Current Events > Toys R Us is done,wow

(+) Yeah! (+)

I thought a store like that was set for life

gets kids just wanting Ipads ruined them
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Yeah they had cool shit but p expensive.
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Toys r us is expensive as hell and they refused to price match shit. There's only way it could've gone.
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Toys R Us their prices were too high not just for toys but also for kids movies, those trains play sets, bikes and video games.

Joeydollaz posted...

I thought a store like that was set for life

gets kids just wanting Ipads ruined them

it's the new era. it's pretty hard adjusting to new technology :(
at least from my point of view.
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This is what happens when your business doesn't want to adapt.

Like Blockbusters.
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They made a really shitty business decision in 2005 that got them millions or billions of dollars into debt I believe.
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CommonStar posted...

This is what happens when your business doesn't want to adapt.

No way to really adapt to Amazon. This is same situation most retailers have been in the past few years.
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Offworlder1 posted...

They made a really shitty business decision in 2005 that got them millions or billions of dollars into debt I believe.

What decision was that?
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Offworlder1 posted...

They made a really shitty business decision in 2005 that got them millions or billions of dollars into debt I believe.

Around the time when Bain Capital took over, right?

Hmmmm....
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I'm kinda sad. They're generic military line was great. Getting those kinds of vehicles is super expensive online.
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Bain Capital had a fuckton of debt, bought out TRU, then just moved the debt to TRU

3khc posted...

Like Blockbusters.

the funny thing is the business that put blockbuster out of business is, itself, no longer operating (Almost all Netflix is done via stream these days--but the mail in dvd is what killed Blockbuster).
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K181 posted...

Offworlder1 posted...

They made a really shitty business decision in 2005 that got them millions or billions of dollars into debt I believe.

Around the time when Bain Capital took over, right?

Hmmmm....

Yeah, they way over-levered the business. Toy "R" Us still generated an operating profit of $460 million last year, but the interest payments on its debt were so high that it lost money.

This could be like Sharper Image where someone buys the brand out of bankruptcy and restarts the company afterwards. Even with the online competition, there should still be a profitable business to be had with Toys "R" Us. The chain still makes up 15% of all toy sales in the U.S.
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I feel like theyve been dying for like half a year or more now. I couldve sworn they were gonna close their stores ages ago.
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their 8888 was too expensive
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I used to love going to Toys R Us but I havent had any need to in ages. What few toys I do buy, I buy online because they arent sold in stores like TRU (first run Masterpiece Transformers, etc.). And for video games and movies, there are just so many better options.
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MILLENNIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALS!!!!

caps
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Did the Babys R Us thing cause this?
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Toys r us going to join their buddy kaybees toys in that playground in the sky. Seriously, it was great in the 80s to go there, and I did work there for a time in the late 00s. Sorry to see them go.
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I only went into a Toys R Us once as a kid. My grandma bought me a Halloween decoration (because I've always loved that holiday) and that was the extent I had of the store so I don't have much nostalgia for it

My wife and I were doing a baby registry last year and we were at one of the combined stores and when we were finished I walked through the toys just to see what it was like. It was honestly pretty impressive, but those prices...
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The Admiral posted...

CommonStar posted...

This is what happens when your business doesn't want to adapt.

No way to really adapt to Amazon. This is same situation most retailers have been in the past few years.

Investing in e-commerce, price matching, and free shipping is a start.

Walmart recently started investing a lot into their e-commerce as they're losing business to Amazon. I'm not saying Toys R Us is the same, but if they wanted to stay in business, they'd make changes.

CommonStar posted...

This is what happens when your business doesn't wanna grow up.

Still don't have any official news stories popping up.
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I think the last thing I bought there was Perfect Dark.
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I didn't realize they were still around. The one here went out of business like 10+ years ago and I don't recall seeing one on any of my trips since then.
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I'm glad I got to experience the giant Toys R Us on Times Square before it closed down.
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GameStop next
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It was obviously a Russian front. Just look at the sign.

You didn't have me fooled for a second, Toys Ya Us
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IIRC my NES with Mario And Duck Hunt that I got for Christmas at seven years old came from there.

Joeydollaz posted...

