Toys R Us Will Match Online Prices in Stores

Toys R Us will start matching some online prices in its stores, as it begins to gear up for the crucial holiday shopping season.

The toy seller already matches other retailers’ in-store prices. But it is expanding the offer to include online prices as well. A growing number of retailers, including Target and Best Buy, are offering to match online prices to stop customers from browsing in their stores and then buying items more cheaply online, a trend known as “showrooming.”

Getting customers into stores — and spending money — is particularly important in the holiday quarter, during which retailers make 40 percent or more of annual revenue.

Privately held Toys R Us, based in Wayne, N.J., says it will match prices at websites including those of Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon.com – excluding those sold through the third-party Amazon Marketplace, Best Buy, Sears and others.

“We want to take away any concerns our customers might have about maximizing their budgets,” said chief merchandising officer Richard Barry.