Toys R Us Is Closing All Its U.S Stores

Why is it every company I worked for goes out of business!?.....

Lechters Housewares.......... gone
Fun N Games SE........... gone
Toys R US....... gone, soon
Sweetbay Super Markets....... gone
Nature's Health Foods....... pretty much on it's last leg

If I weren't an Atheist, I'd say I'm cursed.

Trump is hiring ;)
 
I’ll not miss them. They’ve always been overpriced, unless you can find a misprice or a clearance item. You want something fun to take your kids to? For me it wouldn’t be there.

I want I want I want.

No


Instead take them to the local park, a hiking trail, camping, swimming, fishing, build a playset, play a sport (frisbee golf). The last things my four young kids need is more plastic toys. I can’t stand coming home and seeing my living room look like this!!!

BTW, my wife and I bought them VERY few of these toys!!! Grandparents, uncles and aunts, and cousins. Far too much CRAP. It drives me crazy. I beg my wife to have a no toys in the living room policy for our four kids. You can see who wins that discussion.

I try to encourage them to play outside like I did when I was a boy.

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Because people are go fucking stuck in best prices verses getting good service and keeping local people employed. I do not price shop a good store where I get excellent service, then go buy on Amazon. I support local businesses.
And explain how this relates to Toys R' Us? The ones I've been to haven't exactly been "excellent service" places, not saying they were bad but at the end of the day they weren't slightly better than Target only because you could get people asking you if you need help.
 
Roblox took over for Toys R US you don't need a imagination anymore for that.
 
I’ll not miss them. They’ve always been overpriced, unless you can find a misprice or a clearance item. You want something fun to take your kids to? For me it wouldn’t be there.

I want I want I want.

No


Instead take them to the local park, a hiking trail, camping, swimming, fishing, build a playset, play a sport (frisbee golf). The last things my kid kids need is more plastic toys. I can’t stand coming home and seeing my living room look like this!!!

BTW, my wife and I bought them VERY few of these toys!!! Grandparents, uncles and aunts, and cousins. Far too much CRAP. It drives me crazy. I beg my wife to have a no toys in the living room policy for our four kids. You can see who wins that discussion.

I try to encourage them to play outside like I did when I was a boy.

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Hehe thanks, I don't feel so baf about my similar situation :) ... Its just the times we live in I guess. I was pro buy this and by thay to make the little on 'happy' i have changed a lot in that regard.
More on topic, Toys R US seems its in part at least a victim of Bain capital. I don't know how this vulture funds keep on working from what i have read they deflect a lot of the losses to banks and shit.. how banks keep working with them, i don't know... I guess when you are a big big bank you are just given money each year so it doesn't matter (this has a name and i am not making it up)
 
Why is it every company I worked for goes out of business!?.....

Lechters Housewares.......... gone
Fun N Games SE........... gone
Toys R US....... gone, soon
Sweetbay Super Markets....... gone
Nature's Health Foods....... pretty much on it's last leg

If I weren't an Atheist, I'd say I'm cursed.

PM me your resume so I can warn HR in case you apply at my company. :)

It is a sad day, indeed. I haven’t been inside of a TrU in probably 15 years but I remember their arrival in my city in the 80s and them delivering a fatal blow to Children’s Palace, which was my favorite toy store as a kid in the 70s. I used to go to TrU because they did have a good video game section and I bought a bunch of my Commodore 64 stuff there.
 
Industries are in bad shape man, sales are down...Maybe People are just out doing more things, lost interest in a lot of stuff....
 
Honestly Amazon is going to take over in the next 20 years. B&M stores are folding left and right. Each state is going to have a huge warehouse or 4. They getting in the grocery buisness with whole foods. I am sure they going to buy up others also. They are going to open those corner stores like the one they testing in Seattle atm. Those going to drive out 7-11 and other convenients stores. Amazon going to have a monopoly for all our day to day needs and wants.
 
I grew up with K-Mart's, Children's Palace (another toy store), Johnny's Toys (might have been midwest only?), K-Bee toys, etc. The internet did not kill the stores I listed - competition did.
 
I grew up with K-Mart's, Children's Palace (another toy store), Johnny's Toys (might have been midwest only?), K-Bee toys, etc. The internet did not kill the stores I listed - competition did.

I have a feeling piss poor management and B&M competition has killed more stores than the internet did.
 
Because people are go fucking stuck in best prices verses getting good service and keeping local people employed. I do not price shop a good store where I get excellent service, then go buy on Amazon. I support local businesses.

