Toys 'R' Us Seeks Bankruptcy Protection in North America

In the days of digital gaming and businesses such as Amazon, ToysRUs simply isn't what people need anymore. People don't buy kids toys, they buy kids apps. ToysRUs actually has higher prices than other stores when it comes to toys, it's a recipe for disaster. Not sure why they don't just close up.

I say Nintendo buys them, turn part of the store into a Nintendo World Store, encourage people to shop there by linking MY Nintendo rewards to purchases, sell card for digital content/games. Just an idea.

Poor Geoffrey the Giraffe.

What I need to know is .....
When do in-store clearance sales start?
I missed the Blockbuster shut-down and could have gotten so many games for pennies on the dollar..... ;D

I remember Toys R Us use to be my go to place to get my games, now there games selection is poor and the titles they do have are stupidly expensive.

Now that Toys R Us is on the ropes it's time for a Kiddie City comeback!

It's likely that places like toys r us and gamestop will be out the door within the next 5 years which sucks because I'll be out of a job. I love Gamestop, I'm treated well, paid well, I love helping out customers and spreading my love of video games when im at work. So sad to hear about Toys R Us

@TheAceofMystery I hate Gamestop. They're rip-off merchants. I'm sure they will die soon.

I used to love to go in there as a kid. They never diversified enough or did any restructuring, and at least here in Canada, many things were pricier then their other brick-n-mortar competitors, games were just extremely pricey, especially older titles. $49.98 for Ninja Gaiden on Wii U WTF!!

If only they could have sold more amiibo.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE agreed, most cities have better used game shops that sell for less (unless the game is rare). And even with new game shops, GAMESTOP (or EBGAMES over here) often sell new games for $5 more than bestbuy/Walmart/Amazon, I have no clue why people still buy from them.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE I don't really listen to you anymore since you're always negative and I don't deal with negative people but I will tell you that I'm treated very well at Gamestop and I always try to make customers have a great experience

Also I always shop from Gamestop. Been a pro member for years now and racking up points has saved me so much money. I pretty much got a wii u for 50$ with all my coupons and points back in 2013 before the price drop

Anyone remember mit romney? When he ran for president a few years ago, a lot of news coverage kept bringing up the firm Bain capital, which he owned and suggested that the firm was in the business of buying businesses and running them into the ground by essentially running them on credit without paying the creditorsback. By the time the banks would cut the credit off, the corporations ran by Bain capital would file for bankruptcy and let the government pay back the debt. Guess who purchased toysrus in 2005? That's right, Bain capital. Firms like Bain capital own most of these brick and mortar stores. Sears and many other retail chains that we all grew up with in the 80s was owned by Bain capital and other firms like them. They simply don't care about the businesses and are using tax laws to live lavish lifestyles using the businesses as collateral for credit. When the creditors come knocking they simply file for bankruptcy to get the government to pay off the debt. It's really quite sad. All brick and mortar stores will fall to Amazon unless someone like San Walton opens a new company and sticks with it. Otherwise firms like Bain capital will bank off these dying retail chains.

toys r us didn't adapt to the times as well as they could've. they banked on a physical experience that we no longer value enough to prefer. so sad.

Their prices are usually pretty bad, I'm surprised it lasted this long.

The one near me just remodeled so I don't think they are planning to close anytime soon.

@Linked2thaPast

Thanks for the info. What a depressing thing to read. 😢

@TheAceofMystery Even though I rarely go to Gamestop (the last time was 12:01 am March 3 to pick up my Switch) but I like knowing it's there.

Did they make you push in that whole "circle of life" thing that made the news a few months back?

I love Toys R Us please don't leave my, you were a part of my childhood

@TheAceofMystery Good for you. I'm sorry that people like yourself will lose your job but I won't miss Gamestop when they die.

Not sure what it's like in the US, but the one in my local area is delapidated, under stocked, expensive, with apathetic staff and dirt everywhere. When you put it in comparison to the nearby Smyths it really doesn't justify having any customers.

Smyths Toy Store seems to get prices right, always a deal on. Toys R Us are no better than Game targetting the non-internet base with outrageous prices.

