Toys ‘R’ Us Is Said to Ready Liquidation of U.S. Operations

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Pony collecting emergency!  Get thyself hence to a TRU!  Buy everything pony!

https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/2018/03/08/toys-r-us-said-to-be-prepping-liquidation-of-u-s-operations

[Leave a Whisper]

Not all of them are going. Ours is staying put fortunately.

[achab1984]

That is sad to see all of these stores closing along with other Physical stores.   No one will be able to walk into a store anymore and touch something by hand before buying it. 

[kamakazee82]

Not all of them are going. Ours is staying put fortunately.

... they haven't found a buyer and they are having no luck restructuring their debt ... this could turn into a complete and utter meltdown ... the closing of only 180 stores was a made grab at straws to try and make them more appealing to buyers ... read the article, it's not a good time for TRU ...

i'm surprised it took this long ... crazy prices, horrible treatment of staff, horrible treatment of customers, etc etc

[Khoufu]

Surprising since my TRU just moved to a bigger location in a mew shopping centee a few months ago, just in time for Christmas shopping. Seems like it would have been a loss for such a move, only to close a year later.

[Taffeta]

They told ys in dec not all stores were closing. Roll on to March and they are now all closing in the UK. That announcement came here last Friday and I live near one of tge UK main stores. By Monday it was already half looted and closing.

@Khoufu mine just fully refurbished and still gave the new store open signs up bext to the closing down ones.

The root of the problem is in the finances of the US company though. Message being don't take it for granted...this could be it.

[Sunset]

Well, that's sad for us.  They have the biggest selection of ponies.

[Khoufu]

It's a real shame. The only other toy store in my area that I know of is a small store about half an hour away. It was a big specialty toy store that had to downsize, and has maybe space for 3 aisles worth of toys. Barely more than what can be found at Target. I'm glad I mainly buy from collectible and thrift/antique stores, but at the same time, the root problem is, indeed, how easy it is to buy online.

[Ponyfan]

Last weekend was the first time I’d been to my local Toys R Us in a a few weeks. They had a new play area for children to play in while parents shop but had none of the new movie toys out. There was no light up Tempest or  35th anniversary ponies. They still had the wedding CMC up until this summer and there was some kind of pony water cutie on the shelves. I only see a few people buying things when I’m there.


Ponyfan

[Leave a Whisper]

Not all of them are going. Ours is staying put fortunately.

... they haven't found a buyer and they are having no luck restructuring their debt ... this could turn into a complete and utter meltdown ... the closing of only 180 stores was a made grab at straws to try and make them more appealing to buyers ... read the article, it's not a good time for TRU ...

i'm surprised it took this long ... crazy prices, horrible treatment of staff, horrible treatment of customers, etc etc

Ours has lots of business and seems to be doing well. I'm sure ours isn't the only one either. I'm not going to panic and I'm not going to straight up deny. I'm just going to wait and see.

[StrawberryScoops]

I’m very scared we are going to lose Toys R Us in Canada too because of the financial troubles in the company. It is the only place I can buy new ponies locally as the Walmarts in my area don’t carry MLP. It’s a complete shock when Walmart has one of the numerous things being released. However, Toys R Us has a huge selection of ponies and gets new items regularly.

[Khoufu]

My TRU also seems to have quite a few customers when I've been there.

I wonder if TRU exclusives will be more sought after because people are sentimental.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

It isn't set in stone, but I'm not surprised. I do love reading these articles that detail the failing of the business, though!

The downfall of Toys “R” Us can be traced back to a $7.5 billion leveraged buyout in 2005, when Bain Capital, KKR & Co. and Vornado Realty Trust loaded the company with debt. For years, the retailer was able to refinance its debt and delay a reckoning. But the emergence of online competitors, like Amazon.com Inc., weighed on results. The company’s massive interest payments also sucked up resources that could have gone toward technology and improving operations.

All of my business classes hail Amazon as some sort of monopolistic beast. I think it's ironic that a lot of the pony toys that I want end up being more expensive on Amazon than straight from Hasbro or even TRU, lol.

[Safflower]

I'm sorry to everyone who is going to miss their TRU. Honestly though... I've never been in one! I don't even know if there are any in my area.

[Moonstar]

So sad, it's like a part of 80's history is fading away. I remember how their ads were on tv all the time on weekends. It's a shame when the love of toys and MLP is just as strong as ever.