ToysRUs... excellent service?!?!? bahahahaha, overpriced and no where to be found employees has been my experience there lol. They failed so hard to keep up with the times, Why on earth would I buy something for $25 at ToysRUs when I could go to target and get it for $20. I could understand slightly higher pricing on some of hard to find things that ToysRUs carried that you couldn't find anywhere else local. But local store to local store there were always way out of line on pricing, and that's not even bringing amazon into the fold.

I have no problems shopping local, BUT, I'm no way in hell going to support a local business's ridiculous prices at the expense of emptying my wallet to support them. I understand a reasonable price difference local vs online, but many many local businesses don't seem to grasp that and price themselves out of business.

I don't run a business so this is just my thoughts on if I did, but I would rather sell more product at good prices (which gets people in the door to maybe buy other stuff too) than sell fewer product as higher prices which means people don't even bother coming in and you have no chance to up sell them anything.
 
I guess someone finally grew up and realized their business wasn't there anymore.
 
Meh. They had a good run I suppose.

If Amazon gets to a certain point - could they be broken up due to monopoly status?
 
Would you even consider a huge chain like Toys or Us local business? I sure wouldn’t. Local business to me is the single family owner hardware store that’s been on the corner for 3 generations, the single family grocer, or single owner high school athletic store in a small town.

A corporate big box store with stores all over the United States shoulsnt be called “local business” IMO.
 
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I'm bummed. I only got to go a couple times as a kid but now that I have a son I take him every couple of months. We will make sure to take a last trip!
 
In my day the supreme toy store was Children's Palace. A huge toy store with a castle facade. It was awesome for a kid. Bought my first Avalon Hill board game there which led to many, many more. I never thought Toys R Us matched up with quantity or selection. But it's still a loss I think.


I think they just sell clothes now. Our Children's Place in now "zombie land style mall" in milwaukee Northridge... used to have what felt like a 10 foot ramp to run back and forth on... probably not safe for kids born outside the 70s or 80s lol. also everything was blaze orange and fabric in decoration. I dont think my kids will appreciate "carpet for walls" like everywhere had in the 80s in wisconsin lol to cover up "wood paneling" from the 60s.
 
They keep telling everyone the Canadian unit is still healthy, and it is still profitable. Truly though, how long does any speciality big box store have? They charge significantly more than Amazon and Walmart, and they offer less selection than they do. They sell lower quality, less interesting toys than Mastermind. A much smaller and more nimble premium service type of operation. Honestly, the space that Toys R Us fills has vanished. It's really not a matter of cutting costs or finding efficiencies to survive, it's a matter of your entire entire business model expiring.

It's going to be more empty boxes at the malls, though.
 
They keep telling everyone the Canadian unit is still healthy, and it is still profitable. Truly though, how long does any speciality big box store have? They charge significantly more than Amazon and Walmart, and they offer less selection than they do. They sell lower quality, less interesting toys than Mastermind. A much smaller and more nimble premium service type of operation. Honestly, the space that Toys R Us fills has vanished. It's really not a matter of cutting costs or finding efficiencies to survive, it's a matter of your entire entire business model expiring.

It's going to be more empty boxes at the malls, though.

The Mall would still win, the Clothing alone is a hugeee attraction and it's like what they do can add whatever store and people see stuff and they want to buy it.
 
The Mall would still win, the Clothing alone is a hugeee attraction and it's like what they do can add whatever store and people see stuff and they want to buy it.

Yeah, boutiques are thriving here in Ontario. I'm a manlet, I can't buy clothes online anyway. Fortunately I have a wife that actually enjoys the LONG LONG LONG trip to the closest mall.

The malls have to renovate those big boxes to turn them into boutiques, though. They're made so they can be done. Unless it was a Walmart, Walmart keeps the box empty and pays the rent so no competition opens up there.
 
Pretty sad. I remember the Toys R Us opening in my hometown in the very early 80's. I'll never forget the huge wall of board games and aisle after aisle of action figures. Hell, the store was split down the middle and there were just as many girl toys, too. There were even multiple aisles of educational toys, books, and such.
IMO a 1/2 aisle at Wal-Mart or a couple aisles in Target simply can't replace all of that.
 
Because people are go fucking stuck in best prices verses getting good service and keeping local people employed. I do not price shop a good store where I get excellent service, then go buy on Amazon. I support local businesses.

While I'm sure that's part of it, the stores were run pathetically. I start looking for my kids Christmas gifts early. Whatever they want for Christmas seems to turn out to be the items you can't find anywhere. This past October season, I went in to Toys'R'Us to look for something. It was already sold out. I asked the guy working there and he said they probably wouldn't get any more. WTF? October? This wasn't the first time they were out of what I needed.

