March 17, 2008 05:30 pm
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Toys “R” Us, at the northwest corner of East Seventh Street and Range Line Road, soon will be giving birth to a Babies “R” Us store.
Remodeling is under way to convert one-third of the existing store into Babies “R” Us, a division of the parent company that has grown in recent years to become the nation’s premier baby products retailer.
A store spokesman said opening for the new venture will be in mid-June.
Toys “R” Us opened its first Babies “R” Us in 1996 in Westbury, N.Y. The chain has grown to more than 250 locations across the country. The stores offer new and expecting parents virtually everything they need.
Toys “R” Us was a successful operation in 2007 despite negative headlines for the toy industry with regard to the importing of lead-tainted toys from China. Make no mistake about it: Lead at any level in a toy is not acceptable. The latest scientific evidence continues to reaffirm that there is no safe exposure level for lead in children. It’s even more important to new parents in the Joplin area, where lead mining was the foundation industry for the entire region.
Toys “R” Us is a proactive company when it comes to children. It has an annual fund-raising campaign to benefit children with autism. It conducts toy drives for needy children. The company’s special fund for children recently donated $100,000 to Save the Children to help the youngest victims affected by recent tornadoes in the Midwest.
Toys “R” Us was founded in 1948 in Washington, D.C., by a 25-year-old businessman by the name of Charles Lazarus. He started a baby-furniture store, Children’s Bargain Town, to cater to the postwar baby boom era. He soon would add toys and, after 10 years of business, would adopt the supermarket model for toy shopping that is still used today.
Back home
Frye & Gray, which was in business at Ninth Street and Range Line Road for many years, has decided to consolidate operations at its main store in Neosho.
When the store left Range Line, it went to a storefront in a shopping center at 4402 E. 32nd St. The store’s last day of business there was Saturday.
Frye & Gray offered good service and reasonable prices for its furniture. Its closing is not only unfortunate but further confirmation that the furniture-retail sector in Joplin is becoming more competitive in a shrinking market.
Bloomin’ success
Joplin’s Outback Steakhouse is participating in the company’s 20th birthday bash by offering a number of new, limited-time-only food creations through the end of April.
The special menu items include the sirloin, shrimp and scallops mixed grill, char-grilled Tuscan rib-eye, and fresh tilapia with lump crab meat.
There are nearly 800 Outback restaurants in the United States and 950 worldwide. Outback was founded in 1988 by four friends who met in the restaurant business: Chris Sullivan, Bob Basham, Tim Gannon and Trudy Cooper.
It was Gannon who created the Bloomin’ Onion concept. The company sold two Bloomin’ Onions during its first night of business. Company officials figure they have sold 133 million units of the appetizer since then.
The company is starting a program this year to “re-image” its interiors, as well as change locations based on traffic patterns and commercial activity.
If you have news about something that’s happening on Range Line Road, dial (417) 623-3480, ext. 7250; or send an e-mail to wkennedy@joplinglobe.com; or send a fax to Wally Kennedy at (417) 623-8598.
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Photos
Wally Kennedy