I DON'T WANNA GROW UP / I'M A TOYS R US KID
September 18, 2017 10:49 AM Subscribe
The self-proclaimed biggest toy store there is (gee whiz!) could file for bankruptcy as soon as this week.
They've got USD $400 million in debt coming due this year, vendors are apparently cutting shipments, and the holiday season is almost upon us.
They've got USD $400 million in debt coming due this year, vendors are apparently cutting shipments, and the holiday season is almost upon us.
(Whoops, not done.)
To the extent that a company can't survive without PE's money, perhaps it would be best to let it shut down. Because it seems like either a quick death or a slower, PE-drive austerity/efficiency campaign ends up the same way.
posted by wenestvedt at 10:55 AM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
To the extent that a company can't survive without PE's money, perhaps it would be best to let it shut down. Because it seems like either a quick death or a slower, PE-drive austerity/efficiency campaign ends up the same way.
posted by wenestvedt at 10:55 AM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
Sometime recently a Mefite made a comment somewhere that their kid didn't do toys, showed no interest in them at the store whatsoever, because everything is online/electronic. That is so mind-boggling to me.
posted by Melismata at 10:55 AM on September 18, 2017 [10 favorites]
posted by Melismata at 10:55 AM on September 18, 2017 [10 favorites]
their kid didn't do toys
This tracks for me. Basically any kind of traditional toy (action figures, dress-up dolls, scale-model vehicles, etc.) that would have be aimed at elementary school kids 20-30 years ago is now actually aimed at the adult collector market, because that's who's actually buying them.
posted by Strange Interlude at 11:02 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
This tracks for me. Basically any kind of traditional toy (action figures, dress-up dolls, scale-model vehicles, etc.) that would have be aimed at elementary school kids 20-30 years ago is now actually aimed at the adult collector market, because that's who's actually buying them.
posted by Strange Interlude at 11:02 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Sometime recently a Mefite made a comment somewhere that their kid didn't do toys, showed no interest in them at the store whatsoever, because everything is online/electronic. That is so mind-boggling to me.
I still miss some of mine. The Saturn V rocket with launching pad! The plastic bowling pins that made great bombs in games of war! King Arthur's Castle! It had a drawbridge, people!
posted by thelonius at 11:04 AM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
I still miss some of mine. The Saturn V rocket with launching pad! The plastic bowling pins that made great bombs in games of war! King Arthur's Castle! It had a drawbridge, people!
posted by thelonius at 11:04 AM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
This tracks for me. Basically any kind of traditional toy (action figures, dress-up dolls, scale-model vehicles, etc.) that would have be aimed at elementary school kids 20-30 years ago is now actually aimed at the adult collector market, because that's who's actually buying them.
I have two kids under 10 and all I can say is . . . this is not the case.
posted by ryanshepard at 11:04 AM on September 18, 2017 [26 favorites]
I have two kids under 10 and all I can say is . . . this is not the case.
posted by ryanshepard at 11:04 AM on September 18, 2017 [26 favorites]
This tracks for me. Basically any kind of traditional toy (action figures, dress-up dolls, scale-model vehicles, etc.) that would have be aimed at elementary school kids 20-30 years ago is now actually aimed at the adult collector market, because that's who's actually buying them.
My daughter didn't get the memo.
Sure, she'll watch stuff on the tablet, but she likes playing with her dolls, likes playing Sorry(tm), loves, loves, loves Perler beads (which are pretty fun, tbh), and enjoys putting together and then playing with LEGO.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 11:05 AM on September 18, 2017 [7 favorites]
My daughter didn't get the memo.
Sure, she'll watch stuff on the tablet, but she likes playing with her dolls, likes playing Sorry(tm), loves, loves, loves Perler beads (which are pretty fun, tbh), and enjoys putting together and then playing with LEGO.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 11:05 AM on September 18, 2017 [7 favorites]
Yeah, we have two doll obsessed kids here (and my little ponies, of course).
