Playtime is Over ? Toys R Us USA Preparing for Complete Shutdown

[GotBot]

Originally Posted by Wheelwave

If Toysrus goes in Canada, that only leaves us with Walmart. How does that make everyone feel?

This is indeed sad news. Even if imperfect, TRU has been a childhood staple for generations of fans. Beyond that, it is just sad when any business ends up falling, never positive for any economy. I especially feel bad for employees losing their jobs. As a Canadian, I worry. A few years ago, Wal-Mart strangled Target into leaving with some smart and legit but slimy tactics. With them gone, we have a few small, useless chains, like Winners/Marshalls and Superatore that stock, periodically, outdated overstock from Wal-Mart and TRU and stuff like minicon deployers or 1 step changers. So, to find tf's or several other toy lines here, you really only have TRU and Wal-Mart, unless you go online and like paying for shipping lo, which is of course a valud option. If TRU goes, I fear Wal-Mart's monopoly. And, they are already charging 29.99 for those damned movie deluxes...Berserker is NOT close to being a 30 dollar plus tax quality toy. Give Wal-Mart a monopoly, they can charge what they want and there is no motivation to stock new waves with any speed or certainty. They will have no competition to keep them in check. Some say this is a chance for smaller chains, and it is, but I doubt any of them will take the risk with any great quantity, sadly. Winners used to be okay, but they virtually have nothing now until Christmas, and even then it isn't worth talking about. Here they had one case of Rid, one of those huge anniversary Primals that never sold and one Blitzwing and Octane. That was it. Anyone have better luck in their neck of the woods?

[Omegatron]

Uh Oh!

[Pascal]

Originally Posted by GotBot

If TRU goes, I fear Wal-Mart's monopoly. And, they are already charging 29.99 for those damned movie deluxes

Hasbro sets the MSRP, not the stores. Prices won't change unless Hasbro decides so.

[wervenom]

Originally Posted by GotBot

This is indeed sad news. Even if imperfect, TRU has been a childhood staple for generations of fans. Beyond that, it is just sad when any business ends up falling, never positive for any economy. I especially feel bad for employees losing their jobs. As a Canadian, I worry. A few years ago, Wal-Mart strangled Target into leaving with some smart and legit but slimy tactics. With them gone, we have a few small, useless chains, like Winners/Marshalls and Superatore that stock, periodically, outdated overstock from Wal-Mart and TRU and stuff like minicon deployers or 1 step changers. So, to find tf's or several other toy lines here, you really only have TRU and Wal-Mart, unless you go online and like paying for shipping lo, which is of course a valud option. If TRU goes, I fear Wal-Mart's monopoly. And, they are already charging 29.99 for those damned movie deluxes...Berserker is NOT close to being a 30 dollar plus tax quality toy. Give Wal-Mart a monopoly, they can charge what they want and there is no motivation to stock new waves with any speed or certainty. They will have no competition to keep them in check. Some say this is a chance for smaller chains, and it is, but I doubt any of them will take the risk with any great quantity, sadly. Winners used to be okay, but they virtually have nothing now until Christmas, and even then it isn't worth talking about. Here they had one case of Rid, one of those huge anniversary Primals that never sold and one Blitzwing and Octane. That was it. Anyone have better luck in their neck of the woods?

I agree with most of what you say except the Walmart vs Target aspect. Walmart did not force Target to fail, they did that all on their own and used a great deal of "slimy" tactics themselves when they opened. I'm not going to defend Walmart in any way but they welcomed Target here if only to watch them fail. Target was FAR too aggressive in how many stores they opened and made no attempt to duplicate the US based stores. For anyone who shops frequently at Target through cross-border shopping can easily identify the differences on how they presented themselves here vs the US. Now having said that, it is a shame what is happening to TRU for us as consumers but again with the business tactics that they themselves employed it's no small wonder that TRU has survived this long. Hopefully the Canadian division can find a way to turn this around as I do believe there is a huge difference with how they operate here vs US.

Edit: Based on the original point it looks as if I will start going the on-line route for my TF needs

[urfwc]

I hope to see them stick around, in part for the whole experience, I used to love going in there as a kid picking out my toys ..etc, it’s something I still remember and now with my very own kids, when I go into TRU it just lights them up, now take my kids into Walmart they don’t have that same glow, maybe just my experience but likewise for me. I still am a fan of the events they put on for the little ones, or the effort at least, Walmart could care less, IMO. I enjoy TRU, for the most part, but Walmart... run in run out.

