Toys R Us to offer price matching guarantee

NEW YORK Toys R Us will offer a price matching guarantee on all of its toys and products in stores this holiday season, the toy seller said Monday.

The offer follows the chain's free layaway and toy reservation programs, and is the latest attempt for the company to draw in customers during the bustling holiday season.

Retailers, particularly toy sellers, can make up to 40 percent of their annual sales during the last three months of the year.

• Toys R Us to hire 45,000 for holiday season
• Holiday hiring predicted to be best in 5 years
• Toys R Us gets into the tablet computer game

Under terms of the offer, Toys R Us will match competitors' prices as long as a customer has a current and valid print ad from the store until Christmas Eve. It doesn't include online offers from competitors. But if there's a cheaper price on its own Web sites, toysrus.com and babiesrus.com, stores will match the online price.

Customers also have up to seven days to bring in a purchased item and get a price adjustment if they find a lower price published elsewhere.

One catch: Toys R Us says that items "known to be widely out of stock or available in limited quantities" are excluded from the offer.

Toy analysts say retailers are being tight with inventory this year, so those wanting in-demand toys like Monster High dolls and the LeapPad2 tablet should buy early.

"Like last year, hot toys will be tough to get by the first week of December," said Jim Silver, a toy expert from online toy magazine Time to Play.