Bigger issue is probably Amazon, as usual.
posted by selfnoise at 11:07 AM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
Bigger issue is probably Amazon, as usual.
posted by selfnoise at 11:07 AM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
Top three best-smelling retail chain stores, non-food division:
1. Home Depot
2. Goodyear Tires
3. Toys R Us
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:09 AM on September 18, 2017 [14 favorites]
1. Home Depot
2. Goodyear Tires
3. Toys R Us
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:09 AM on September 18, 2017 [14 favorites]
Didn't this happen like 3x already? did i imagine that.
posted by poffin boffin at 11:17 AM on September 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 11:17 AM on September 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
I was kind of sad when I last went to Toys R Us after a long time away. Everything seemed cheaper than I remembered :/ Like I'd walked into a Kay Bee or something. I'm spoiled by having a really good independent toy store that sells a marvelously curated set of toys + games.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 11:19 AM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Ogre Lawless at 11:19 AM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Top three best-smelling retail chain stores, non-food division
Ha. Back in the olden days before Babies R Us, they sold diapers at Toys R Us. At my childhood T'RU, they were located in the same aisle as the LEGO. To this day, I still smell baby powder when I think of LEGO.
posted by hwyengr at 11:23 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Ha. Back in the olden days before Babies R Us, they sold diapers at Toys R Us. At my childhood T'RU, they were located in the same aisle as the LEGO. To this day, I still smell baby powder when I think of LEGO.
posted by hwyengr at 11:23 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Well, now that he's killed KB Toys and Toys-R-Us, what beloved toy company will Mitt Romney come for next?
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:29 AM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by Pope Guilty at 11:29 AM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
Lionel Kiddie City was always better.
posted by lagomorphius at 11:38 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by lagomorphius at 11:38 AM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Zero Hedge:Facing Imminent Bankruptcy, Toys "R" Us Enters Death Spiral -"in addition to shrinking sales and heightened competition, Toys ‘R’ Us has been burdened with debt from an LBO12 years ago as a result of which Toys “R” Us’s private equity owners, Bain Capital, KKR and Vornado Realty Trust, loaded up the company with $7.5 billion in debt."
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:43 AM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 11:43 AM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
Shop local, folks! There are a ton of indie toy stores out there... ASTRA has many (though sadly not all) of them listed in a searchable map.
posted by duffell at 11:45 AM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by duffell at 11:45 AM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
> This tracks for me. Basically any kind of traditional toy (action figures, dress-up dolls, scale-model vehicles, etc.) that would have be aimed at elementary school kids 20-30 years ago is now actually aimed at the adult collector market, because that's who's actually buying them.
I have two kids under 10 and all I can say is . . . this is not the case.
Signed. I hung out with my niece and nephew a week ago and they have more physical-object crap than you can shake a stick at, despite both of them having some variant of electronic things. Even better, they're sometimes coming up with inventive ways of using it (I was chuffed to see my nephew drag out the air-powered Nerf Rockets I'd sent him for his birthday, thinking he wanted to try shooting them off, only to have him say "let's all see who can throw these the farthest!")
They have lego, they have dolls, they have blocks, they have craft kits, they have puppets, they have bikes, they have balls, they have masks, they have all manner of crap that gets all over the house. And only some is from me.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:59 AM on September 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
I have two kids under 10 and all I can say is . . . this is not the case.
Signed. I hung out with my niece and nephew a week ago and they have more physical-object crap than you can shake a stick at, despite both of them having some variant of electronic things. Even better, they're sometimes coming up with inventive ways of using it (I was chuffed to see my nephew drag out the air-powered Nerf Rockets I'd sent him for his birthday, thinking he wanted to try shooting them off, only to have him say "let's all see who can throw these the farthest!")
They have lego, they have dolls, they have blocks, they have craft kits, they have puppets, they have bikes, they have balls, they have masks, they have all manner of crap that gets all over the house. And only some is from me.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:59 AM on September 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Huh, until just now I always assumed that KB was a subsidiary of Toys R' Us. KB was always my favorite toy store as a kid - I remember that they used to have a clearance bin, that tended to have smaller figures in it (things like Z-Bots, Monster in my Pocket, MUSCLE), and those were also my favorite types of toy. I had a box filled with smaller scale creatures, and those were often (alongside fighter planes, toy tanks, and star wars vehicles) the focus of imaginary wars I would stage. For whatever reason, my parents got out to Toys R' Us a lot less frequently, so I have less memories of them, except obviously that they were a delight to be in.
