Another anchor store about to die, another nail in the shopping mall coffin.

[IIamaKing]

I cant say Im surprised or care.

[Ozzyorcborne]

I worked in a Toys R Us for 5 long,miserable years and not a day went by that I didn't wish hearing that store burnt down with every man,woman and child in it. They treat the employees like garbage and bend right on over for the customers, who were always the biggest dirtbags. They have no-one to blame for this bankruptcy than themselves and that company's management can go fuck themselves after this.

[Xandrigity]

Can't compete with Walmart and amazon. Online is going drive everything that relies to heavily on brick and mortar stores out of business. They should have ramped up their online services years ago and offer the fast shipping options that the consumer expects now. Their loss.

[endersblade]

Bring back KB Toys :-(

[dope_danny]

in the uk shits been dead for years, they mark up prices by as much as 70% and their ranges are always tiny. Like their big lego section is like 40 of the most expensive models kids can never buy and poorer parents cannot reasonably afford.

Then you have amazon or even cheaper competitors for niches like Worderly or Playasia and why would you go to a warehouse full of rude zombies when you can go on any smart device in your home and have shit sent to your door for cheaper?

[Logwyn]

I don't think anyone was ever touched/moved by going to the Toysaurus (I have extremely fond memories of my only visit at the FAO Schwartz when I was a kid-even at ten, there was something ice cold about Toysaurus), but c'mon, at one point, there will nothing left to take your kids to...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-soon-as-today

If you really look into Toys "R" Us and the way they price and do things it's not wondering it's closing. Lets just take Lego's for example.

LEGO City Cargo Train (60052) at Toys R Us its $209.99 US
https://www.toysrus.com/product?productId=34965426

Order it from Lego - $199.99
https://shop.lego.com/en-US/Cargo-Train-60052
Target $199.99
https://www.target.com/p/lego-174-ci...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

Walmart - $199.95
https://www.walmart.com/ip/LEGO-City...&wl13=&veh=sem

Why would I go to Toys R Us and pay the ~$10 up charge when I have three other alternates that are cheaper that Toys R Us.

They do this for all Legos. Yeah they might have a sale here and there but I'm not going to pay 10 extra dollars for Lego.

Toys R Us does this for a number of their products. Why would I go there and pay more for artifical mark ups?

[zEmini]

Action figures use to be 3-4 dollars. Now they are like 20 dollars. Did inflation quadruple over the last 20 years?

[Z-Man]

I worked in a Toys R Us for 5 long,miserable years and not a day went by that I didn't wish hearing that store burnt down with every man,woman and child in it. They treat the employees like garbage and bend right on over for the customers, who were always the biggest dirtbags. They have no-one to blame for this bankruptcy than themselves and that company's management can go fuck themselves after this.

I lasted three months. The company treats everyone that works there like a high-school dropout who can't tie their own shoes. I took over their whole stockroom when I started there, sending the manager out to the CS desk and sending the shift lead and the three other stockroom workers to other areas and other shifts. Three months in, they offered me a dime raise and I walked. (All five people got moved back after my next two replacements quit on their first days. Much drama.)

Between their non-existent people skills and their habit of reshrinkwrapping customer returns and putting them back on the shelf, I haven't felt the need to go back into a store since.

[zealo]

Been consciously avoiding this store forever because they tried to impose American working conditions and hiring practises when expanding into Sweden, and got into a huge fight with our labour unions uniting against them back then.

Good riddance to shitty business practises?

[A dot Ham]

I don't think anyone was ever touched/moved by going to the Toysaurus (I have extremely fond memories of my only visit at the FAO Schwartz when I was a kid-even at ten, there was something ice cold about Toysaurus), but c'mon, at one point, there will nothing left to take your kids to...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-soon-as-today

I've NEVER seen a Toys-R-Us attached to a mall. Ever... they are not anchor stores.

The toy industry is a difficult market. They don't typically have a seasonal rotation. New toylines release typically in September and you won't see anything new until the following year. Some manufacturers space that out, but companies like Hasbro... (who I hate btw) front load... and they blow it all in September and you get nothing else.

Another issue is real estate... as previously mentioned toy lines come out maybe once a year. Star Wars toys are a bit of an anomaly, but I'm going to use that as an example. The new waves have hit for September and for the most part the Star Wars section is picked clean. It will remain EMPTY until the next shipment, and then will be wiped clean again. If you don't have product to sell... you can't make money. Empty shelves are losing the company money.

Next is product movement, Toys-R-Us always has a "collector's" section. Spawn and McFarlane toys, the expensive figures in a funky pose that aren't meant to be played with. Product will sit on these shelves for YEARS. This is also a money sink. If product isn't selling, it doesn't need to be displayed 365 days a year. Put something on the shelves that will move. Discount the product that is taking up valuable real estate.

