Poll of the Day > Toys R' Us to close all 800 Americans stores next week after $5 billion debt

(+) Yeah! (+)

This is interesting.

You know what happened? Smartphones and the internet happened.

WarGreymon77 posted...

Best Buy has changed. I went there yesterday and they had only a tiny little section for desktop computers. WTF?! But they had candy for some reason.

Apparently people want portability. Laptops and tablets are like are third best selling product. And its weird, we set up a section for easter candy...getting rid of cds, I can only imagine what's gonna replace.

But sorry for going off topic, we're supposed to celebrate the death of Toys r Us. :3
---

Man, I remember back in the NES/SNES days Toys R' Us was the only place I could find Nintendo games at all in my town. This was way before Walmart and Gamestop/EB showed up. In fact I am pretty sure every toy I owned (other then a couple video games I got from a rental place closing) up until 93 - 94 came from Toys R Us.

I went there for Christmas shopping last year since I only needed like 2 things, and I was amazed how hard it was to find decent gifts. I mean, I was shopping for a 4 year old boy and a 6 year old girl, how the hell did it take me forever to find something decent for them (at a store that does nothing but sell toys) when I could have gotten whatever I wanted off of Amazon?
---

This is one of those things that doesn't effect me in the slightest, yet still hurts for the nostalgia factor.. like Nintendo Power ending, and Saturday morning cartoons disappearing. Or to a lesser extent, Blockbuster Video and Hollywood Video going out of business (My first retail job was Hollywood Video in 2003)

WarGreymon77 posted...

First it was the local mini-golf places. Then arcades. Kaybee Toys, Electronics Boutique, Babbage's, layaway, optical drives in computers, and now even Toys R' Us?! Is nothing sacred? Rhetorical question.

Luckily, we have 3 mini golf places here in San Diego (two of em are Boomers)

Man, walking into Toys R Us was magical. It was like Disney World for me. And since I never grew up, this is pretty hard for me to accept. I remember those yellow slips that you used to take to the front of the store when you wanted to buy a game. None of that gutted copies bullshit like Gamestop.
---

Ugh, when will this economy get better?
---

Muscles posted...

Ugh, when will this economy get better?

This is a case of mismanagement.

Still gonna hurt the economy when you have 800 stores worth of employees suddenly unemployed
---

Muscles posted...

Ugh, when will this economy get better?

Clearly, we need more tax cuts

FYI, I went to my local Toys "R" Us yesterday and there were no sales or any indication that it was going out of business soon. There was even a schedule posted of special events through April.

OmegaM posted...

FYI, I went to my local Toys "R" Us yesterday and there were no sales or any indication that it was going out of business soon. There was even a schedule posted of special events through April.

... Yea?

The only round of store closures announced was that first one back in Jan or whenever.

BlackScythe0 posted...

But I guess this isn't a shock when you do less than 50% of the projected budget for the season. Though whether that is due to actual bad sales or incompetent budget making is hard to tell.

Considering the Canadian branch is apparently profitable? Sounds like bad management in the States.
---

Sears will go out either this year, or early 2019, mark my words. Then Best Buy will be gone by 2021.

The writing is on the wall for traditional brick and mortar retail.

I still refuse to shop online.
---

I don't think Sears will ever go out of business. Sears/Kmart/etc. has filed for bankruptcy so many times over its lifetime, it's invincible at this point.
---

WarGreymon77 posted...

Man, walking into Toys R Us was magical. It was like Disney World for me. And since I never grew up, this is pretty hard for me to accept. I remember those yellow slips that you used to take to the front of the store when you wanted to buy a game. None of that gutted copies bullshit like Gamestop.

As I stated earlier man me too. My daughter is heartbroken
---

I just keep hoping somebody will save them like what happened with Hostess.
---

WarGreymon77 posted...

I just keep hoping somebody will save them like what happened with Hostess.

TRU isn't trying to get out from under a union
https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2016/07/06/what-saved-hostess-and-twinkies-automation-and-firing-95-of-the-union-workforce/ (warning:forbes)

WarGreymon77 posted...

I don't think Sears will ever go out of business. Sears/Kmart/etc. has filed for bankruptcy so many times over its lifetime, it's invincible at this point.

Sears already shut down in Canada.
---

Enclave posted...

WarGreymon77 posted...

I don't think Sears will ever go out of business. Sears/Kmart/etc. has filed for bankruptcy so many times over its lifetime, it's invincible at this point.