I guess part of me is sad to see toy stores going the way of the dodo. Shopping for my nephew in Walmart made me realize that you're at the whim of whatever the chain decides to carry in its limited selection - something dedicated to toys is a lot more likely to lead to weirder finds. Amazon could give you as many weird toys as you'd like, but I guess the experience of browsing isn't really there, which is what I really remember most fondly about those trips.
posted by codacorolla at 11:59 AM on September 18, 2017
I guess part of me is sad to see toy stores going the way of the dodo. Shopping for my nephew in Walmart made me realize that you're at the whim of whatever the chain decides to carry in its limited selection - something dedicated to toys is a lot more likely to lead to weirder finds. Amazon could give you as many weird toys as you'd like, but I guess the experience of browsing isn't really there, which is what I really remember most fondly about those trips.
posted by codacorolla at 11:59 AM on September 18, 2017
I worked for TRU as recently as two years ago. I'm worried about what these means for the friends and former co-workers that still work there.
posted by drezdn at 12:02 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by drezdn at 12:02 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Atom Eyes: Top three best-smelling retail chain stores, non-food division
Your failure to include Barnes & Noble is telling.
posted by hanov3r at 12:07 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Your failure to include Barnes & Noble is telling.
posted by hanov3r at 12:07 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
My 5 year old LOVES Toys R Us. She loves girly things but hates traditional dolls, says they are creepy.
posted by w0mbat at 12:20 PM on September 18, 2017
posted by w0mbat at 12:20 PM on September 18, 2017
She's not wrong.
posted by Chrysostom at 12:37 PM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Chrysostom at 12:37 PM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Everything seemed cheaper than I remembered :/ Like I'd walked into a Kay Bee or something
That's funny because as a kid I always thought Toys R Us was basically a bigger, but much cheaper (quality not price), copy of Kay Bee. I did like Toys R Us for the amount of stock and choice, but it was so darn loud and dirty there. For a time they did have the best selection of C64 software around here though. I think if they had stayed up on trends like that they might still be relevant. If the old computer section was full of parts for FPV quad copters and DIY electronics kits instead of the same PS and XBox games you can get anywhere maybe people would still have a reason to go there.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 12:45 PM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
That's funny because as a kid I always thought Toys R Us was basically a bigger, but much cheaper (quality not price), copy of Kay Bee. I did like Toys R Us for the amount of stock and choice, but it was so darn loud and dirty there. For a time they did have the best selection of C64 software around here though. I think if they had stayed up on trends like that they might still be relevant. If the old computer section was full of parts for FPV quad copters and DIY electronics kits instead of the same PS and XBox games you can get anywhere maybe people would still have a reason to go there.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 12:45 PM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Sometime recently a Mefite made a comment somewhere that their kid didn't do toys, showed no interest in them at the store whatsoever, because everything is online/electronic. That is so mind-boggling to me.
I can agree that this is not the case, but my kids don't give a crap about Toys R Us, because eBay is the greatest toy store in the history of the world and they don't have to put shoes on.
posted by Etrigan at 12:47 PM on September 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
I can agree that this is not the case, but my kids don't give a crap about Toys R Us, because eBay is the greatest toy store in the history of the world and they don't have to put shoes on.
posted by Etrigan at 12:47 PM on September 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
Your failure to include Barnes & Noble is telling.
Naah. I worked at an indie bookstore for twelve years.
To me, B&N smells like a shopping mall kiosk that sells smartphone cases.
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:50 PM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
Naah. I worked at an indie bookstore for twelve years.
To me, B&N smells like a shopping mall kiosk that sells smartphone cases.
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:50 PM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
It can seem like all the toys are for grownups because I know nerds who get their kids littleBits and Lego Mindstorms while they're buying five different versions of Galactus that go in glass display cases, but no, there are still plenty of toys for kids even if Mom and Dad like to take their turns with them. As far as TЯU's imminent demise is concerned, I figured that it was probably (like so much of the retail armageddon) due to Amazon.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:53 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:53 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
I have two kids under 10 and all I can say is . . . this is not the case.
Want to get even more meta? My youngest, age nine, loves a toy line called Shopkins which are essentially small pastic versions of ordinary products (albeit with a face and a goofy name), like so: https://www.toysrus.com/buy/building-sets/shopkins-kinstructions-mini-pack-building-set-37-pieces-shopping-cart-with-freezy-peasy-and-wild-carrot-00000-1-67347386
That's a plastic shopping cart with a winking carrot named Wild Carrot and another...sack of frozen peas thing...named Freezy Peasy.
