Posted on 03/21/2018 7:31:01 AM PDT by fwdude
I still remember experiencing the wonder of walking up and down the aisles of Toys R Us as a child visiting America from New Zealand. To be honest I think my parents were as awed as I was at the rows and rows of Barbie dolls and Ninja turtles, especially coming from a country that did not yet have such a huge range of mass-produced toys available.
It was a time when the age of mass materialism was only just upon us and held wonder and magic. I ended up buying a Little Mermaid sheet set and giant, long, variously coloured ice-blocks which we savoured all that summer, though I do now question my parents’ use of suitcase space.
However, Toys R Us has obviously not managed to maintain the magic. As it prepares to close its doors, people are questioning what went wrong for the once mighty, culturally emblematic business.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercatornet.com ...
Well, that is certainly a major contributing factor for Toys R Us’ demise.
people are questioning what went wrong for the once mighty, culturally emblematic business.
The inability to accept EBT cards for toy purchases?
The Toy-R-Us on my side of town has been a fixture for as long as I can remember; THE go-to place for child gift buying for all occasions. It makes you wonder who will fill the void in the market of a hands-on retailer.
Also taking the company private and loading up with tons of debt that needs to be paid regardless of how well the company is doing.
Two words: Jeff Bezos
Over the past decade or more, Toys R Us would rarely have “sales”, and often, their “sales” were “buy 2 get one free” for the same type of toys.
This seemed to be the strategy, even during Christmas shopping season. We never needed THREE of the same type of toy, and probably no one else did, either. It discouraged us from even looking there, until we got in the habit of just ordering most toys online. If they had tried other “sale” efforts, such as $10 off a $30 purchase, or 20% off anything.... etc., we would have been much more likely to shop there.
We have also found different and high-quality toys at Barnes & Noble.
We will not miss Toys R Us.
Plus Ebay.
How is that working out for the US?
My daughter told my seven year-old grandson that Toys R Us going out of business. He said "No wonder their toys are way too expensive!".
He concluded that after receiving a 20 dollar gift card but was only able to afford one "toy".
When i was young, I played with toys
kids now play video games
For me, the experience was mom trucking us kids up to Seattle to the Bon Marche department store. For my kids it was Toys R Us at the mall. For their kids it will probably be a web page.
Some might say that this is an evolutionary improvement but I would disagree.
Not so well for the US and various state and local governments either.
Yep, and I'm as guilty as anyone. Once a loyal "Toys R Us" shopper, it became increasingly easy to just click on Amazon, do all my shopping while sitting at home in my pajamas and get everything delivered to my door with free shipping and usually save money in the process. At one time I would go into a "Toys R Us" at least once a month, the last time I was in one was probably five years ago and ironically I walked out without buying anything because I looked it up on Amazon and it was cheaper.
So many once major retailers have gone under, been bought out, merged together.
We could make a list.
Radio Shack
JJ Newberry
Woolworths
Montgomery Ward
Major local chains in various cities went under, such as , in Washington DC area, Woodward and Lothrop, Hecht Company
In Chicago, Marshall Fields is gone.
In southern California, big chains such as Robinsons, May Co. The Broadway, Bullock’s, Buffums, are gone.
Whatever happened to Kinney Shoes, and Robert Hall clothes?
Just saying, retailing has been Changing over the decades, and some companies have gone under, for various reasons. Toys R Us is simply another in a long line of chains which are gone.
And what happened to Flying A gas stations, or Burger Chef?
The US$11 billion in leveraged debt was the final killer for Toys "R" Us. If it weren't for that, Toys "R" Us could have become a much more attractive takeover candidate.
I interviewed with them for a management-level job years ago.
Without a doubt, the biggest bunch of pompous, arrogant, self-aggrandizing people I had ever shared a room with to that point (in an industry that is swimming with them).
Just like Hillary, hubris was eventually their undoing.
No doubt, they are correct... demographic decline is the macro-trend that most hurt them. But, in the end...it was their own inability to adapt that put them out of business. The birth rate decline was highly predictable.
Another factor that I think has hurt them is: The rise of “toy recycling”. Google “Little Treasures”.... I don’t think my wife will EVER pay full price for a child’s toy again. She gets things at this sale that are practically brand new (many still in original packaging) for >75-80% discount.
Combine that with the rise of internet sales (Which, Toys ‘R Us did NOT embrace)... and, you have a dead company.
Toys R Us always gave off a creepy vibe. I didn’t like going there as a kid and as a young father. The entrance and exit doors were far apart from each other and you had to walk through a phalanx of short wood walls, kind of like cattle. Inside the store layout forced you to go through certain areas to get to the area you wanted.
I won’t miss it.
Kanye West is in talks to Buy it and rebrand it as “We Be Toys &Chit”
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