Toys"R"Us Canada promotes child safety with the return of the Great Trade-In
event

~Program returns to encourage more parents and caregivers across Canada to exchange used and potentially unsafe baby products~

TORONTO, Aug. 12 /CNW/ - After an impactful program earlier this year, Toys"R"Us, Canada is announcing the return of the Great Trade-In event - a national campaign targeted at removing used and potentially unsafe baby products from Canadian homes. The two-week program is designed to call attention to the fact that certain baby products should not be handed down or resold due to potential safety concerns. In June, the program generated the return of over 3,600 unwanted and used baby products across Canada.

"The response we received from our first Great Trade-In event was tremendous as it helped raise awareness of the potential dangers associated with certain used baby products," said Kevin Macnab, President, Toys"R"Us, Canada. "At Toys"R"Us, child safety is of the utmost importance and the Great Trade-In event allows us to not only contribute, but to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of product safety."

To encourage parents to turn-in additional used and potentially unsafe baby products, Toys"R"Us has made more product categories eligible for the upcoming Great Trade-In event. Canadians can now trade-in their used playards, high chairs, bassinets, exercisers, swings and walkers as well as cribs, car seats, strollers and travel systems, at any Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us store in exchange for 20 per cent savings on the purchase of a new item from the aforementioned list, excluding walkers, from participating manufacturers. The Great Trade-In event takes place from August 13 until August 29 at all Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us locations across Canada. Toys"R"Us will ensure the turned-in products are destroyed and disposed of responsibly.

"The Great Trade-In event provides an excellent opportunity to inform parents of the potential risks associated with using second-hand or older children's products," said the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health. "Health Canada reminds consumers to put safety first and to check to make sure their products are not damaged, improperly assembled, prohibited in Canada, or subject to recall."

Health Canada, the federal department that regulates many childcare products and equipment, recommends parents and caregivers are thorough when purchasing used and new baby products. Parents must ensure that all instruction manuals and appropriate literature is included and that the product is not only age appropriate, but suitable for the individual child's weight and height, as these often vary. Parents and caregivers can visit Health Canada's website at: www.healthcanada.gc.ca/cps-recalls for recall information. As an easy reference for parents and caregivers, the website also provides a factsheet on second-hand products and special safety requirements in Canada.

"It can often be difficult for consumers to determine whether used baby products are safe and with so many ways to purchase second-hand products, it is important for parents to be informed and vigilant when making purchasing decisions," said Pamela Fuselli, Executive Director of Safe Kids Canada. "The Great Trade-In event is an opportunity for parents to check the products they have and trade-in old, recalled or dangerous products and make their homes safer."

Leading safety organizations, such as Safe Kids Canada (www.safekidscanada.com), discourage parents and caregivers from purchasing second-hand safety items, such as car seats, as wear or damage cannot always be seen.

Manufacturers participating in the Great Trade-In event include Babi Italia, Baby Trend, Bily, Britax, Chanderic, Chicco, Combi, Cosco, Delta, Eddie Bauer, Evenflo, First Years, Fisher-Price, Graco, Kids II, Maxi-Cosi, Quinny, Safety 1st, Safety 1st LUX and Summer Infant.

About Toys"R"Us, Canada:

Toys"R"Us (Canada) Ltd., is part of Toys"R"Us, Inc., the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer. Toys"R"Us, Canada operates 69 stores across the country. For store locations and convenient online shopping visit www.toysrus.ca or www.babiesrus.ca.

For further information: Tamar Nersesian, Optimum Public Relations, [email protected], 416-969-1291