WTF, kid? You have LEGO and American Girl dolls and art supplies and a swingset and foam swords but you want this?
posted by wenestvedt at 12:58 PM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
Want to get even more meta? My youngest, age nine, loves a toy line called Shopkins which are essentially small pastic versions of ordinary products (albeit with a face and a goofy name), like so: https://www.toysrus.com/buy/building-sets/shopkins-kinstructions-mini-pack-building-set-37-pieces-shopping-cart-with-freezy-peasy-and-wild-carrot-00000-1-67347386
That's a plastic shopping cart with a winking carrot named Wild Carrot and another...sack of frozen peas thing...named Freezy Peasy.
WTF, kid? You have LEGO and American Girl dolls and art supplies and a swingset and foam swords but you want this?
posted by wenestvedt at 12:58 PM on September 18, 2017 [6 favorites]
To the extent that a company can't survive without PE's money, perhaps it would be best to let it shut down. Because it seems like either a quick death or a slower, PE-drive austerity/efficiency campaign ends up the same way.
The difference is who ends up holding the bag. With the LBO scenario, the shareholders got out with a premium on their investment. The PE firm and the banks/investors who own the debt now get the haircut. Employees get killed in both scenarios, sadly.
Is there a case to be made that the company was viable long term without the LBO/massive debt? I would be interested in that.
posted by Mid at 1:10 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
The difference is who ends up holding the bag. With the LBO scenario, the shareholders got out with a premium on their investment. The PE firm and the banks/investors who own the debt now get the haircut. Employees get killed in both scenarios, sadly.
Is there a case to be made that the company was viable long term without the LBO/massive debt? I would be interested in that.
posted by Mid at 1:10 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
WTF, kid?
Remember when you couldn't wait to grow up?
posted by Rat Spatula at 1:14 PM on September 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
Remember when you couldn't wait to grow up?
posted by Rat Spatula at 1:14 PM on September 18, 2017 [3 favorites]
My youngest and I just spent a Toys-R-Us gift card he received from my parents to buy stuff online -- as in, within the last 15 minutes. Now I'm glad we got that out of the way rather than saving it for the holidays...
posted by mystyk at 1:33 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mystyk at 1:33 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
Does this apply to all toys r us international stores or just the U.S. ones?
posted by Faintdreams at 1:40 PM on September 18, 2017
posted by Faintdreams at 1:40 PM on September 18, 2017
All it took was the title of this post to dig up that Toys R Us jingle in its nearly-faultlessly remembered entirety from the deep recesses of my brain. Thanks, advertising.
posted by urbanlenny at 1:42 PM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by urbanlenny at 1:42 PM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
All it took was the title of this post to dig up that Toys R Us jingle in its nearly-faultlessly remembered entirety from the deep recesses of my brain. Thanks, advertising.
Ironically, while I know the tune quite well, the actual lyrics that first pop in my head aren't the real ones (though I do sadly know them too) but rather the smart-ass version I used to say to my parents when I was about ten:
posted by mystyk at 1:49 PM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
Ironically, while I know the tune quite well, the actual lyrics that first pop in my head aren't the real ones (though I do sadly know them too) but rather the smart-ass version I used to say to my parents when I was about ten:
I don't wanna wake up,Enjoy!
I'm a lazy-ass kid.
There's a million things to do,
But I just wanna sleep in!
With sheets, blankets,
And pillows too,
I can stay tucked right in.
I don't wanna wake up,
'Cause if I did,
I wouldn't be a lazy-ass kid.
posted by mystyk at 1:49 PM on September 18, 2017 [4 favorites]
At least in my experience, half of what has killed Toys R Us near me has been a ... Kmartification? That is, the store I remember from the 80s and 90s was always very well taken care of, neatly organized, and almost painfully overstocked with everything. After not having visited one through most of the 00s, and going in one a few years ago, I was instantly struck by how dingy and disorganized everything was. There were huge empty spots on every shelf, things were shelved in the wrong places, and there seemed to be by far more empty room on the shelves in general. Every Toys R Us I've been in since then has been like that. This has been even worse lately, as I'll often look online to check that a store has something if I want to buy it (as there isn't a Toys R Us fairly close by, but three or four within 30 min drive) and yet when I get there the item isn't in stock or doesn't even have stock shelf space at that store. In addition, they seem to have shifted to include a wide array of non toy items - like multiple diaper isles - at least in the stores near me have. This just seems like some corporate weirdness decided these weren't toy stores any more, and rather made them into some horrible Kmart / Target / Walmart clone.
