Tru Kids Brands™ and b8ta Announce the Appointment of Jamie Uitdenhowen as President

PARSIPPANY, N.J. and SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Tru Kids Brands™ ("Tru Kids"), the proud parent of the Toys"R"Us^® brand, and b8ta announced today that toy industry veteran Jamie Uitdenhowen has been named President of Toy Retail Showrooms, LLC, the new joint venture that operates and manages the Toys"R"Us stores in the United States. In this role, Uitdenhowen will oversee the day-to-day business operations, new experiential store development and vendor partnerships leading up to the brand's U.S. relaunch this Fall, and beyond.

Uitdenhowen joins Toys"R"Us from Party City, where he served as Chief Merchandising Officer managing all merchandising, planning and pricing activities for the company's North American business. Prior to that, he served as Vice President, General Manager for Toys"R"Us, Inc., overseeing all merchandising decisions for Toys"R"Us.

"This is an exciting time for the company as we get closer to bringing back Toys"R"Us stores to the U.S. this holiday season. Having already worked with Jamie for many years, I am confident that his retail experience and leadership will have a significant impact on our success in the United States as we work to rebuild this beloved brand," said Richard Barry, CEO of Tru Kids and interim co-CEO of the new Toys"R"Us joint venture.

"Having previously worked with Jamie, I'm excited for his return to the Toys"R"Us team. His knowledge of the industry and vision for building a dynamic experience for kids and families, make him the ideal fit for our business moving forward," said Phillip Raub, co-founder and president of b8ta and interim co-CEO of the new Toys"R"Us joint venture.

"I'm so pleased that Jamie has returned to the Toys"R"Us team. He has a strong and seasoned sense for what the next generation of kids and parents want, and we look forward to working with him to reimagine the toy retail experience together with our brand partners," said Phillip Raub, co-founder and president of b8ta and interim co-CEO of the new Toys"R"Us joint venture.

Uitdenhowen has more than 20 years of experience as a global business leader managing omnichannel retail businesses both domestically and abroad. Having spent more than 18 years at Toys R Us, Inc., he has become a respected executive in the toy industry, with a proven track record of leading high-performing teams, identifying and leveraging market trends and building strong relationships with the toy vendor community. Uitdenhowen has a master's degree in business administration from Seton Hall University and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Temple University.

"Toys"R"Us is an iconic brand known for delivering the best toy experience for kids and families. I'm thrilled to be returning to help drive the next chapter of this beloved retail brand in the U.S.," said Uitdenhowen.

About Toy Retail Showrooms, LLC

Toy Retail Showrooms, LLC is a joint venture between Tru Kids Brands, the parent of the Toys"R"Us^® brand, and b8ta, the software-powered experiential retailer. Under the new venture, the company has licensed the Toys"R"Us brand to operate experiential retail stores in the United States. As previously announced, the first two new Toys"R"Us stores will open this holiday season, located in The Galleria in Houston, Texas, a Simon Mall, and in Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.toysrus.com.

Media Contacts:
[email protected] 

Tru Kids related inquiries:
Jaime Cassavechia
(212) 518-4771
[email protected]  

b8ta related inquiries:
Brooke Flohr
[email protected] 

SOURCE Tru Kids Brands and b8ta