Toys “R” Us

Toys “R” Us has taken a leadership position on toy and baby-product safety, beginning in 2007 when millions of toys from China were recalled for high lead levels. The company has reportedly implemented high safety standards, and in 2007 vowed to take an aggressive approach towards holding vendors accountable for meeting those standards.^[13] Chairman and CEO Gerald Storch, testifying before a Senate appropriations subcommittee on toy safety in September 2007, said he supported new legislation strengthening toy-safety standards and outlined new initiatives the retailer had set forth to ensure that its customers receive timely information on recalls (including a new website).^[14][15]
In 2008, the company introduced stricter product safety standards exceeding federal requirements. Among the new standards was a requirement for materials inside toys to meet a standard of 250 parts per million of lead for all products manufactured exclusively for the retailer (compared with the federal standard of 600 ppm. Toys “R” Us also announced the requirement that baby products be produced without the addition of phthalates, which have raised concerns about infant safety.^[16] The company has since adjusted its requirements to meet new federal standards enacted with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).
In addition to toy safety, the company also took steps to stop selling drop-side cribs before it became a federal requirement. In fall 2010, after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Food and U.S. Drug Administration (FDA) issued a joint warning advising parents to stop using sleep positioners, Toys “R” Us removed sleep positioners from its in-store and online inventory throughout North America.^[17]