posted by strixus at 2:03 PM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by strixus at 2:03 PM on September 18, 2017 [5 favorites]
They are the closest toy store to where I live and actually are pretty great for lots of cheap and cheerful water toys on hot days (their cheap water fillable splashpad has lasted all summer and been a huge hit with the little ones). I can vouch that my two little ones still *love* going in there.....and it's probably the most regular big box store we go to outside of grocery stores and Target. All the local small mum and pop toy stores are fine and all - but their range is normally fairly limited and they tend to skew to much higher priced toys (guessing out of necessity to differentiate).
posted by inflatablekiwi at 2:37 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by inflatablekiwi at 2:37 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
hanov3r, you have touched a place deep, deep inside me that hasn't been touched in 40 years with those linked commercials.
My kids love toys. And I love buying them toys. A twenty dollar Lego set is fucking golden to my boys and costs less than I spend on alcohol on a school night. This is a source of marital strife because my wife thinks I spoil the boys and I am sensitive to that. But I grew up without much material comforts and would flip through catalogs and meander down toy aisles longingly and it makes me so incredibly happy to provide play things for my kids, especially play things that Dad can get on his knees and play along with them.
We live in yuppieville and the only toy stores have stupid wooden things and science experiments, so most of our cheap plastic crap comes from Amazon and the delayed gratification is kind of a bummer, especially when my wife, who complained about me ordering them in the first place, lets them open the boxes before I get home from work.
But I do know of a Toys r Us 30 minutes away in the burbs. My kids have never been. There's been several rainy Saturdays where there's nothing to do and I've suggested that I take them out there. And every time my wife refuses to allow it.
Now my kids may never know the mind boggling joy of a store the size of Home Depot filled with toys and a Dad that would likely buy them anything in it. I've never been so angry about a bankruptcy and it's going to take couples therapy to help me forgive my wife for the missed opportunity.
My name is Slarty Bartfast and I live in the first world and man do I ever have problems.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 4:01 PM on September 18, 2017 [19 favorites]
My kids love toys. And I love buying them toys. A twenty dollar Lego set is fucking golden to my boys and costs less than I spend on alcohol on a school night. This is a source of marital strife because my wife thinks I spoil the boys and I am sensitive to that. But I grew up without much material comforts and would flip through catalogs and meander down toy aisles longingly and it makes me so incredibly happy to provide play things for my kids, especially play things that Dad can get on his knees and play along with them.
We live in yuppieville and the only toy stores have stupid wooden things and science experiments, so most of our cheap plastic crap comes from Amazon and the delayed gratification is kind of a bummer, especially when my wife, who complained about me ordering them in the first place, lets them open the boxes before I get home from work.
But I do know of a Toys r Us 30 minutes away in the burbs. My kids have never been. There's been several rainy Saturdays where there's nothing to do and I've suggested that I take them out there. And every time my wife refuses to allow it.
Now my kids may never know the mind boggling joy of a store the size of Home Depot filled with toys and a Dad that would likely buy them anything in it. I've never been so angry about a bankruptcy and it's going to take couples therapy to help me forgive my wife for the missed opportunity.
My name is Slarty Bartfast and I live in the first world and man do I ever have problems.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 4:01 PM on September 18, 2017 [19 favorites]
I have to go pick up the kids from school now. The custom Xbox controllers they talked me into buying arrived today and they'll be excited to open them.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 4:07 PM on September 18, 2017
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 4:07 PM on September 18, 2017
As a Michigan fan who had to live through the dark days of Dave Brandon's disastrous tenure as athletic director at UM (including the awful Shane Morris incident and its botched aftermath), I am amused that Brandon has managed to run his next venture into the ground as well. May his failing upward end now.
posted by Existential Dread at 4:38 PM on September 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Existential Dread at 4:38 PM on September 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
Are there even any toy stores left? Toys R Us is the last one I remember seeing.
