Toys R Us, Inc., the world's leading retailer for toys and children's products, today announced the appointment of John Eyler as President, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the company's Board of Directors effective January 17. Until this appointment, Mr. Eyler, 52, had been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer ofFAO Schwarz, a position he has held since 1992.

Michael Goldstein, Chairman of Toys R Us said, "We are delighted to have someone the caliber of John Eyler lead Toys R Us into the new millennium.John is an innovative and entrepreneurial leader with a passion and energy for the toy business. The excitement that he brings to retail stores, his commitment to customer focus, his existing relationships within the toy industry, and his experience in leading profitable electronic commerce and catalog businesses are all major assets to Toys R Us."

Mr. Eyler said, "I have always been impressed with the strength of theToys R Us brand and welcome the opportunities that lie ahead. I look forward to working with the Toys R Us family to help the company reach its potential of being the premier retailer for toys and children's products. My time at FAO Schwarz has been invaluable in giving me a strong foundation for developing and expanding a unique business and brand in toy retail - and I'm confident that many of the lessons I learned can apply to building marketshare and shareholder value at Toys R Us."

A graduate of the University of Washington, Mr. Eyler received an MBA from the Harvard University School of Business. He joined FAO Schwarz in 1992 from Hartmarx in Chicago, where he served as Chief Executive Officer of its retail subsidiary. Prior to that, Mr. Eyler was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MainStreet, a division of Federated Department Stores, Inc. Hebegan his retail career at The May Department Stores Company, and was namedPresident and Chief Executive Officer of May Company's May D&F in Denver at age 32.

Mr. Eyler is on the Board of Directors of Donna Karan International Inc.He and his wife, Dolores, have three sons and reside in Rye, NY.

Toys R Us, the world's leading resource for kids, families and fun, currently operates 1,544 stores: 710 toy stores in the United States; 454 international toy stores, including franchise stores; 205 Kids R Us children's clothing stores; 130 Babies R Us stores; and 45 Imaginariumstores. The company also sells merchandise on its Internet sites at www.toysrus.com and www.imaginarium.com and through mail order catalogs.

SOURCE:PR Newswire

[Updated 1-12-2000]