Sears already shut down in Canada.

Sears is being intentionally rammed into the the ground, for its land holdings.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/03/22/sears-holdings-ceo-eddie-lampert/99487518/

Shame I used to buy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from them way back ages ago. But they were indeed always seemed expensive.

Just shows when you don't evolve you die out. Toys R Us, Blockbuster, Kmart, Circuit City.. they didn't transition to online when they should have.

Best Buys trying... not sure if they'll succeed though.
---

So much for Trump touting the low unemployment....(not that he had a hand in that anyway)
---

I worked for TRU in the mid- to late-'90s. I think WalMart surpassing them during that time as being the biggest toy store was a big blow -- their ability to dictate what they bought merch for probably took a major hit. I remember the baby stuff (formula, diapers, Safety First stuff, strollers, furniture, etc.) seemed to be a big chunk of what my store sold. I believe Babies R Us became its own entity around 2000, which had to be a huge hit to their bottom line. The short-lived Kids R Us stores (at least, I think they were short-lived) also had to be a major misstep.

Being about 60 miles from the closest TRU until the one opened in my hometown shortly before I started working there, I'm almost positive I'd never set foot in one as a kid. So, I have no childhood memories of the place (beyond seeing TV ads). I did like working there for those handful of years. I, too, expected them to go under about a decade ago.
---

TheNeckbeard posted...

But they were indeed always seemed expensive.

And that's why TRU eventually died. They were never cost-competitive against Walmart, and any advantage TRU may have had with product selection became outclassed by Amazon.

What advantage does anyone gain by walking into a Toys R Us, instead of going to Walmart or ordering from Amazon?

Plus they paid employees minimum wage (I worked for them for about 6 months and quit after my hours were cut to almost nothing during January and February for a job that paid almost twice as much at an animal research facility and guaranteed forty hour work week)
---

Sears may manage to limp along because while shopping for things like appliances online is convenient, it does help to actually go to a store, see a display model, etc.

There will always be a place for brick and mortar stores. I don't like having heavy things shipped.
---

Toys R Us stores would have been doing just fine if they would lower their damn prices on toys and bikes.

Their movie selection been crap for years. Mostly all animated kids movies anyway that are overpriced

WarGreymon77 posted...

There will always be a place for brick and mortar stores. I don't like having heavy things shipped.

I hate to break it to you, but it gets to b&ms somehow.
---

My hat is off to you, TRU. Take a bow. You had Xenogears for me when nobody else did.
---

Kinda tired of all this winning.

Eh.

Ordered a toy twice off their website and twice I received the wrong order.

If they can't even handle a simple online order then that doesn't say much about their company as a whole

I will have to go to Babies R Us sometime this week and pick up a crib part thou..
---

Kyuubi4269 posted...

WarGreymon77 posted...

There will always be a place for brick and mortar stores. I don't like having heavy things shipped.

I hate to break it to you, but it gets to b&ms somehow.

To. My. House.
---

It's official; better get down to your local Toys "R" Us soon:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2018/03/15/toys-r-us-files-bankruptcy-liquidation/427129002/

OmegaM posted...

It's official; better get down to your local Toys "R" Us soon:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2018/03/15/toys-r-us-files-bankruptcy-liquidation/427129002/

Expect a completely disappointing liquidation, on par with Circuit City or Borders.

If prices didn't more than quadruple from when I was a kid, maybe they would still be in business.
---

Questionmarktarius posted...

Expect a completely disappointing liquidation, on par with Circuit City or Borders.

What sort of sales or lack thereof did they have?

I guess nobody's going to save them, buy them, or bail them out. Oh well. They are keeping the Asian stores, so maybe one day the possibility exists of them opening again in the U.S. Gotta stay optimistic.
---

OmegaM posted...

Questionmarktarius posted...

Expect a completely disappointing liquidation, on par with Circuit City or Borders.

What sort of sales or lack thereof did they have?

"Liquidation" prices that were pretty much their competitor's regular prices. Especially so with Borders - nigh-everything was still usually cheaper on Amazon, even down to the "final days" when the furniture was being sold off.

What I am amazed at is that so many real book stores are around including large chains.

Don't get me wrong, I do prefer reading from an actual book, but....that being said.

You can get them online so easy now (real books delivered to your door) and usually cheaper then the cost from a borders etc.

In addition, it's getting less and less common for people to actually prefer paper backs etc, as everyone has phones/tablets etc on them anyway, which are often far easier to read from.