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 4:51 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 4:51 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
There are tons of good independent toy stores around here, so it's been quite a while since I thought about Toys R Us. I do hope brick and mortar retail continues to exist, but it's hard for me to bemoan the loss of the big box stores.
posted by aspersioncast at 5:10 PM on September 18, 2017
posted by aspersioncast at 5:10 PM on September 18, 2017
I love toy stores but the range at Toys R Us is always really disappointing to me. It seems to only stock shoddily made junk from big brands with movie and TV franchises plastered on everything. It's fine if you just want Hot Wheels or Barbies (though I agree the stores still tend to be disorganized and dingy*), but if you want arts and crafts supplies that aren't actually ads for TMNT, dress ups that aren't Disney characters, sports and outdoors equipment that isn't cheap crap, or interesting board games, you're outta luck. Seems to defeat the purpose of having a big department store for kids.
I realize I live in a big city with a lot of retail options (and I'm at the bourgie end of the market), but all of the independent toy stores in my neighborhood alone have a way better balance between the brands/franchises and better quality things for more open ended and creative play. Even my local Barnes and Noble has a way more diverse selection than Toys R Us. When the birthday/Christmas requests from my small army of nieces and nephews roll in, there's always as much demand for funky stationary and good puzzles and sports gear and sciencey stuff -- not to mention books -- as there is for Lego and Star Wars.
* they just set up a temporary one in Times Square for the holidays so I ducked in thinking that would at least be a cool space, but it's really crummy and depressing.
posted by retrograde at 6:07 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
I realize I live in a big city with a lot of retail options (and I'm at the bourgie end of the market), but all of the independent toy stores in my neighborhood alone have a way better balance between the brands/franchises and better quality things for more open ended and creative play. Even my local Barnes and Noble has a way more diverse selection than Toys R Us. When the birthday/Christmas requests from my small army of nieces and nephews roll in, there's always as much demand for funky stationary and good puzzles and sports gear and sciencey stuff -- not to mention books -- as there is for Lego and Star Wars.
* they just set up a temporary one in Times Square for the holidays so I ducked in thinking that would at least be a cool space, but it's really crummy and depressing.
posted by retrograde at 6:07 PM on September 18, 2017 [1 favorite]
I bought a box of old matchbox cars at a garage sale. There were two Transformers hiding in there: One from the 80's, and one of the more recent reboot toys. The quality difference is astounding. That 30-year-old toy has a metal frame and metal joints holding together plastic panels that fit together tightly and move smoothly. The decorative decals still look great. In contrast, the newer toy is all plastic, in tacky neon colors, and it is awkward to rearrange. It's also much less complex. Maybe the fact that toys are now crap has also played a role in the decline of the industry.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:42 PM on September 18, 2017
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 7:42 PM on September 18, 2017
This just seems like some corporate weirdness decided these weren't toy stores any more, and rather made them into some horrible Kmart / Target / Walmart clone.
K-Mart is struggling itself against both Target and Walmart. And someone upthread mentioned Barnes and Nobles, which every time I visit seems more like Toys R' Us as more shelves are dedicated to games, puzzles, and toys.
I think not only with the rock of online sites like Amazon, Toys R' Us faced "a hard place" with a lot of retail stores like Target, Walmart, and Barnes selling more toys. Let's also not forget that LEGO a few years ago saw what Apple was doing in retail and began opening it's own branded stores with exclusive sets in malls across America, which is a really good strategy and gave me something to look forward to when I go to the mall.
I'm kind of boggling my mind how Toys R' Us could have competed, other than just trying a website and an app. Maybe go after Party City and try to sell party supplies and Halloween costumes? Hell, maybe even jump into Chuck E Cheese territory as a place to hold parties for kids, so it becomes a one-stop for gifts, party supplies, and bad pizza.
Speaking of bad pizza, there's a Bloomberg article from last year on Toys R' Us trying to turn things around. it mentions Toys R' Us CEO Dave Brandon is the same person that was heading Domino's when it was doing it's own turnaround. The article also says that Toys R' Us would be focusing on inventory management and trying more in-store live events and demonstrations to get foot traffic in stores. I guess it didn't work out.
posted by FJT at 8:27 PM on September 18, 2017
K-Mart is struggling itself against both Target and Walmart. And someone upthread mentioned Barnes and Nobles, which every time I visit seems more like Toys R' Us as more shelves are dedicated to games, puzzles, and toys.
I think not only with the rock of online sites like Amazon, Toys R' Us faced "a hard place" with a lot of retail stores like Target, Walmart, and Barnes selling more toys. Let's also not forget that LEGO a few years ago saw what Apple was doing in retail and began opening it's own branded stores with exclusive sets in malls across America, which is a really good strategy and gave me something to look forward to when I go to the mall.
