Toys R Us

Toys R Us was bought up yesterday. It looks like they’re not planning on gutting it just yet - it should be interesting to see how the new owners will manage the transition. And how it’ll affect the toy industry.

TRU was the only place to take really extended lines of products as well as lots of bulk items like ride-ons and gyms. Wal-Mart and Target just plain don’t have the space to do it.

Here’s a good article:

Should be interesting to see what happens! It’s still hard for me to believe that Toys 'R Us is in this much trouble! Growing up, this was the ONLY place to go for toys! Fond memories of going there with my hard earned $80 to buy the first Nintendo system in '85…

i hope they don’t get rid of geoffery - i love those commercials

Fuck Wal-Mart… And Fuck the parents of the world… Doesnt anyone understand the greatest joys of a childs life is going to a store for them, not some freakin asile between linens and hardware…

so don’t support walmart. support your local toystore that probably provides far better toys than toys r us ever would. you do have other options.

Edit

Walmart and Target sells more toys than toys R us.

there are bigger issues than the cruelty that festively plump american kids don’t have a toy store to walk around in to become trained over-consuming consumers.

ughh…such as filabusters, a runaway not good looking Georgian, and dietary fiber intake

I think the biggest effect the disappearance of TRU will have on the toy industry is the scaling back of product lines. Target & Walmart sell portions of the full lines offered by FP, Hasbro, Little Tikes, etc. but TRU could always be counted on to take more products, carry exclusives, and have the sheer space to carry larger items like ride-ons, etc.

Even though Target & Walmart sell more of certain products, it will inevitably shrink the offerings that toy companies are able to produce, and likely will cause the companies to scale back themselves.

I read an article in Rolling Stone many months ago that was about what WM was doing to the record industry. It said something like WM carries about a thousand titles and a Virgin Megastore would carry approx. 100,000 or something. It went on to state how the new largest retailer of music is making the industry even less diverse and the Jessica Simpsons of the world more popular. It is so sad - that is what is going to happen to more and more industries as these big box stores take over the market… only the hits that appeal to the masses will be widely available in retail outlets. People who want something different will have to make purchases online… if that avenue stays profitable enough.

Edit

screw toys r us, nintendo is in trouble!

Are you the same bryce on the scooter bbs? and are you a toy designer specifically- ?


joe

Edit

Here’s the latest on this from Playthings.com:

http://www.playthings.com/index.asp?layout=story&articleid=CA607535&webzine=playthings&publication=playthings&section=Retailing+News

It’s not looking good for 'ol Geoffery…

TRU did this to themselves. the new store layout makes for the most horrible shoping experience. The plan is to get the customer lost in the store unable to find anything.
you just can not do that when you have a kid with you and are looking for a specific item.

It is too bad But I hope that they survive. especially since they are a client and I have good relationships with their design dept…



www.bigshottoyworks.com

I just saw some tv special where some 8 year old kid designed a baseball toy…and finally took it to the stores…TRU was the vendor…neat stuff…I dont think that would ever happen with Target or Walmart