Toys R Us isn't going anywhere. They are just filing for bankruptcy. I don't have one where I live but my kids go there all the time with their grandparents during the summer. They have great sales though. A couple of weeks ago their online store had a sale on Pokémon. And Amazon isn't all it's cracked up to be either. I wish they would get rid of the people that sell things for obscene amounts of money.

@RoomB31 @SLIGEACH_EIRE @TheAceofMystery

Sorry to say it Ace, but I agree with Room and Sligeach here. In the past I loved GameStop, and was a regular customer, but lately they just cannot keep up with the competition. Take Pokemon last year. In the past, GameStop gave away some cool pre-order bonuses. I still love the Ho-Oh and Lugia figures from Soul Silver and Heart Gold I got for pre-ordering. Last year they gave away a poster for Sun and Moon... So I did what any normal person would do, and got 12 bucks off with Amazon Prime.

Then there was my whole Switch pre-order fiasco. I ordered it online back in January. When March came around, I found out I wasn't going to be home on Saturday and not back until Sunday. Annoyingly GameStop doesn't ship your console until the last possible moment, so I wasn't going to get it Friday (Launch day), without paying an extra $15. I did not want my Switch to be outside all night Saturday, for fear someone would steal it. I contacted customer service, and I got a total runaround from 4 people, until I finally got an email from them saying that I shouldn't worry, UPS doesn't deliver on the weekends for them and that I'll get it on Monday. Perfect, away I went on my day trip.

I came back on Sunday, and my Switch was on my doorstep, and it was 16 degrees that morning. I was furious with them, and I'll never order a console from them again after that. Had they told me it would have been delivered on Saturday, I would have paid the extra day one fee to get it Friday to avoid all this. They were completely incompetent.

I'm going to assume that you work for them, given your wording, but I think GameStop really needs to change if they're going to survive. The whole bundle crap they're pulling with things like the SNES Classic, and even the Switch itself is just really shady business too. Sorry to be a downer, but they've struck out with me. I wish you the best of luck there.

I remember loving Toys R Us as a kid. Their video game section consisted of a long glass display case with every then-current game system inside on display. The game sections had little hanging flip card-things that displayed the cover art and back of the box on the flipside. You would take a tag to the register (which is how you knew if they had the item in stock) and then the cashier would staple your reciept to the tag. I would then go to a walled off area in the front where they kept all their video games and accessories and an employee would retrieve my game/console for me.

Strange I remember all of that so vividly, but for many years, this is how I would obtain my games.

The saddest about this is that TRU's aggressive nationwide expansion put 90-something percent of the local toy and game shops in the US out of business years ago, and now there is basically nothing BUT them if you want to actually shop for toys in the real world.

"TRU Tax" is a real thing, they charge over MRSP on basically everything that's in demand, and until now they've gotten away with it because they destroyed all the brick-and-mortar competition. Funny how being greedy isn't a recipe for automatic business success.

Don't get me wrong, I've spent thousands of dollars at TRU over the years. It's where I got my Switch and one of my 3DSes. But I can't say I've ever actually LIKED shopping there, and what's happening to them now is exactly what they did to the local stores they drove out of business.

Toys r us was a magical place as a kid. I'm not surprised though, the one near me closed a year or so ago.

@flapjack-ashley there was something special about getting that paper ticket and waiting for the game to be hand delivered. Of course most times, it took forever for someone to open the lockup.

@MoonKnight7 Very well worded rebuttal. The thing that is sad to me is not that people dislike GameStop - because there are tons of reasons to like and dislike them - but that @TheAceofMystery says he works there and likes it and is immediately hit with people telling him they hope it goes out of business in direct response to saying he's employed there. Not really nice, and there are better ways to express disdain that appearing to celebrate that he may be out of work at some point at a job that he says he is happy at.

@MegaTen
Indeed.
It's a Major issue for Parents.
If they are not ready to raise and take care of their children, better they have NEVER got married. Ignore all the negative stigma or stereotype if someone is not getting married, they might be abnormal / crazy / have issues with sexuality / against their religion.

