The end of an era. The Toys Я Us company is bankrupt and going out of business. Many stores have already closed. Those remaining are in clearance mode, reduced prices and all sales final.
It's sad because I don't know of any toys only stores that are still in business. They have been run out of business by the big box discount stores like Walmart and Target and by the online retailers like Amazon. Of course, Toys Я Us a few years earlier contributed to the demise of the independent and smaller toy store chains. Remember K·B Toys in the malls? There were others too. Way back when I was a kid, I remember my Mom taking me to the F.A.O. Schwarz store in Manhatten, a magical place.
Over the years, I spent a lot of time at Toys Я Us. There were several kids spread over several years. Of course, there were the birthday and Christmas visits. There were also the occasional visits for no particular reason with the kids. Those were actually the most fun. No holiday crowds, no pressure to get the hot toy of the season, just a stroll through a giant toy store with a kid or two. The only pressure was to limit the damage to the bank account. It's tough to limit the kids to that preset limit of one toy or a specific dollar amount. You know the scenario. You set a $20 limit and they find the perfect $18 toy. Then they can't find anything for $2 so you give in and get the $8 gotta have toy. Adjust those amounts for inflation if you or your kids are younger than me or mine.
I remember a couple of Christmas Eves when I was trying to find that last minute gift or fill the stockings. The stores looked like a tornado had hit. Empty shelves, toys in the aisles, long checkout lines, and very frazzled shoppers and employees. One year I was in the local Toys Я Us late on a December 24th. It was part of my yearly procrastination plan at the time. The store was a wreck and of course, there were none of the hot toys to be found. I had a few minor toys in my cart when an announcement came over the PA. They had just gotten in a small shipment of one of the popular toys. We were instructed to go to a specific location in the store in 10 minutes. Luckily, it was so late that there weren't that many customers in the store. I followed the instructions and was able to score one of the toys. I'll be honest, I don't remember exactly what it was. It was something to do with video games. The toy was a hit Christmas morning but I think it was mostly forgotten in a few weeks. Typical toy lifespan.
Look, buying toys on Amazon is probably cheaper and more convenient. They get delivered right to your door. Walmart and Target are cheap too plus you can also get some bread, milk, a gun, shampoo, and underwear at the same time.
Another impact of the Toys Я Us demise will be the hundreds of big box stores that will now be vacant. A double hit in some locations if there was also a Babies Я Us store. I don't know about where you live, but we don't need any additional empty storefronts here. There is also the loss of local taxes on sales and the real estate and the loss of jobs.
What we should mourn is that the next generation of kids won't get to wander the aisles of a giant toy store. They won't get to feel that stuffed toy, try out that fire truck, ride a scooter down the aisles, or play the display video games. It's one less place for parents and more importantly grandparents to take the little ones to.
Who knows what will come next. Will someone come up with a new improved Toys Я Us to take their place? Do the current kids of the internet generation care?
wjh