Take this product for example:


Huge fucking box, retails at $100. Each store got MAYBE 1-3. At my local store this one box has been there since it was released... somehow the box is relatively still intact, but it is open, battered and damaged... NO collector would ever buy it. Its $100 so no parent is going to buy for their kid either. It's a pretty solid replica but because the flap is missing people have pulled it out... touched it, played with it, and inevitably have a damaged it. Do you think they discount it? Nope... its STILL $100. If you're lucky they'll give you an open box discount of 10%. This item is current on sale/clearance at Best Buy for $79.99 and I've seen it as low as $49.99.

KAY-BEE TOYS or K-B TOYS used to have a solid presence in the malls. But they had the same issues, in addition to the fact that they were overpriced.

Doom and gloom all you want but there are players that are still VERY successful even in the *gasp* mall scene. The Disney Store for example is THRIVING. You know what I NEVER see at a Disney Store... an empty shelf, or some shitty war torn toy from 3 years ago.

Businesses that cannot remain competitive, that don't understand their customer, don't even implement standard retail/industry common practices... deserve to close their doors.

[Nurasu]

This has almost nothing to do with their performance and they're not going out of business. Did anyone read the article? Or check their sales? Or see they're not closing a single store through this?

[Poopymonster]

Legos themselves aren't crap, they've got some amazing sets.
The crappy part of legos nowadays is the absurd prices. Like I saw some star wars ships for $100+ and they weren't even large sets.

My biggest bitch with Lego is "BUILD X!" OK, you just gave me step by step instructions for how to build X. I can take it apart, and....rebuild X the same way.

4 or 5 years ago, my niece (6) and step nephew (10) wanted Legos for Christmas. Their mother got them each a "BUILD X!" set and they got bored with it. They go to Dad's house, where there was something like this . He got them one tub, I got them one tub. Life happened, but when my niece goes to my brother's house after she's done homework and helped clean up dinner, she breaks out the fuckhuge tote full of Legos and goes to town.

They seem to be getting away from the "let your imagination go wild and build shit" to the "Here, build THIS" sets.

[Ozzyorcborne]

My biggest bitch with Lego is "BUILD X!" OK, you just gave me step by step instructions for how to build X. I can take it apart, and....rebuild X the same way.

4 or 5 years ago, my niece (6) and step nephew (10) wanted Legos for Christmas. Their mother got them each a "BUILD X!" set and they got bored with it. They go to Dad's house, where there was something like this . He got them one tub, I got them one tub. Life happened, but when my niece goes to my brother's house after she's done homework and helped clean up dinner, she breaks out the fuckhuge tote full of Legos and goes to town.

They seem to be getting away from the "let your imagination go wild and build shit" to the "Here, build THIS" sets.

Those were always the best sets growing up, the ones without plans and instructions that is. Let the mind go and build what you want. The instructions make more sense when they're older (past 10ish).

[Queen of Hamsters]

Cue the adults outraged that a toy store is dying.

It's the natural order. Why go pay expensive money to a physical store with a limited selection of products, when you can sit in the comfort of your home/workplace and put orders on a website? It's the same principle as what the movie industry is facing (and clinging to with every vain fiber in their bodies) with online streaming.

I haven't made purchases for other things than foodstuffs and basic everyday consumables in a physical store for... jeepers, 7 years? o.O

[Direpenguin]

How many toys past the age of like 8 really teach kids anything? Or that the kid actually wants... video games have their place, and offer far more in the way of learning than most toys not targeted at a very young age. But I'll keep your words of wisdom in mind, I'm sure GI joe has a lot to teach. Or Barbie. Or furby. Or my real friends. Or hatchimals, etc. maybe some Legos...

Clearly, none of those toys offer the same learning experience of World of Warcraft, Grand Theft Auto, Diablo, Call of Duty, etc... well, maybe Minecraft...

[fooliuscaesar13]

The problem is competition. I had a relative that was a higher up at Toys R Us and years ago she was bitching that competition from stores like WalMart / Target combined with competition from Amazon and online shopping in general was killing them. This is no surprise to me. They had an archaic business model and their prices were typically higher than everyone else and since they did not adapt, they were left behind.

[ro9ue]

I don't think anyone was ever touched/moved by going to the Toysaurus (I have extremely fond memories of my only visit at the FAO Schwartz when I was a kid-even at ten, there was something ice cold about Toysaurus), but c'mon, at one point, there will nothing left to take your kids to...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...-soon-as-today

Let it be known this was the last species of dinosaur to go extinct.

[Deleted]

Toys are perhaps one of those things best ordered online.

There is really no need for a store to sell products that don't really need to be touched, fitted or tasted.
Although I did often lick all toys in the store just in case. Maybe sucked on some crayons too, not sure it's all a colorful blur.

[Tiwack]

Am I reading this article right? They're filling for bankruptcy but plan to continue doing business after closing a couple stores? What?

[God Save The King]

I don't really think a toy store needs a brick and mortar presence. There are some stores that will always have a physical presence, like clothes/shoes, because we need to try them on. Most stores should transition online, or shut down, as many of them have.