Woopsie, I'm afraid I talked too much.

Slowly things are working back to general stores (Wal Mart & Target) and specialty shops (comic book stores & fashion boutiques) The mall era is ending. Amazon fills in the gaps and the bloated retail market is crumbling because you don't need 4 stores in a mall that all sell the same thing.

Toy's R Us will survive this but probably cut half the stores and be what they were 30 years ago.....a destination place that thrives on holidays and special trips to the toy store for the kids

@MegaTen My kid plays outside every single day. And there are usually five or six other kids playing with her. All of my coworkers' kids play outside whenever they can. Same for my neighbors. Sure, we have our Switch and computers and whatnot, but the "kids don't even go outside anymore" thing is a nostalgia-driven myth that should be let out to pasture.

@TheAceofMystery To be honest I've almost always had good experiences at Gamestops everywhere I've been. I get good, knowledgeable, friendly people who help me out almost every time. Sure, they always try to upsell and get me to preorder stuff, but I say no thanks and they desist. Never had anybody get obnoxious about it.

@flapjack-ashley

I never wish ill-will on anyone. I don't like GameStop anymore, but I know there are people who do like working there, as with any company. I hope they figure things out, cause at the moment, I don't think they're going to make it at their current rate. We don't need yet another company to go under, that's bad for everyone.

@MegaTen I just checked your location, and of course I can't say how things are in the Netherlands. Over here, things have certainly changed, and not always for the better. I've seen a lot of changes over the years as a parent. But in my experience, for every good thing we've lost there is something good that's been gained. Time marches on, and you take the good with the bad.

@Linked2thaPast @AG_Awesome
I remember reading about that whole process. I also recall that one of Bain's most famous victims was Kay Bee Toys.

Oh. Too bad. That's what heppens when a company gets over confident or complacent, both of which happened to Nintendo too with the Wii U. Let's hope ToysRUs learns and quickly gets back on track. They're one of the few people on the market who aren't GS

@Nintendoforlife
I wouldn't say there isn't a need, I'd say there isn't a need for them to be big. They should downsize, not just in locations, but their actual square footage. I'd be sales per square feet in Toys R Us is ridiculously low. All the Toys R Us i've been into are huge. And I can't imagine them needing that kind of space outside of November and December.

And it's true that Amazon is big, but I'd say that Target and Wal-Mart are Toy's R Us' true competitors. A lot of people don't buy toys without getting to touch them and handle them first; something you can't do online unless you take the time to find the toy at brick and mortar and then buy online.

@sdelfin KB Toys isn't a name I heard in a long while. I used to ride my bike there when I was in 5th grade to look at their video games for my GBC.

@Nintendoforlife You may not care much, but some of us do. Toys R US was big for some of us growing up. It was where I played Beyblade tournaments and Yu Gi Oh as a kid with other kids and people.

@MoonKnight7 You say "any normal person would do" as if it applies to everyone.

Let me tell you some words of wisdom:

There's no such thing as "normal" when it comes to people or persons. There's only degrees of weirdness.

Doesn't surprise me much. Had an online order they royally screwed up and some items don't seem to even exist when you want to pre-order on their site.

Like I already said in the forums, never had fond memories of Toys R Us. There's only one in like a 60 minutes drive area and the shop assistants there aren't very friendly. Plus, they'd only keep the game boxes on store shelves, without the game inside. I understand it's for safe keeping but there's just nothing like freeing a game from its plastic wrapping. It's like getting a present except you know what's inside.

Speaking of Gamestop and Toys R Us, does anyone remember this classic comedy gold?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxY8yQRJW08

Warning: There's some profanity.

@MegaVel91 I do care ToysRUs was a huge part of my childhood. But it's a failing business currently, no use trying to barely keep it open. I hope someone buys it and restores it though.

When they shuttered FAO schwarz I started getting worried. So glad I got to go to the NYC location before they closed.

@JHDK oh the circle of life thing is real but it isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be. It's super easy haha

I remember being a kid and looking at the NES section back in the days at Toys r Us

@MegaVel91

Lol, I think you may be taking my phrase a bit too literally.

