Toy Bankrupt Story

Add another potential store chain to the list of dead chains. Toys R Us, a brand that has been around since the late 1940s, has filed for bankruptcy. They are staying open for the holidays, so this might be the last time for some people to get their toy fix in before going somewhere else or online.

As a kid, I never really went to a Toys R Us. The closest to where I live is 50 miles. Even then, we never really went towards it except a few times. We mostly went to places like Sears (another dead chain) when it was more than appliances. Close to my town was a Kay-Bee Toys (dead since 2009). I don't remember much of that, but we definitely got a good share of toys from there before it left around 2003/04.

Unfortunately, Toys R Us is a victim of the times. It has toys and video games. That's pretty much it. People would probably just go to a Wal-Mart or some other big chain that offers more than those two things. Combined with bad decisions, they haven't seen much success in well over a decade. Online is also a factor. Everybody now these days goes to Amazon, Ebay, etc... to get their toys and games. Multi-purpose sites and stores are easy and go to alternatives. We are in an era where, while it does suck when there is only one or two choices, we're not wasting a lot of time and gas to get something that may or may not be there.

You think about it, deals are all over these competitors, especially around Black Friday up through the New Year. They know what these customers want and will always want them to come back for future business. There is always a bargain to be had. Wait for the right time and you can feel very happy about what you bought pending regrets.

How Toys R Us managed to stay around this long, I don't know. They do still promote well and know exactly what kids want, but it's not enough. Who knows when the next big toy store goes bankrupt if there is anymore. It's a shame. Unfortunately, there's nothing that can be changed unless they find a way to keep business booming though the holiday season.