The American toy retailer founded in 1948 in Washington, D.C., that filed for bankruptcy in 2017 was Toys 'R' Us.
Charles Lazarus opened Children’s Supermart in April 1948, initially selling baby furniture. The business shifted toward toys, and the first Toys 'R' Us store opened in Rockville, Maryland, in 1957. Its childlike logo famously used a reversed “R.”
The chain became a dominant U.S. toy seller during the late 20th century and expanded internationally. In September 2017, Toys 'R' Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States and Canada, burdened by billions of dollars in debt and intense competition from online and mass-market retailers.
A common mix-up is the date: 1948 marks Lazarus’s original retail business, while the Toys 'R' Us brand began in 1957. The company later closed its remaining U.S. stores in 2018, though the brand subsequently returned through new ownership and retail partnerships.