@Ryu_Niiyama I was gutted to see that FAO Schwartz wasn't there anymore last time I went to NYC. It was always one of my favorite New York destinations. The only other place that still has that old-fashioned toy emporium is Hamley's in London, which is unfortunately a bit far for a day trip.

I mentioned to my Mum once I went and stopped by Toys 'R' Us in Peterborough (UK), and she found it funny. I had to tell her "they actually sell Video Games" there. Much better job than HMV now.

I remember years ago buying Crash Bash for the PlayStation 1. Such an underrated game. Really wish I hadn't lost my copy. Also remember playing a demo of Mario Party 4 for GameCube, which made me happy.

Toys 'R' Us also had Crush 3D for Nintendo 3DS for £5, brand new. I really need to play that game. Also helped get some amiibos like Captain Falcon.

@JasmineDragon I believe you said you're the mother to a daughter in the past. From a parents perspective, what's your opinion on buying toys from them? Is it a place that would come to mind immediately when you're thinking about buying something for her? Or is it more of a place you can get a quick birthday gift for a child's birthday party?

Not sure what I'm about to say will go over well and this is in no way a disrespect to the workers in the stores as no one deserves to be let go.

Let that store die, let it rot as they brought it on themselves entirely. Think how long they've been around. We're into an age now where most kids had parents and in some cases grandparents who were kids getting toys there. People have memories and it's adding up. TRU has always been a ripoff shop.

It's like some magic toy store tax with them where you end up paying a few dollars more buying from them than someone else locally in town and has been that way for decades. Finally their garbage has caught up with them in combination of being pounded by dealing with internet pricing which makes them look even more like grifters. In recent times, look at Amiibo there which cost another $2~ than any other retail store for absolutely no good reason other than just because.

I don't feel bad about them going into bankruptcy and if the store fails, lesson learned not to rip people off over a few extras bucks per purchase as those kids become parents and they remember. I don't even go in there anymore unless they have a sale that really makes the effort worth it.

@JasmineDragon I grew up with Home Alone 2 (I don't really remember BIG which made the piano famous) so when I found out that Duncan's Toy Chest was actually FAOS in NYC, visiting there went on my bucket list. I have a pic out front with my mom (we have family in NYC so she went with me since I was in the city to see Perfume) and the "toy soldiers" and it is one of our favorite pictures we've taken together. Truly a piece of history was lost. As for TRU, I hope the employees land on their feet.

I'm not surprised. Everything in their store has been overpriced since the first day they started business.

The problem with a lot of these stores is mainly the inability to adapt to the online environment, selling and pricing competitively. It will be sad to see Toys R Us go but the firm hasn't had much investment in its stores. They aren't pleasant or convenient to shop in, from my experience so if I had to choose, I would go online.

I feel sorry for anyone though who works there that may face uncertainty or job losses. Also, there are some pretty horrible comments from people taking glee at the thought that others on this thread might lose their jobs because they don't like their chain. Let's hope karma doesn't exist eh?

This thread is really depressing. I've never been much of a fan of Toys R Us, but it's upsetting how everything is changing in the world. Actually, Toys R Us and our city's mall are literally across the street from my house so it would be odd to see either close.

I'm personally ready to move to Montana and have as little human contact as possible.

I have read too many comments wishing the demise of Toys R Us and Gamestop today. Seems to be from people who truly don't understand how a retail store operates and needs to function to make money. These companies are not your friend they are there to make money for investors and to pay staff so they can survive. For everyone buying in to the Amazon way of purchasing you will be sadly shocked when all retail chains have crumbled and you are forced to pay whatever price Amazon is charging. It is already happening on many goods. Amazon has already started variable pricing based on supply and demand for goods that are hard to find in retail.

Many of you have already forgotten the days where Nintendo and Amazon were not doing business together (also happened with Disney, Warner Bros, etc...). Amazon could surpress sales of companies they don't like doing business with and there wouldn't be a Toys R Us, Gamestop, or Best Buy down the round to allow purchases once they are all gone.

Since they got rid of the one at Times Square, it have been off my radar (easiest for my commute). I have brought stuff online from them since they do have great sales/clearance on toys-to-life products.

