 21 million.
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933:Dave Brandon
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886:. Retrieved
884:. 2018-03-22
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381:Adams Morgan
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368:World War II
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328:toy industry
324:entrepreneur
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247:entrepreneur
168:(2018-03-22)
128:Dave Brandon
123:Succeeded by
102:
77:Succeeded by
56:
971:2018 deaths
966:1923 births
946:Toys "R" Us
923:Toys "R" Us
440:. In 1992,
415:Toys "R" Us
332:Toys "R" Us
277:Creator of
274:Toys "R" Us
113:Preceded by
95:Toys "R" Us
67:Preceded by
49:Toys "R" Us
36:, CEO, and
960:Categories
950:1957–1998
927:1957–1994
888:2023-09-28
863:2023-09-28
839:2023-09-27
786:2023-09-27
761:2023-09-27
728:2023-09-27
509:References
389:baby cribs
350:family in
290:Allegiance
240:Occupation
149:1923-10-04
915:President
858:USA TODAY
813:April 30,
756:0362-4331
683:April 30,
640:April 30,
601:April 30,
472:Manhattan
438:Singapore
385:strollers
364:U.S. Army
356:bike shop
301:U.S. Army
262:Known for
251:executive
107:1957–1994
103:In office
87:President
61:1957–1998
57:In office
942:Chairman
833:NBC News
780:BBC News
722:NBC News
595:Archived
232:Children
45:Chairman
38:chairman
909:Founded
539:Jul 18,
366:during
362:in the
266:Founder
254:pioneer
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180:Spouses
117:Founded
71:Founded
34:Founder
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468:duplex
436:, and
430:Canada
426:mascot
424:store
374:Career
348:Jewish
268:&
175:, U.S.
158:, U.S.
489:Death
449:Japan
434:Spain
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815:2018
807:CNBC
752:ISSN
685:2018
642:2018
603:2018
541:2019
387:and
306:Rank
198:div.
163:Died
143:Born
89:and
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919:CEO
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396:toy
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