And I don't mind spending a few bucks more to buy in store. I like going into the store with my kids and looking around. A few dollars is worth the smiles on my kids' faces when they get to pick something out and hold it in their hands. My youngest daughter almost starting crying when she found out Toys'R'Us is closing. Hopefully someone buys the name and opens up the store. There is money to be made in brick and mortar toy stores for a well run, focused business.
 
Star Wars toys holiday sales bombing because Last Jedi was a Star War legacy dumping SJW mess was the final headshot that put TRU out of business.

Huh? The movie grossed $1.33 billion at the box office. And like any of this has anything to do with a business that has long been in trouble like many other brick and mortar retailers.
 
You wonder if the all the unsold toys will go into a big landfill?

 
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Huh? The movie grossed $1.33 billion at the box office. And like any of this has anything to do with a business that has long been in trouble like many other brick and mortar retailers.

You apparently didn't get the memo that any online post about "SJW's" is automatically exempt from any sort of proof or reason. You're lucky he didn't bust out "white knight" too. Then we'd have to shut this thread down.
 
I’ll not miss them. They’ve always been overpriced, unless you can find a misprice or a clearance item. You want something fun to take your kids to? For me it wouldn’t be there.

I want I want I want.

No


Instead take them to the local park, a hiking trail, camping, swimming, fishing, build a playset, play a sport (frisbee golf). The last things my four young kids need is more plastic toys. I can’t stand coming home and seeing my living room look like this!!!

BTW, my wife and I bought them VERY few of these toys!!! Grandparents, uncles and aunts, and cousins. Far too much CRAP. It drives me crazy. I beg my wife to have a no toys in the living room policy for our four kids. You can see who wins that discussion.

I try to encourage them to play outside like I did when I was a boy.

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OMG.. whats with the naked barbie massacre?

LOL
 
<insert sad giraffe emoji here>

They had the best selection of Legos bar none except maybe the lego store about 70 miles away. Their Thomas selection was top notch as well.

Toys R Us demise was their own making. Even before Amazon came along, they saddled themselves with debt. They had debt issues from the late 90's and just let it build.
 
Reason: Kids don't play with toys anymore, they have smartphones, tablets ect. Toys R Us was a great store back in the 80's & 90's.

False. My 5 year old LOVES model trains. My 9 year old has more legos than he knows what to do with. And he has taken to telescopes. And they both like hotwheels cars. The computer/tablet has replaced the bewb-tube however as the favorite toy.

Scouts has also taught my how to widdle with a knife, and fish. And he has taken to that as well.
 
I’ll not miss them. They’ve always been overpriced, unless you can find a misprice or a clearance item. You want something fun to take your kids to? For me it wouldn’t be there.

I want I want I want.

No


Instead take them to the local park, a hiking trail, camping, swimming, fishing, build a playset, play a sport (frisbee golf). The last things my four young kids need is more plastic toys. I can’t stand coming home and seeing my living room look like this!!!

BTW, my wife and I bought them VERY few of these toys!!! Grandparents, uncles and aunts, and cousins. Far too much CRAP. It drives me crazy. I beg my wife to have a no toys in the living room policy for our four kids. You can see who wins that discussion.

I try to encourage them to play outside like I did when I was a boy.

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Nothing personal, but then you shouldn't have had kids. They can be messy if no one told you. And those "toys" encourage tactile input and fine motor control as well as creative thinking (legos) and spacial perception which encourage mental development. Crayons, markers and other toys are also essential. Simple concepts like gravity can be learned from blocks. My son designs transforming robots with his legos which teaches concepts like balance/center of gravity, and joints.

What you do is you make it a responsibility for them to pick up after themselves AFTER A CERTAIN AGE. If they fail to do it, you tell them it's going in the trash. If they fail to act, trash it in front of them. Give them a time period like a day. Do NOT say "Do it NOW!" They will learn quickly enough.

Not that I'm a perfect parent. It's a learning process. But there are more important things than a neat house when you have kids.

As the old joke goes:
"Burgler 1: Lets rob that house!"
"Burgler 2: Nah. He has kids, all the good shit is already broken."
 
Because people are go fucking stuck in best prices verses getting good service and keeping local people employed. I do not price shop a good store where I get excellent service, then go buy on Amazon. I support local businesses.

while i agree with the general idea of your post... you clearly have not been to the toys r us near me.
there is no reason to go to your local big box when
  • They do NOT have good service, in fact they have horribly rude people who consistently do not care about their jobs and go out of their way to be rude at times
  • they are not really a local business... your dollars spent there do not stay local (maybe the local salaries but you know what i mean on that)
  • the local people being employed there can get a job in several other horrible places where they can insult their customers and make just as much money (mcdonalds?)
this is not going to be the average for every toys r us, but there is no reason for me to spend more money there as opposed to .... well ... anywhere else on the face of the earth.
 
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