Neatly anticipating the arrival of the big red guy himself, Toys "R" Us has opened its first store in the Chinese mainland at Shanghai's Super Brand Mall. "At first we were hesitant to come here, but now we think the market is ready for us," says Ronald Huang, the company's general manager in China.

Occupying 2,400 sqm on the fourth floor of the born-again mega-mall, the store is a wonderland of bright colors, LCD screens and some 7,000 different toys divided into categories: for boys, girls, family, outdoor, education, art, and Babies "R" Us. Many of the toys and educational products are distributed exclusively by Toys "R" Us and live up to the brand philosophy of "meeting the demands of young children, as well as making them happy".

Stepping into a market beset with counterfeit products (a suspiciously familiar-looking competitor has already been operating in China for years), the company plans to compete with, and stamp out, fakes by offering the genuine article backed up by a 'lowest-price guarantee', meaning that if a customer buys an identical object at a cheaper price from another store, the difference can be refunded. There's also a 45-day return policy if the product isn't up to scratch.

With the festive season upon us there's no better excuse for kids of all ages to head to 'The World's Greatest Toy Store'. Look out for the following.

Toys "R" Us
Location: No 36-37, 41-43, 4/F, Super Brand Mall, 168 Lujiazui Xi Lu
Tel: 021-50479838