I thought a store like that was set for life

gets kids just wanting Ipads ruined them

They stopped having exclusive items that could only be purchased at their stores. Management fucked up.

REMercsChamp posted...

GameStop next

Nope nope nope. Gamestop is good and I'd rather go there then wait 8 days for my Game to arrive.
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JustMyOpinion posted...

Good riddance. I tried to schedule an interview at corporate and the person in HR only gave me a phone number. I seriously called about ten times during normal business hours and got her voicemail every time. You'd think she'd have given me her e-mail so we could coordinate this after the first couple failures, but nope.

Pathetic
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Gamestop/EB Games/Funco Land was the beginning of the end for them. It's much more cost effective to sell video games out of a small store with two or three kids behind the counter versus a giant toy store that requires a full staff.

Good. Retail needs to adapt or die.

Its far more convenient for people to just buy their kid a toy while picking up their prescription and junk food at a CVS or Target. Also they have the option to buy a Blu-Ray movie and a Hallmark card, and maybe theres even a Starbucks inside.
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Makes sense, they've been caught selling some of their items over the MSRP and they usually respond by saying "it's a premium/hard to get item". When people can get the same shit for cheap, no one wants to go to your store anymore. Back in the 90's, it was an experience to go to Toys R Us store, but now brick n motor stores are close to dead.
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This is unfortunate because just about all the Toys R Us I've been to have been well stocked and clean. Plus they have lots of good game accessories you might not find anywhere else.

Now where tf am I supposed to get my Bionicle from? Lego Store prices are robbery
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I still buy from them. Granted, I do it online, but their prices are competitive with sites like Amazon, so I have no reason NOT to buy from them. Just got some great deals on some toys last week.
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clearaflagrantj posted...

Gamestop/EB Games/Funco Land was the beginning of the end for them. It's much more cost effective to sell video games out of a small store with two or three kids behind the counter versus a giant toy store that requires a full staff.

Video games were a small percentage of their sales. They never considered themselves a "video game store." They often sold old games at full price when other stores had them discounted. They offered shitty incentives to buy games from them (lousy gift cards and pre-order bonuses).

I actually used to work in their game department formerly known as "R Zone" when I was just starting college. It was a fun job and yes I did get to play games and bullshit for a good portion of my shift. My manager was mad cool and didn't care. I remember even helping a customer who had a disc read error on his PS2. I cracked the damn thing open and cleaned the lens with a Q-tip + alcohol and had it running good as new.

I remember having the Halo theme bumping loud as hell during my shifts and selling GTA Vice City to underage kids. Also was banging one of the cashiers for a month. I check up on her every now and then. She's a single mom.

Sure the job paid like shit ($7 an hour) but it was awesome. Sorry for the trip down memory lane. I know none of you care.
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EvalAngell posted...

Also was banging one of the cashiers for a month.

Did she quit after a month working there or what?
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I checked my local Toys R' Us a few days ago (Which has been having a store closing sale for a few months now.)

One toy I saw, which used to be $50, was being sold for $150. The video game prices were pretty crappy as well.

Needless to say, I didn't buy anything there. Such a shame they ended up this way, I used to love going there.

I wonder when that store is actually going to close.
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Ah crap my sister just did her baby registry at TRU/BRU.
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I checked out my local one today, it was bustling, laughed when the entire toys to life shelf had clearance stickers all over it when I passed through video games

couldn't find any Tamagotchi mini which was all I would've wanted to pick up

Prestoff posted...

EvalAngell posted...

Also was banging one of the cashiers for a month.

Did she quit after a month working there or what?

no she got weird and started avoiding me and the 'relationship' dissolved on its own. Guess I wasn't doing a good job and she found someone else.
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I hate the dumbasses who swoop in at 10% off clearance. Fucking WAIT a week or two for 50% off or more you jackasses.
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Toys R Us prices were high. Period. Their high prices for everything been like that since the 1990s.

Joeydollaz posted...

I thought a store like that was set for life

gets kids just wanting Ipads ruined them

No it was primarily them putting all their eggs in the baskets big game publishers who have been very open for years about wanting to cut out the middle man (retailers) though digital distribution and take all that sweet profit for themselves

They get what They deserve for putting their trust in companies like EA and Activision
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