I hope they don't end up going the way of Circuit City. One reason is there would be less competition with similar retail stores for our money, the next would be less stores to stock certain products. Be it the hottest holiday toys or a chance at getting a mini Nintendo System, options will become limited.

TRU is like the Gamestop of the toy world. Insanely high prices, too much of a specialty store and more people than ever are shopping online at cheaper sites with better shipping such as Amazon

@Nintendoforlife I go there a lot for birthdays and holidays! They actually have a great selection, including almost the full line of LEGO sets and a decent selection of boardgames. I always find stuff there that I don't see anywhere else locally.

I have two qualms about it:

The price is always higher than it should be. I can get all those things cheaper on Amazon, except for LEGO which is rarely cheap on Amazon. But I prefer not to. Whenever I can, I like to shop locally even if it's a big box store, because local employees and yadda yadda.

And going there with said kid always ends up costing me the price of some tacky girly accessory or toy. The kid is at that age where she us ruled by the desire to fit in, to be cute, and to watch and buy ALL THE DISNEY.

So, yes, I do buy some special presents there, on top of my own video games and the occasional Lego. But I also like to buy them craft stuff and books and jewelry. We're all jewelry fiends in this house.

Like I was getting at with Ryu Niiyama, it's definitely not an FAO Schwartz or Hamleys, but they've got the goods.

I wonder if this affects Babies R us, they're fantastic stores

This company had declared bankruptcy before. Since it's chapter 11, they will most likely make it out just fine. I would not expect any sales due to this.

It's crazy, it's like they charge more then anyone else for the same hunks of plastic, by a staggering amount, and expect budget-conscientious people to just buy it all
Very smaaaaart business plan.

My sons both love going there. My wife and I have discussed over the last 5-6 years how Toy "R" Us is the last toy store and how special it is for kids to be able to go there. I think we both kind of saw it going away at some point. To be honest, their prices suck. My kids are into Lego as much as video games and they have the best selection outside of Lego Stores (we don't have a local Lego Store), but the problem is the fact that the prices are like $5+ more than other local stores like Target.

When I was a kid, I had both Toys "R" Us and KB Toys. I remember how excited I would be to spend my birthday money or allowance at those places.

We did just pick-up Crossfire the board game at Toys "R" Us about 2 weeks ago. We've had our eyes on it at yard sales for years so we were very surprised to see it being sold at Toys "R" Us as an exclusive.

We've also had the best luck of picking up hard to find Amiibos in the early days when they were impossible to find. Our local store was the first of the local stores to adopt the 1 per customer rules for the amiibos.

Last time I visited Toys R Us, it upset me. They arranged the storefront so you'd have to walk through two long aisles of displays (separated by corners) packed with items that were clearly being marketed to you/your children, and things like Pokemon cards were much more expensive than at other places.

People are better able to realize that they are being marketed to than they were ten years ago, and we do become disgusted when such attempts are particularly shameless. Then we realize that it's our children that are being targeted, and we lose any patience we have left.

We don't really need Toys R Us. My question is, what are we going to do with all that parking space?

@dkxcalibur @JasmineDragon Reading this response, it definitely seems like the prices might have killed it off. It's difficult to sell people on ignoring the convience of shopping online, when you can't even match the prices found there. In my opinion it would take a new owner, and a change of culture in order for ToysRUs to regain their footing.

I shop at my nearest one for the primary reason of, if they have something I can't get from another physical retailer. The other reason is that I like shopping physical, as I can actually get my hands on my potential purchase, & I like supporting businesses in my local areas.

Shopping online is not the be-all, end-all. To me, it's just another option, when I absolutely can't find what I want in a store, & sometimes the only option, if I want something bad enough.

TRU has filed before, so they may make it. Whether they do, or not, I pray, & hope their employees "get on their feet", as many here echo.

Good riddance, I work for them before, was never treated respectfully. I'm glad they are falling out.

I have no personal or business ties to the chain since there isn't one within reasonable driving distance of where I live. I've heard that they're decent stores, however.

