Starting this Sunday, look for FAO Schwarz boutique toy shops to open in nearly 600 Toys R’ Us stores. Earlier this year, Toys R’ Us acquired FAO Schwarz and saved it from bankruptcy. An article in the New York Times states “At a time when consumers are penny-pinching and giant discounters like Wal-Mart are offering expanded assortments of $10 toys, Toys “R” Us has been buying weaker rivals, positioning itself to be the go-to destination for exclusive toys at a wide range of prices — be it $10 stocking stuffers or a $1,499.99 teddy bear modeled after the fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. (The bear is wearing an Italian wool jacket, black silk tie and jeans.) The FAO Schwarz holiday catalog is expected to arrive is shoppers’ mailboxes on November 10th.
