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Discussion Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: cadence4u on February 11, 2019, 09:09:42 pm
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Toys R Us could be making a comeback as former executive plans a new venture by the holiday season
*Toys R Us is planning to re-emerge by the 2019 holiday season
* A former Toys R Us executive is now CEO of a company called Tru Kids Brand
*He and his team are exploring options of freestanding stores and e-commerce
*Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and liquidated its businesses last year
Toys R Us fans in the US should see the iconic brand re-emerge in some form by this holiday season.
Richard Barry, a former Toys R Us executive and now CEO of the new company called Tru Kids Brands, told The Associated Press he and his team are still working on the details, but they're exploring various options including freestanding stores and shops within existing stores.
He says that e-commerce will play a key role.
Toys R Us, buckling under competition from Amazon and several billions of dollars of debt, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in September 2017 and then liquidated its businesses last year in the U.S. as well as several other regions including the United Kingdom.
In October, a group of investors won an auction for Toys R Us assets, believing they would do better by potentially reviving the toy chain, rather than selling it off for parts.
Starting January 20, Barry and several other former Toys R Us executives founded Tru Kids and are now managing the Toys R Us, Babies R Us and Geoffrey brands.
Toys R Us generated $3 billion in global retail sales in 2018.
Tru Kids estimates that 40 percent to 50 percent of Toys R Us market share is still up for grabs despite many retailers like Walmart and Target expanding their toy aisles.
'These brands are beloved by customers,' said Barry.
He noted that the company will focus on experiences in the physical stores, which could be about 10,000 square feet.
The original Toys R Us stores were roughly about 40,000 square feet.
Barry said he and his team have been reaching out to toy makers and have received strong support.
But he acknowledged that many had been burned by the Toys R Us liquidation.
Tru Kids, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, about a 20 minute drive from Wayne, New Jersey, where Toys R Us was based, will work with licensing partners to open 70 stores this year in Asia, India and Europe. Outside the U.S., Toys R Us continues to operate about 800 stores. :in-love:
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They closed many of their stores down. We will wait and see if they do make a comeback.
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Would love to see this. Went to Walmart the other day for birthday gift for a 3 year old and I don't think they restock the shelves from Christmas. Had a hard time finding that was age appropriate.
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:binkybaby:
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I would love to see a e store to order on line for the kids gifts.
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Would love to see them come back. Bought a lot from them
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They closed many of their stores down. We will wait and see if they do make a comeback.
They closed ALL of their stores down.
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I think we are going to see more and more of only being able to get things online. That is fine if you have somebody at your home all the time that can receive your packages. I would about rather do that anyway.
More and more companies are moving toward automation and need less and less people to do jobs. It is good for the company I guess but bad for people who need an income.
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I hope Toys R Us comes back soon with a new look and different marketing strategies.
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I heard of this. I also heard they might change to name to something along the lines of Geoffrey's Toy House or something like that.
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I hope they are able to come back. it was a great store. They mentioned a larger online presence which is ok too.
wait and see. hope for the best. :rainbow: :peace: :wave:
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they closed the one here...dont see them coming back here..unless they find a different location...they were too close to walmart..
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I've never shopped there and have no little tots anymore
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I read the chain was going to be within a store. I heard on the news that if they have their own building, it will be a small area called a toy shop. lol ok that will be cool.
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I will look forward to this. I had many happy hours taking little family members shopping at ToysRUs.
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hope it works. they closed ours in dedham ma. would be cool to reopen the one they closed there.
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To be honest I probably only went into a Toys-R-Us store once or twice years ago. A lot of people raved abput them but I never cared about them either way.
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Yes, I heard. My grand children will be so happy. I wish them all the luck.
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How interesting, They always seemed to have everything I wanted for my kids and grandkids. But I always thought they were a little expensive, especially compared to Amazon.
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It just is not the same anymore even if they do make a comeback I doubt it will last any longer then it already has.
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would definitely be an interesting story
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:heart: :in-love: :kiss: :heart: I would love to see Toys R Us again! They surely had the best board game selection. Most older board games with newer ones. Plus the variety of other toys that ranged from younger to older age range. Just miss that store. :heart: :in-love: :kiss: :heart:
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My kids loved Toys R Us. Maybe they can make a comeback.
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I saw something about Tots R Us making a comeback. I hope they have more affordable and different toys that Walmart and everywhere else doesn't have or there is no point.
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I saw something about Tots R Us making a comeback. I hope they have more affordable and different toys that Walmart and everywhere else doesn't have or there is no point.
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I hope they come back. But if it's under another name---it's not REALLY Toys R Us anymore, is it?
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I heard they are trying to make a comeback but not sure if they will build stores in the US though.
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I miss Toys R U. Growing up in the 80's all my toys came from there and it was a part of my childhood gone when they closed down. To be honest I don't know if I would be loyal to Tru Kids since it is not Toys R Us. And frankly it made sense when they did close down. Not that it was time to go but in shopping for toys for my niece I found Toys R Us never held competitive prices. I could find the same exact toys, cards, board games a lot cheaper in places like Walmart or Target, or even on-line for a lot less. The only real things I ever bought there towards the end were exclusive to their store. If they come back under another name, it's really not them, in my opinion, and the only way I would venture in is if they sold at the prices of Target or Walmart. They really only made money because when they came out they were the only game in town. With so many other stores now that sell toys, they couldn't keep up. I would want nothing more than to see my old toy store back but not at the prices they used to hold.
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Would be nice, will wait and see.