Toys R Us to close all 800 of its U.S. stores

[Hikaru Ichijyo]

When did Toys R Us start charging over MSRP? I remember as a kid if I ever saw something I wanted at KB, I'd wait and get it at Toys R Us because KB was higher than MSRP but TRU was spot on if not a little lower for sale items.

No idea, but all of the locations here in Cincy were always a few $$$ more than other places on just about everything, especially noticeable on things like LEGO.

When the signs for Going Out of Business first went up and they had people holding signs for %-off, the kids got all excited and wanted to go. I took them in and we went to a section, Imaginext I think, and told them to take note of the prices. They had a character set selling for $7.99 with 10% off. We left empty-handed and drove down the same plaza to a store called Meijer and I showed them the exact same toy on their shelves marked at $5.99 with no discount.

 

[NeoCverA]

No idea, but all of the locations here in Cincy were always a few $$$ more than other places on just about everything, especially noticeable on things like LEGO.

When the signs for Going Out of Business first went up and they had people holding signs for %-off, the kids got all excited and wanted to go. I took them in and we went to a section, Imaginext I think, and told them to take note of the prices. They had a character set selling for $7.99 with 10% off. We left empty-handed and drove down the same plaza to a store called Meijer and I showed them the exact same toy on their shelves marked at $5.99 with no discount.

Did you leave empty handed again?

 

[BIG BEAR]

TRU made me realize how much I took Lionel Kiddie City for granted. I'm surprised TRU lasted as long as it did.My guess is no toy store can really compete with China made goods flooding the market at dirt cheap prices.
BB

I was sadder when Kiddie City went away.

Wasn't there talk of KB relaunching?

 

[SpamYouToDeath]

I wonder what their last "big hit" was. What kind of toys can compete against just giving the kid an iPod or something?

 

[hyper]

lego's and POP figures..

although maybe the POP's were more popular with parents

 

[sylvie]

I wonder what their last "big hit" was. What kind of toys can compete against just giving the kid an iPod or something?

ipod? youre still off by like 10 fucking years

 

[fake]

Probably hatchimals, right? That's the last craze I can remember.

 

[sylvie]

what the heck is a hatchimal.

digipets/gigapets/tomogatchi were cool, this is the one i had i think. I know it was orange and I know it was a dinosaur. I dont remember the Jurassic Park branding though i never gave a shit about jurassic park either

 

[sylvie]

OMFG I JUST FOUND OUT THEY HAD SALEM ONE FROM SABRINA!!!!!!!!

 

[LadyVamp]

Still alive and well in Canada, though, the last time I went to TRU to get my niece a birthday gift, I was highly disappointed with the non-baby stuff they had there. Not the same as when I was a kid. Maybe just that location sucked cock, I should try another one.

 

[joe8]

http://archive.is/mg24P

Toy store chain Toys R Us is planning to sell or close all 800 of its U.S. stores, affecting as many as 33,000 jobs as the company winds down its operations after six decades, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The news comes six months after the retailer filed for bankruptcy. The company has struggled to pay down nearly $8 billion in debt — much of it dating back to a 2005 leveraged buyout — and has had trouble finding a buyer. There were reports earlier this week that Toys R Us had stopped paying its suppliers, which include the country’s largest toy makers. On Wednesday, the company announced it would close all 100 of its U.K. stores. In the United States, the company told employees closures would likely occur over time, and not all at once, according to the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss internal deliberations.

Toys R Us, once the country’s preeminent toy retailer, has been unable to keep up with big-box and online competitors. The recent holiday season dealt another blow to the embattled company, which struggled to find its footing even as the retail industry racked up its largest gains in years. In January, Toys R Us announced it would close 182 U.S. stores, or about one-fifth of its remaining locations.

It's not surprising they couldn't compete with online sellers. If you are looking for a specific product (in any category, not just toys), it's usually easier to find it online. That's apart from the cheaper price online.

 

[Tech&Music]

ipod? youre still off by like 10 fucking years

iPod Touch is still a thing, and is just a poor man's/kiddo's iPhone without cellular. I doubt it really sells to anyone else but spoiled kids.

 

[fake]

OMFG I JUST FOUND OUT THEY HAD SALEM ONE FROM SABRINA!!!!!!!!

Wow, blast from the past. I had the alien one.

 

[Tripredacus]

toys were still super cool in the 90s!! Beast Wars, video game toys etc.

The demise of toys being cool can be directly tied to the demise of the Saturday morning cartoon.

 

[FilthyRear]

The demise of toys being cool can be directly tied to the demise of the Saturday morning cartoon.

Good.

Let the little bastards find their own thing.

 

[100proof]

Good.

Let the little bastards find their own thing.

They did. They dick around on tablets all day (well, the ones with lazy parents do).

 

[Karou]

Google headline that I just saw said they are "pulling out" of a bankruptcy auction. Probably helped to fire everyone at the bottom?

 

[Taiso]

A play from right out of the Hostess playbook.

Fresh start with none of the burdens of the old infrastructure or financial responsibilities.

TBH I kind of expected this to happen.

 

[LoneSage]

Am I the only person here who gave fuck-all about toys as a kid? I only cared about video games.

 

[titchgamer]

Am I the only person here who gave fuck-all about toys as a kid? I only cared about video games.

Well I still have several of my original consoles and games for them from when I was a kid but have none of my old toys so I guess I fall in the same category....

 

[LoneSage]

Well I still have several of my original consoles and games for them from when I was a kid but have none of my old toys so I guess I fall in the same category....

Read it again. You had toys as a kid. I said I didn't care about toys as a kid.

 

[Dr Shroom]

I didn't own action figures and shit. We went outside and beat each other with sticks, or each other in general, or vandalized things, or started campfires in the park.
Good times.


That or playing SNES.

 

[sylvie]

Am I the only person here who gave fuck-all about toys as a kid? I only cared about video games.

i loved video games and i especially loved toys branded after the games. I remember pretending that lots of my toys were video game characters. I had a Power Ranger villain that I would pretend was True Ogre from Tekken 3. I think i talked about my Primal Rage action figure in another thread too.

 

[titchgamer]

Read it again. You had toys as a kid. I said I didn't care about toys as a kid.

When you say “didnt care for toys” I assumed you meant you had them but didnt bother with them much.

Which is basically the way I felt about toys.
I had toys but didnt really play with them much.

I would either be outside playing or on the C64/NES/Mega Drive/SNES.

 

[LoneSage]

When you say “didnt care for toys” I assumed you meant you had them but didnt bother with them much.

Which is basically the way I felt about toys.
I had toys but didnt really play with them much.

I would either be outside playing or on the C64/NES/Mega Drive/SNES.

Thanks for clearing that up, hoss.