Posted on 03/15/2018 3:03:47 AM PDT by C19fan
Toys "R" Us is going out of business in the U.S. The iconic chain announced early Thursday that it's seeking bankruptcy court approval to start closing its 735 U.S. stores and liquidating their inventory.
Some 33,000 employees will lose their jobs as a result.
Toys "R" Us Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dave Brandon said in a statement, "I am very disappointed with the result, but we no longer have the financial support to continue the Company's U.S. operations."
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
I’m sorta sad to see this go in a strange way — mostly because it was my daughter’s favorite place when she was little. Kind of the way I remembered Lionel Playworld when I was little — the one in Hollywood FL was like Heaven to me, and was the scene of many toy binges.
Toys R Us ate up the small stores back in the 70s and 80s. Now it, too, is being eaten by a bigger predator.
Personally, I hate Amazon and online shopping — I like to see what I’m getting... but oh well, off to the tar pits for me, I guess...
Anybody who has TRU gift cards needs to use them right away, for anything of value right now. Once they are in bankruptcy the cards will instantly be worth $0.00
It’s obvious the failure was not due to lack of sales, look to management when toting the hangman’s noose.
I told my daughter to use her 25 dollar card. She went last Saturday and spent it on Xmas gifts for her kids.
Look for the mom and pop or local toy stores to step up to the plate.
Please ser post 25. Thank-you.
The Canadian stores survive for now but the future is murky.
Mitt Romney was hired by Bain & Company in 1977, and was a principal in its spin-off of Bain Capital in 1984 (hence he was a co-founder of Bain Capital). He remained with the firm until 2002 (during the last year or so, he was on a leave of absence while he worked on the Salt Lake City Olympics).
The Toys R Us deal was conducted in 2005. At the time, the company had 1600 stores. But the company was being buffeted by competition from Walmart and Target. Then, Amazon came along. Add in a soft economy and it’s been brutal on many retailers.
It was thought that the buyout would be followed by store closings. The sale of the firm’s many real estate holdings was supposed to pay off the debt that had been borrowed. If all went according to plan, a down-sized but profitable and conservatively-financed company would be returned to the market. Obviously, things didn’t work out that way. Because of the problems facing the entire retail industry, there weren’t many ready buyers for its locations. Today, thirteen years after the deal went down, Toys R Us still has 800 stores.
Those who stuck with the company until the biter end at least have the prospect of seeking a new position during a vibrant economy. Market economies feature a lot of change. But there’s a big difference between losing a job during a soft economy, and losing one during a booming economy.
They sold Ouija boards. Good riddance.
No, the purpose of a LBO is to make huge fees for the International Bankers with personal payoffs to the executives. The planned end game is based on made up numbers that rarely work.
The International Bankers may soak up any remaining equity through fees for a couple of rounds of bankruptcy, but in the end, as here, they discard the drained husk and their victims.
“adapt to the growth in online shopping”
What is that supposed to mean though? They did have a presence on line.
I feel the same. It’s a bit of nostalgia going away. I too feel they had a very decent selection, clean stores, helpful staff. I like the one stop shop where you could find Christmas gifts for all the grand kids in one place. I seriously wouldn’t know where else to go to find a variety of pools, outdoor play structures, sandboxes etc. They had everything from old fashioned train sets and roller skates to the latest video games and gadgets. Not everybody wants to shop on-line. Sometimes it’s just easier to see the scale of something with your own eyes, or comparison shop what’s in front of you instead of clicking back and forth on small pictures.
Though one must be aware that when buying from either Amazon or Walmart many of their items are from 3rd party and the quality/return policies are different. I didn’t realize this at first and got stuck with a poorly made item. The company never responded to my Email requests for a return authorization number. Alas, the 30 day time limit for returns ran out.
This is a great point - note the remarkably different way Bain/Mittens vulture capital was perceived versus Trump/Trump buildings and resorts.
They both are heavy breathers when it comes to OPM (other people's money), but Trump has very obviously produced architecture and livable spaces, both of real value.
My 17-year-old is one of those victims. He’s not mature enough yet to appreciate what a great experience working there was. Well, there always Best Buy or Home Depot.
Trump created stuff.
Romney destroyed stuff.
Trump put people to work.
Romney destroyed the lives of hardworking folks for his pieces of silver.
Romney is a vulture. When the Day of the Rope comes, he’s on the list.
I don’t shop Toys R Us. If I can’t order it off Amazon, it doesn’t get bought. Then there is always the Salvation Army as grands grow so fast. My latest is just 6 months old..seems like last week she was a newborn. Now she is ready for that walker I got at a great price from Amazon Warehouse, a slight dent to the box, price dropped for $90 to $25.
I get clothes from Navy Exchange off the mark down rack.
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