Good Samaritan pays for shoppers' toys

A good Samaritan has brought Christmas cheer to shoppers at a US Toys'R'Us after she paid for at least 50 people's purchases.

The woman, who described herself as a "retired grandma", flittered between two registers, paying for surprised customers' goods.

“She was very quiet and unassuming and nobody in line had a clue what was going on,” Laura Yoo told the New York Daily News.

“They had one Amex card and were passing it back and forth between two lines swiping and signing,” Yoo said. “People were excited and crying.”

Some shoppers had full trolley carts worth of toys, but that didn't stop the kind grandmother from paying for the goods.

Ms Yoo, who was behind about 20 shoppers when the generous act began, arrived to the cashier with a Lego set for her son, 6, and beading kit for her daughter, 4.

The cashier totalled the gifts for $US54 before the kind woman's sidekick stepped in.

“My boss would like to pay for your purchases today,” she said.

First Yoo asked the smiling cashier, “Is this for real?” and then she accepted.

“I said, ‘Thank you very much’ and gave a hug and she said ‘Merry Christmas’.”