My thoughts go out to those whose jobs might be affected by this.

What a shame- but their service at least in my local store has become horrible over the past two years! You need a video game out of the case and you stand there 10 minutes while you wait for someone with the keys to come over. Can't even count how many times I walked out without an impulse purchase because they're locked up! Many childhood memories though- so I hope they pull through!

I still have my toys r us receipt for my N64 and super Mario 64. They are struggling. Amazon is killing them.

Time for the Toys R Us kids to grow up... (no references yet to the classic jingle many of us probably have implanted in our brains)

Though I can't say much as I actually didn't go there much as a kid, just a few times. My parents did the most of our toy shopping at Target.

My only memory of buying a video game at Toys R Us was getting Tetris Attack for the Game Boy with birthday gift money, to find I missed getting Chrono Trigger on clearance at Target.
Now TA was a fine game but getting a cheap copy of CT would've been amazing.

I've never went to a Toys R Us in soooo long. Their prices are pretty high compared to other places. I'm not sad to see them go, but I am sad for all those employees.

I will be sad if EB/GS goes though. I buy all my games there.

@JohnBlackstar
Well said. And don't get me started on Amazon's tax affairs.

I have a really bad and a really good experience with TRU:

I managed to get a pre-order in for the SNES classic for my niece's birthday with them but lost the card it was ordered on. Had a SUPER frustrating exchange on the phone and via email for about 3 days trying to get them to change my card details on the order - a classic computer says no. Ended with them cancelling my order. Livid does not do it justice.

I did however once have a really good experience there when looking for a lego set for my Spidey mad son. It had gone out of stock everywhere and was getting really near to Christmas - but their inventory said they had one left in. The guy was young twenties and super helpful and cool. He just seemed like someone who really enjoys their job - helping kids get cool toys. He took ages but found the toy somewhere really random and Christmas in our house was better for it. I still remember the feeling of getting back in the car clutching the bag with the snow outside and my kid asleep in the back.

The lesson - people can be cool. Computers can't.

As soon as I learned how to use a computer I found out that they overpriced their primary merchandise and never looked back.

@RoomB31 I love my local EB Games the guys there are really helpful and great ppl to chat too when it's not busy. Also they price match so just shop around and show them you'll get the best price! They handle all my preorders with no problems at all. Much prefer that to ordering online.
Just my personal opinion but all this reliance on digital and online is nowhere near the same satisfied experience you get from speaking face to face with someone. When my joycon played up I took it in and swapped it over in minutes not sat waiting for my entire Switch to go through post to Nintendo and back again.

@flapjack-ashley
Wow yes! I got my original GameBoy and Mario Land in a TRU with those same ticket things!

Good memories.

I grew up effectively around the block from one of these stores.

And I am only surprised this hasn't happened sooner. When you understaff your stores, over charge for your products and treat your employees like crap ever Christmas, it was bound to happen.

They charge more for EVERYTHING. Look at Pokemon cards, for years they were 3.99 a pack EVERYWHERE... except Toys R Us where they were 4.36. Games were always a couple dollars more, and same with Lego.

The only thing good about the store was the wild selection and holiday sales.

@Filth_Element I get it, but I shouldn't HAVE to shop around to have them price match, when every other retailer is selling it for $5 less.

I get the camaraderie as well, however the last time I was in EB one of the workers (I think the manager in fact) was arguing with a Nintendo Fan (a client) about how "terrible" the Switch was, and why would anyone pay $400 for a tablet etc.... on and on. Basically he was a big douche, and if chatting with employees results in fandom BS then I'd rather buy where I don't have to deal with anyone who thinks I'm making a "mistake" with my money, the mistake would be buying it from them. I've also had employees wonder why I was buying "THAT" game, because I want it, mind your own business.

It goes both ways, either they're genuinely nice, or they're an uber douche, too many times the latter, so I'd rather spend where I don't have to deal with it.

Toys R Us had inflated video game prices even in the 80s and 90s before online shopping... I did buy a number of games from there though. Vivid amazing memory of snagging a ticket for Super Mario Brothers 3 when it first came out and it's where I got my first NES, the deluxe set with the power pad, i was so excited. We were poor and lived in the projects but my grandparents who raised me really fed my video game addiction as a kid, for better for for worse the jury is still out on that.

