Toys 'R' Us gets bids of over US$1b for Asian arm

[NEW YORK] Toys "R" Us Inc has received multiple bids of over US$1 billion from prospective buyers of its Asian business, a lawyer for the company said Wednesday in bankruptcy court.

The offers are for the 85 per cent stake Toys "R" Us owns of its Asian unit, and would include intellectual property, according to the lawyer, Joshua Sussberg from Kirkland & Ellis.

Toys "R" Us has been working with Lazard Ltd to solicit bids for its stake in the Asian unit from potential buyers including Chinese private equity firms, people with knowledge of the matter have said.

Fung Group, the local partner that owns 15 per cent of the Asian venture, has also been in talks to acquire the stake, Bloomberg News reported in February.

Toys "R" Us is in the middle of winding down its US operations, after a failed attempt to restructure the business in bankruptcy and keep it operating. The company filed for bankruptcy in September, hoping to shed debt and turn around the business, but after dismal sales during the holiday season, it opted to liquidate instead.

BLOOMBERG