I'm kind of boggling my mind how Toys R' Us could have competed, other than just trying a website and an app. Maybe go after Party City and try to sell party supplies and Halloween costumes? Hell, maybe even jump into Chuck E Cheese territory as a place to hold parties for kids, so it becomes a one-stop for gifts, party supplies, and bad pizza.
Speaking of bad pizza, there's a Bloomberg article from last year on Toys R' Us trying to turn things around. it mentions Toys R' Us CEO Dave Brandon is the same person that was heading Domino's when it was doing it's own turnaround. The article also says that Toys R' Us would be focusing on inventory management and trying more in-store live events and demonstrations to get foot traffic in stores. I guess it didn't work out.
posted by FJT at 8:27 PM on September 18, 2017
According to Bloomberg, the bankruptcy filing has indeed happened.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:58 PM on September 18, 2017
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:58 PM on September 18, 2017
I think not only with the rock of online sites like Amazon, Toys R' Us faced "a hard place" with a lot of retail stores like Target, Walmart, and Barnes selling more toys. Let's also not forget that LEGO a few years ago saw what Apple was doing in retail and began opening it's own branded stores with exclusive sets in malls across America, which is a really good strategy and gave me something to look forward to when I go to the mall.
I completely agree that it's more than just Amazon stealing Toys R Us' lunch money. My kid has way more toys than a kid really needs (and every time I get ready to closet something so I can start its slow move to the donation bin, he'll pull it out and start playing with it like it's the hottest toy in town), and we just have so many options for buying toys, TRU is fairly low on the list. Amazon's toy selection and prices is pretty hit-or-miss, I find myself shopping for toys at Target, local mom & pop toy stores, the Lego store, and the holiday season pop-up toy stores at the mall. I'll still be sad to see TRU go, it was a wonderland to me when I was a kid and we went to the Big City and stopped at Toys R Us. And the Times Square location (now gone) was such a fun experience to share with my kid, that dinosaur was amazing.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 6:06 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
I completely agree that it's more than just Amazon stealing Toys R Us' lunch money. My kid has way more toys than a kid really needs (and every time I get ready to closet something so I can start its slow move to the donation bin, he'll pull it out and start playing with it like it's the hottest toy in town), and we just have so many options for buying toys, TRU is fairly low on the list. Amazon's toy selection and prices is pretty hit-or-miss, I find myself shopping for toys at Target, local mom & pop toy stores, the Lego store, and the holiday season pop-up toy stores at the mall. I'll still be sad to see TRU go, it was a wonderland to me when I was a kid and we went to the Big City and stopped at Toys R Us. And the Times Square location (now gone) was such a fun experience to share with my kid, that dinosaur was amazing.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 6:06 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
In my experience, the plastification of Transformers happened pretty early in the run. Some of the middle-priced sets like the Targetmaster series one my brother had were all plastic. The one thing I'll say for modern Transformers, many of them are designed so that if a piece comes off, it's easy to put back on.
posted by drezdn at 6:42 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by drezdn at 6:42 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
Yeah it's not really fair to say that modern Transformers are crap based on a single toy. There is far more variety in Transformers than we had in the 80s. There are usually at least two or three cartoons on TV. In recent years, there has been Rescue Bots, a series for the preschool age group, with its corresponding toys, which are simple to transform. Robots in Disguise is aimed at kids a little older, and it has different levels of toys, from one-step transformations to bigger, more complex toys. Combiner Wars and Titans Return are themes from the last couple of years, and feature a smattering of characters from the 80s all the way to the present. Then you have the Masterpiece series, which is squarely aimed at adult collectors, with higher priced, high quality renditions of classic characters. Also, the movie toys tend to be crappy because their designs are garbage to begin with.