I as well as most will go online if indeed they do close up here. I really hope they pull through though.

[MapleMegatron]

Toysrus was keeping prices in check with Walmart, hence why Walmart didnt get away with charging 35$ for a voyager when Combiner Wars first came out. So thats what worries me most about Toysrus leaving if that is the case.

I really hope they stick around

[mrluthor]

The proplem with ToysRUs in the USA is they branched out to big in other areas. It is sad that young children will not be able to go to toy stores like ToysRUs if they close. The ToyRUs stores need to be smaller in size to compete today and have stock for items. They should also do preorders for items and actually have enough stock. I think we will not see any Titan class figures after Predaking too. ToysRUs was the only store that sold big ticket items in Canada in store. Hopefully they can restructure some what before killing off all the stores because Walmart sucks. I will end up buying most of my toys from the States since I am in a border city since Walmart is hit or miss here.

[GotBot]

Originally Posted by Pascal

Hasbro sets the MSRP, not the stores. Prices won't change unless Hasbro decides so.

I hope you are right, but msrp is just that, suggested, they can sell at whatever price they like, and with no competition worth talking about....

Originally Posted by wervenom

I agree with most of what you say except the Walmart vs Target aspect. Walmart did not force Target to fail, they did that all on their own and used a great deal of "slimy" tactics themselves when they opened. I'm not going to defend Walmart in any way but they welcomed Target here if only to watch them fail. Target was FAR too aggressive in how many stores they opened and made no attempt to duplicate the US based stores. For anyone who shops frequently at Target through cross-border shopping can easily identify the differences on how they presented themselves here vs the US. Now having said that, it is a shame what is happening to TRU for us as consumers but again with the business tactics that they themselves employed it's no small wonder that TRU has survived this long. Hopefully the Canadian division can find a way to turn this around as I do believe there is a huge difference with how they operate here vs US.

Edit: Based on the original point it looks as if I will start going the on-line route for my TF needs

Maybe there, Target did make mistakes, I don't know. However, speaking only for here, they were an up and up alternative with the exact same prices as Wal-Mart, wayyy better sales and a nicer shopping experience. But, I did specifically see Wal-Mart here offer free shipping with no minimum purchase needed, as did TRU, they "rolled back" virtually everything and even re-opened a smaller unnecessary store in a location that they had specifically moved out of not 4 years earlier because word was Target was going to open a second location at that former zellers building and Wal-Mart was having none of it. BUT that all said, you are totally right in that Target opened too many stores off the bat, had the red card fiasco and, here anyway, was slow to work out proper distribution channels until it was too late. Would have been nice to see them scale back rather than pull out totally. Still, ours was one of the few in the country making a profit and while it was here I never personally darkened Wal-Mart's doors. I also completely agree with every word you said about TRU.

Originally Posted by MapleMegatron

Toysrus was keeping prices in check with Walmart, hence why Walmart didnt get away with charging 35$ for a voyager when Combiner Wars first came out. So thats what worries me most about Toysrus leaving if that is the case.

I really hope they stick around

THIS!

Originally Posted by mrluthor

The proplem with ToysRUs in the USA is they branched out to big in other areas. It is sad that young children will not be able to go to toy stores like ToysRUs if they close. The ToyRUs stores need to be smaller in size to compete today and have stock for items. They should also do preorders for items and actually have enough stock. I think we will not see any Titan class figures after Predaking too. ToysRUs was the only store that sold big ticket items in Canada in store. Hopefully they can restructure some what before killing off all the stores because Walmart sucks. I will end up buying most of my toys from the States since I am in a border city since Walmart is hit or miss here.

Good point about the titans. I never even thought of that. You are also lucky to be able to cross the boarder, many of us are simply not able to do that, which makes an alternative to Wal-Mart all the more necessary.

[Sun Swipe Prime]

If TRU goes, looks like my paypal account will be getting a work out. Luckily, there are some local small shops around that may be able to take up some of the slack for the collectors, but they're in no position to be offering 25% off every few months or so.

Honestly, it'll suck if TRU goes away. There's nothing like being able to hold something in your hand and scrutinizing it before purchase. I think I've found gems and avoided duds countless times because I've seen something in person.

[wervenom]

Originally Posted by Sun Swipe Prime

Honestly, it'll suck if TRU goes away. There's nothing like being able to hold something in your hand and scrutinizing it before purchase. I think I've found gems and avoided duds countless times because I've seen something in person.

Agreed