ToysRUs and several other toystore chains suffered badly when Walmart and Target took off. The Big Box stores often had nearly the same selection, at better prices and usually the store was closer to the customers. The arrival of Amazon put the final nail in the coffin by making it possible to locate otherwise-scarce products that the Big Box stores either ran out of quickly or never stocked due to low volume. Between the BB stores and Amazon, I’m surprised ToysRUs lasted as long as it did.
BabiesRUs on the other hand will probably soldier on. While Amazon is great for buying toys and clothing, customers much prefer to buy things like baby furniture and strollers in person where they can get their hands on them and try them out. It’s hard to determine how sturdy a crib is, or how easy (or frustratingly hard) it is to fold a stroller, based on a picture. Plus, when Junior somehow manages to break said sturdy crib or stroller, you don’t want to wait 3-4 days for the replacement to arrive.
Actually I have to disagree with your hands on theory. I go by reviews of others on Amazon. If others say something sucks, I don’t buy it. Babies R Us just has high prices but the one where I shop has great customer service.
They were always understaffed whenever I shopped there. The ailses looked like a hurricane had hit even first thing in the morning. Between keeping too much stock in the aisles and unruly kids they were just too difficult to shop at.