Between my five year old and myself we have some of all of the above cluttering up my house. Also, Lego, superheroes, Paw Patrol, role play costumes, God we need to donate some of this stuff to charity.
posted by Fleebnork at 7:31 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
Between my five year old and myself we have some of all of the above cluttering up my house. Also, Lego, superheroes, Paw Patrol, role play costumes, God we need to donate some of this stuff to charity.
posted by Fleebnork at 7:31 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
Much of that is the legacy of a $7.5 billion leveraged buyout in 2005 in which Bain Capital, KKR & Co. and Vornado Realty Trust loaded the company with debt to take it private. Since then, the Wayne, New Jersey-based chain has struggled to dig itself out.
posted by drezdn at 7:34 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by drezdn at 7:34 AM on September 19, 2017 [1 favorite]
Slarty Bartfast, I totally feel you. Looking for commercials to link to, that Christmas ad hit me like a ton of bricks. I would have been 13 or 14 when that aired; I doubt I've heard that jingle in 30 or so years. And, yet, I instantly knew it and could sing along.
Toys-Backwards-R-Us was a special treat for us kids, and I don't think I got to go more than once a year or so at most. The two hanov3r kids have spent Quite A Bit of Time and Money there, though.
posted by hanov3r at 10:12 AM on September 19, 2017
Toys-Backwards-R-Us was a special treat for us kids, and I don't think I got to go more than once a year or so at most. The two hanov3r kids have spent Quite A Bit of Time and Money there, though.
posted by hanov3r at 10:12 AM on September 19, 2017
I DON'T WANNA GROW UP
You're not the only one.
posted by homunculus at 1:21 PM on September 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
You're not the only one.
posted by homunculus at 1:21 PM on September 19, 2017 [2 favorites]
I can't think of a useful company that was saved by PE, and returned to itself. Can anyone correct my memory? Otherwise it's just buy; gut; burn.
Bain saved Staples. But as drezdn pointed out, this follows the typical SOP for Bain. They pile debt onto a company and then collect "administrative fees" while the company slowly (or sometimes not so slowly) collapses under the weight of yet another creditor. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't just sell Babies R Us to themselves and let Toys R Us go the way of KB Toys and Child World.
posted by dances with hamsters at 4:06 PM on September 19, 2017
Bain saved Staples. But as drezdn pointed out, this follows the typical SOP for Bain. They pile debt onto a company and then collect "administrative fees" while the company slowly (or sometimes not so slowly) collapses under the weight of yet another creditor. I wouldn't be surprised if they don't just sell Babies R Us to themselves and let Toys R Us go the way of KB Toys and Child World.
posted by dances with hamsters at 4:06 PM on September 19, 2017
Matthew Townsend & Eliza Ronalds-Hannon / Bloomberg: Toys ‘R’ Us Will Live Because Mattel and Hasbro Can’t Let It Die
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:56 AM on September 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
Yet, the company, which operates about 1,600 stores globally, will likely survive because manufacturers such as Mattel Inc., Hasbro Inc. and closely held MGA Entertainment Inc. need the last remaining toy chain. These vendors are eager for whatever remaining leverage they have against the might of Amazon and Wal-Mart, the bane of all companies focused on a single category of shopping.It's similar to how Best Buy and Barnes & Nobles hang on as last of their kind.
“Oh my God, they are very important, and people don’t understand,” Isaac Larian, founder and chief executive officer of MGA, said of the toy chain. “That’s the only place where kids can go and just buy toys. There is no toy business without Toys ‘R’ Us.”
posted by ZeusHumms at 6:56 AM on September 20, 2017 [3 favorites]
On the plus side, the creditors who are getting totally wiped out in this bankruptcy are the private equity firms that dumped all that stupid debt on Toys R Us. I mean, they still made back some of that in interest payments and fees, but they're still out about a billion dollars together.
And I'm totally sure that next time the next group of assholes will think about this situation and not dump billions of dollars of useless debt onto a healthy company for the privilege of being bought.
posted by Copronymus at 10:07 AM on September 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
And I'm totally sure that next time the next group of assholes will think about this situation and not dump billions of dollars of useless debt onto a healthy company for the privilege of being bought.
posted by Copronymus at 10:07 AM on September 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
I previously had some business dealings with Mattel. I think it's accurate to say they viewed TRU as a pain in the ass, but not nearly as much as Amazon and (especially) WalMart. It's probably true they would like someone to deal with who won't constantly bully them.
posted by Chrysostom at 10:51 AM on September 20, 2017
posted by Chrysostom at 10:51 AM on September 20, 2017
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I can't think of a useful company that was saved by PE, and returned to itself. Can anyone correct my memory? Otherwise it's just buy; gut; burn.
posted by wenestvedt at 10:53 AM on September 18, 2017 [3 favorites]