I've not experienced the awfulness that some of you talk about with Gamestop. I've frequented dozens of Gamestops in NYC and most of the time my experiences have been really positive. HOWEVER, see that virtual boy in my avatar? A few years ago I lent it to a gamestop employee in good faith who I used to chat up a lot and when I came back to pick it up, it no longer worked. I didn't think to test it out when I got it back, but months later when I did decide to test it out because I was thinking about selling it, it didn't work, and the gamestop (the one on 14th street in union square) that I lent it to was closed down. If the off chance any former employees of that gamestop is reading this... GRRRRRRRRRRRR!

@speedracer216 Let me know when that happens. I wish I could have gotten some stuff from BlockBuster too. I do miss having a physical rental store nearby by. While BlockBuster wasn't the best, at least it allowed me to rent games cheaply and easily

I hope Toy's R Us can stay in business, they are the best store for getting new gaming systems since they don't feed scalpers because they have a one item per person policy.

I got my Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Nintendo 64, and Wii from Toy's R Us back in the day. I do admit that I buy most of my games on Amazon now, which I now feel ashamed for.

I remember when blockbuster went out of business, but they only had sports games, and they weren't even pennies on a dollar... although i think i only went to one store in lower manhattan so maybe it was all picked over... but it was mostly junk.

@Linked2thaPast That was a very well written post. Most people don't recognize the greedy wealth being made behind these decisions. Thank you for your insight.

@flapjack-ashley
Thanks for the trip down memory lane flapjack! This is exactly how I remember it too. In fact, that long display case you mentioned is where I first saw the Sega Genesis. I was actually working in the electronics dept of a small regional dept store and was very familiar with selling NESs (and Atari games too). But one day Toys R Us got their Genesis display units before us and I was floored when I took a trip to get some other toy for a nephew. Believe it or not, just seeing how realistic the ball and field moved in Tommy Lasorda Baseball blew me away! Not to mention Altered Beast! Yeah... a crummy game... but in display behind the glass?? What a beauty! But the kicker was Ghouls and Ghosts. That display case showed me the potential for the future of gaming. Yeah! Stuff gets even BETTER than what we know.

That case is where I first saw the TG16, Turbo CD (the one with the suit case!), Turbo Duo and even the Sega Nomad. What memories. Thaks for that!

Wow, Toys R Us was my first job. Worked there for about 6 years. I was even Geoffrey the Giraffe during special events and his B Day lol. Sad to hear about this but it's not surprising.

@JohnBlackstar
You hit the nail on the head. It's very easy for anyone here or anywhere else to sit from afar and throw rocks at glass houses. Of course their prices are higher than Amazon... try saying that for almost ANY brick and mortar store. Amazon is taking them all out. It's only a matter of time until they gain so much marketshare that even Walmart will succumb. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure what the astronomical cost savings of NOT having 1,000 stores and employees does to their ability to cut margins. And guess what? The more market share they aquire and the more volume they do, the cheaper it is to buy product (per unit cost goes down), pick, pack and ship each order! They literally have no significant barriers to their growth when compared to physical retailers. They are the Galactus of retail!

And then the day will come that there are literally no more brick and mortars. And, as you mentioned, their hold on variable pricing will be very difficult to compete with by the remaining retail channels. No more dropping by the store to browse, get your hands on demos, talk to helpful staff (not everyone is a gem but Ive talked to more stars than black holes!) And no more picking up a game on a whim.

This is already happening in so many other arenas. Book stores and music stores are almost dead. Table gaming shops really struggle to stay afloat. Margins are so thin to begin with. The only way some of these places get by is by selling the experience of going in to the store, trying things out, being helped by knowledgeable staff and store owners building relationahips with their faithful customers. Small niche shops who do this well will be the few to succeed in pockets. But large chains like TRU just can't offer that without a wholesale change in their culture and the way they do business.