I'm glad real book stores are still around, but I am amazed that they are.
---

wolfy42 posted...

What I am amazed at is that so many real book stores are around including large chains.

"Chains?"
As far as I know, Barnes & Noble is the only one left. Maybe also Lifeway, if they count as a "bookstore".

I don't think the dusty and smelly local secondhand places will ever really go extinct, at least not all at once.

WarGreymon77 posted...

I guess nobody's going to save them, buy them, or bail them out. Oh well. They are keeping the Asian stores, so maybe one day the possibility exists of them opening again in the U.S. Gotta stay optimistic.

Can't really care to be honest, their current prices aren't even making it look like they are being liquidated lol

They already probably plan on selling everything to wholesalers
---

mastermix3000 posted...

WarGreymon77 posted...

I guess nobody's going to save them, buy them, or bail them out. Oh well. They are keeping the Asian stores, so maybe one day the possibility exists of them opening again in the U.S. Gotta stay optimistic.

Can't really care to be honest, their current prices aren't even making it look like they are being liquidated lol

They already probably plan on selling everything to wholesalers

I wouldn't be at all surprised if all the Lego is immediately shipped to Canada.

So I never understood the role Romney had in the downfall of Toys R Us until reading an article today.

Spending 1 billion for a 6 billion dollar deal put against the company and leaving the company with 5 billion in debt they could never pay off.

Fuck Bain Capital and all those investment firms.

BlackScythe0 posted...

So I never understood the role Romney had in the downfall of Toys R Us until reading an article today.

Spending 1 billion for a 6 billion dollar deal put against the company and leaving the company with 5 billion in debt they could never pay off.

Fuck Bain Capital and all those investment firms.

I think you mean KB Toys, unless he pulled the same shit on Toys 'R Us too.

But yes, fuck Romney for destroying my favorite toy store, among many other reasons he can go fuck himself.

streamofthesky posted...

BlackScythe0 posted...

So I never understood the role Romney had in the downfall of Toys R Us until reading an article today.

Spending 1 billion for a 6 billion dollar deal put against the company and leaving the company with 5 billion in debt they could never pay off.

Fuck Bain Capital and all those investment firms.

I think you mean KB Toys, unless he pulled the same shit on Toys 'R Us too.

But yes, fuck Romney for destroying my favorite toy store, among many other reasons he can go fuck himself.

Yea he and two other companies pulled it with Toys R Us.

You put in a small amount of money to make a purchase with the rest of the amount made up by the equity of the company you are buying. I don't understand how this is legal.

Questionmarktarius posted...

mastermix3000 posted...

WarGreymon77 posted...

I guess nobody's going to save them, buy them, or bail them out. Oh well. They are keeping the Asian stores, so maybe one day the possibility exists of them opening again in the U.S. Gotta stay optimistic.

Can't really care to be honest, their current prices aren't even making it look like they are being liquidated lol

They already probably plan on selling everything to wholesalers

I wouldn't be at all surprised if all the Lego is immediately shipped to Canada.

Indeed, the Canadian part of the company is apparently still profitable and you can be sure they plan to send any stock that they feel will still sell in Canada at full price to Canadian locations.

It's like when Target shut down here, the sales were largely pretty lackluster and mostly because they obviously were going to ship a lot of the merchandise to their American locations.
---

BlackScythe0 posted...

streamofthesky posted...

BlackScythe0 posted...

So I never understood the role Romney had in the downfall of Toys R Us until reading an article today.

Spending 1 billion for a 6 billion dollar deal put against the company and leaving the company with 5 billion in debt they could never pay off.

Fuck Bain Capital and all those investment firms.

I think you mean KB Toys, unless he pulled the same shit on Toys 'R Us too.

But yes, fuck Romney for destroying my favorite toy store, among many other reasons he can go fuck himself.

Yea he and two other companies pulled it with Toys R Us.

You put in a small amount of money to make a purchase with the rest of the amount made up by the equity of the company you are buying. I don't understand how this is legal.

Because the people doing it bribed Congress to allow it :(
It's disgusting and on any basic level, no matter how you describe it, should clearly BE illegal. But it's not.

Enclave posted...

Indeed, the Canadian part of the company is apparently still profitable and you can be sure they plan to send any stock that they feel will still sell in Canada at full price to Canadian locations.

Probably video games too, now that English/French/Spanish labeling is pretty standard across the continent and there's almost never manuals anymore.