Toys R Us Gets Sold Again- Good News?

[WingsOfMasquerade]

It's not 100% Pony related but...
Back with business news that's probably fairly relevant.
Toys R Us has been sold again, now WHP Global has hold of it. The backstory is that TRU got liquidated in 2018 due to the badness of a thing called Bain Capital who had set out to ruin it (yes on purpose, they are mean) so they could have its valuable real estate. (The stores were huge and always built on the 'outskirts of town' long ago when they were building them from scratch---but as 'town' got busier/expanded everywhere the big stores were no longer on the edge and their value went way up, so it made sense to kill it and take the land away to get money.)

The new owner of it wants to direct it into expanding again by trying to bring back the website so people can buy online at prices that beat other places because they're aware of like...Target & Amazon I guess. Which is good because TRU would generally have the toy you wanted but the price would be above other stores and never go on sale. Also they say 'working with companies that ONLY make toys' is a priority too, because that's Basic Fun. They're not trying to be 'the everything store', with like strollers and bibs and computer monitors and just random mess. Unique & Classic toys also get mentioned...which is probably more good news.

The business article is at
https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2021/03/16/toys-r-us-is-sold-again-as-whp-global-takes-controlling-stake/?utm_source=IRN&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=IRN-2021&_hsmi=116435432&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--wfMzurbftVg2L3VmUx3QT8Q_IfkDo3rH9v5Mg58vxIkUwJ4PGrMMP5sNBd94ZAI8CXCFtAVZFminvAVSymjRqj3koNQ

Notice how the article doesn't blame Bain Capital, they just say 'it had crushing debt' , as if TRU just magically ruined itself, but Bain IS the reason it had that.
I really hope it comes back in retail of some sort, I miss being able to go to a literal toy-store, not just a toy-section.

[Leave a Whisper]

I hope so too.

[Sawkinator]

I would LOVE to see Toys R Us come back. They didn't deserve to get screwed over like that.

[Carrehz]

Sounds promising! Probably still wouldn't come back to the UK but it'd be so nice for it to come back *some*how. I really, really miss TRU

[lovesbabysquirmy]

TRU Canada is doing just fine.  And  I haven't gone into one in over a year!  LOL  They have click and collect, I just haven't been buying much.  And I don't think that's going to change anytime soon.

Their toy selling competitors are Walmart and Chapters Indigo. 

[glitterball]

We had a brand new TRU store built and it lasted 3 months before TRU UK closed down.

The building still has its signage (drove by it yesterday, in fact).

Really miss the UK TRU! I wonder if the buy-out will extend to Europe?

[Itcheeee]

I really hope they open toy-only shops. TRU really went downhill after they got into the baby furniture and tablets.
The real estate thing is maddening when you know most locations are STILL setting there empty. They are just waiting to be reopened I guess. Just maybe.

[starrynights]

I hope they come back. Was a part of my childhood and was always so fun to go there. I miss being able to go to a store that only sold toys.

[gabumon]

thanks for sharing this.  hope they come back too. in some way or other.