I do agree with most peoples feedback on here having to do with pricing and customer service. I guess all Im saying is that you could probably say that about every chain that directly or indirectly finds itself competing with Amazon.

@RoomB31 hahah yes I've had experiences like that I used to live in Brisbane and the shop I went to there I would actively avoid one guy cause he was a total kno*. Lol so I know your pain. The guys at the local shop where I now live are great. But it's also the ease of preorders etc that I find I really get the satisfaction. Too many here and myself in the past have had problems online. I just like to talk to someone, maybe I'm just an old grumpy man and like things like they used to be...

@ZeldaToThePast I went to a couple of them last year, in NY. Was really disappointed at the selection of video games: didn't buy anything.

Still, I buy a lot of stuff from them online. They have really great sales, like every single game 20% off (much better than Amazon). they had a Mario day sale with lots of Mario-related stuff discounted. Also, it is (was) my favorite merchant to buy Skylanders figures from: they had many special sales, like "buy1, get 2 free" or even"buy 1 get 3 free"! Once, they had a promotion to buy the (discounted) starter for Skylanders (usually 50, they were selling it for 20-25) with a free figurine. At the same time they had a buy a Skylander, get 3 free. Well, the order I entered the items in my cart allowed me to have the 4 figures for free!!

@maceng I also bought some of the figures from there before when they had deals, they didn't always have what I wanted for LEGO Dimensions figures though. Game deals I usually go for Best Buy, since I have GCU for 2 years and they sometime have 10 dollar coupon on some of games I pre-order along with the 20% off.

Another one bites the dust...

@Filth_Element maybe you are

The stores themselves may not be what they once were, but the memories they hold for some of us are priceless.

@AcesHigh Funny you mention the Sega CD because Toys R Us is where I bought mine from!

I had actually read the rumors about Toys R Us getting ready to file bankruptcy about 1-2 weeks ago. They had been meeting with legal advice back then which normally means one thing. Along with suppliers asking for cash guarantees in holiday shipments the writing was on the wall.

So I took my family in to shop. Store is about 30 minutes away so we don't go all the time. Kids were able to pick up Splatoon gear (ink/slime guns, splat balls that look like squids, and some amiibos). Best you store to shop at. I used my $5 off reward and it offset the mark up on some items. I can afford to pay an extra few bucks here and there to keep an amazing store open. My kids are going to be sad when they have to look at a website to see if they want a toy or not. It will also be sad when that item is more expensive than even TRU because no competition is driving the prices down.

If online shopping is 'the future' as people say, then heck, you might as well close down all the malls and stores. Heck, down with banks too since you can do all your banking online. Replace all those 'outdated stores' with parks.

I don't really like shopping online, unless it's things like books and games. I can't try on clothing to see if they fit if I buy online, and I can't see items up close to see what the quality is (electronics, statues, etc) and test them out before deciding if I want it or not. The item being shipped to me could get lost/stolen, battered or destroyed en route to me. In some stores like Amazon, shipping costs are outrageous, and could potentially end up costing more than your items. I'd have to spend more than what I want in order to get free shipping, and that's only if the store actually offers free shipping. Shopping online has its cons, whereas with physical stores you can return items easily and can actually see and touch whatever it is you're buying.

There's always a place for stores.

I'm Canadian by the way.

@TheAceofMystery More evidence of Gamestop's sliminess.

Some GameStops Refuse To Sell Switches Without Bundles, But GameStop Says That Shouldn't Happen

https://kotaku.com/some-gamestops-are-refusing-to-sell-switches-without-bu-1818660366

@sdelfin Bain owns most of the big retail chains and their strategy is to fund them using credit that the government will pay off after filing for bankruptcy. It's actually a strategic decision that tax laws currently allow. Sears,kb and many other retailers that have been around for years have been ran into the ground using the same tactics since the mid 90s. Low wages, and nonexistent health insurance plans are also symptoms of the strategy, both of which are funded by credit paid for by the government. Sadly, greed is the American way, but lobbyists ensure that the practice continues behind close doors. The biggest lie is that the democrats or republicans would ever fix the problem contrary to their promises. Lobbyists provides the funds and money will always win the vote.