Author Topic: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)  (Read 104129 times)

Offline MetalJedi

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 3814
  • The Risk Always Lives
    • View Profile
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #15 on: January 8, 2006, 01:28 AM »
I remember my dream now.

Offline CorranHorn

  • Jedi Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 2101
  • I can't think of anything witty to say...
    • View Profile
    • The Power Of The Customizer
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #16 on: January 8, 2006, 01:34 AM »
Here's a link to the ones closing in Chicago.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0601070108jan07,1,6691250.story?coll=chi-business-hed

D'oh you beat me to it, I just found this link and was about to post it.  :P At least the TRU I was talking about in my earlier post isn't closing, though I hit the one in Arlington Heights once in a great while.
Jason F.

- FFURG Admin
- Vintage Needs: Micro Collection Snowspeeder box and pilots, Micro Collection X-Wing pilot

Offline MetalJedi

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 3814
  • The Risk Always Lives
    • View Profile
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #17 on: January 8, 2006, 01:38 AM »
Im really surprised that there are none listed for Southern California besides the Mira Mesa location.
I remember my dream now.

Offline Morgbug

  • Old
  • Jedi Guardian
  • *
  • Posts: 16232
  • mmm. pemmican.
    • View Profile
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #18 on: January 8, 2006, 01:38 AM »
Losing TRU up here in Canuckia would be a bigger problem than even a year ago.  With Wal-Mart dabbling in the crap/generic toys more and more and refusing to carry SW reliably in Canada, all we're left with is Zellers and TRU.  Zellers (ie. K-Mart) isn't normally a strong carrier of Star Wars, but did surprisingly well during ROTS.  But with no movie to drive the line, TRU is definitely the primary source for Star Wars now.  Without TRU, we'd be in BIG trouble.

A very salient point Jesse.  Walmart up here for ROTS was deplorable.  I managed to score pretty well there but only by blind, stupid luck (read that as being stupid enough to be in stores 3-5 times a week checking).  Realistically though I'm in a town with six Walmarts.  They brought in shipments of ROTS toys precisely three times:
1. four weeks after the general release of toys and sales at TRU and other retailers were subsequently spectacular with an overall higher price ($8.97-9.99 versus Wally's $7.93)

2.  About a month after the green commander, shock trooper etc showed up stateside, they arrived here.  Again, a sizable shipment that was gone within days

3. a small stocking of the late 40's to 56 of ROTS figs, about three cases per store

TRU kicked ass up here for ROTS this year and if we lose those stores, screw collecting toys anymore because it will all be online etailers or ebay from that point on. :-\
Minivans: a sign of the apocalypse.

Offline Darth Slothus

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 3401
    • View Profile
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #19 on: January 8, 2006, 03:46 AM »
I'm glad they're closing.Their employees, managers hopelessly suck. They have figs in the back(caught them lying MANY times-just had to ask the RIGHT person to get me what I wanted) but refuse to get them when asked- what, they don't want to make money off me today? What really sucks is when the manager does this and you catch the bastard in a lie.

I hope the whole chain closes so I don't have to shop there for exclusives this year-and..I really want a particular manager to lose his job-he did nothing to help his store afterall.

I recognize the 2 northern cally stores..shopped in those- Was born in fairfield and vallejo is the city next door in the same county. They can BURN now--good riddance

Damn, I wish my lancaster store was killing too-but only if the whole chain goes!

Offline iFett

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 11402
  • wabbit hunter
    • View Profile
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #20 on: January 8, 2006, 07:03 AM »
Why would they want to close the Woodbury MN store???  Haven't been there in awhile, but they always "seemed" busy..
Learn new skills at home that some consider to be.....unnatural.  Easy repayment terms.  555-PLPTN

Offline Mikey D

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 3440
  • Lost soul
    • View Profile
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #21 on: January 8, 2006, 10:12 AM »
Just read a bunch more TRU's are closing

Dorchester, MA
Cambridge, MA
Medford, MA


Really suprised on the Dorchester one.  That's the closest one to Boston and figured enough volume went through that store to keep it afloat.  Although a Target opening up right across the parking lot probably cut into that a little.

Medford was my local TRU for awhile.  For the most part, they sucked, although I did get lucky there every once in awhile.  Cambridge was pretty much the same way.

Be interested to see what stores are going to take their place.  Except for Dorchester, none of these locations are equipped to handle a Target or Walmart without some major infrastructure work.   Hell, a Ames store that went out of business two plus years ago is still sitting vacant in the same strip mall as the Medford location.  I'd expect Medford to be the same way.
Common sense isn't so common

Offline Victor_Von_Doom

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 410
  • Curse Richards
    • View Profile
    • Wampa's Cave
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #22 on: January 8, 2006, 10:34 AM »
I used to love TRU. But last week an employee blatantly lied to me, and now I could care less if the store in my area goes belly up.

Here's what happened: I was looking through the figure aisle with my brothers and mom a few days ago. My brothers were looking for things to get me for my birthday. We spotted 2 racks of McFarlane Military figures, and the tags on the pegs said that they used to be $10.99 but were on clearance for $1.98. My brothers grabbed one of each figure and headed to the checkout. However once we got there they said that it was a mistake (even though it was on two different pegs  ::) ) and that they shouldn't be that low in price. I was still in the figure aisle while my family was buying these, and all of a sudden I see a TRU manager hauling ass toward the figures. The employee didn't know I was with the people at the checkout, so I watched the employee because I had a feeling they were going to do something shady. Sure enough, the employee gets to the rack, looks around with a "oh crap we screwed up" look on her face, then grabs all the remaining figures off the pegs and just sets them in a pile to the side. So I go to the checkout to see whats going on, and the employee that moved the figures goes back and says that when she went back there, there were no figures on the pegs so she couldn't verify it. So they tried getting out of their mistake by cheating a customer. Then they started saying that it could just be a customer that moved the figures onto the pegs, even though it said McFarlane Soldiers in big words. I asked them if these figures weren't the ones that were on sale, which were then? They tried making something up about mini McFarlane military figures (which they don't make). We got fed up with the lies and left.

So basically what the manager was telling me, was that even if the figures were on the pegs, they can't verify if thats the real price.

 ::)  >:(
WTB Autographs and loose vintage, PM me!
"The Dude abides" - The Big Lebowski

Offline Lady Jaye

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 445
    • View Profile
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #23 on: January 8, 2006, 04:02 PM »
Scott, where'd you hear this? Obviously there are several TRU's in Chicago, but I'm fearful this could be referencing my childhood TRU. My dad used to take me there all the time as a kid, I remember picking up an ROTJ Skiff Lando there, the ARAH Tomax/Xamot set, and finding vintage mini-rigs on clearance in 89. Then going to the high school just down the street, stopping in on my lunch period to play the demo video game stations, sigh.. such a long time ago.

Sigh, the TRU that I grew up going to closed a couple of years. :'( Its the TRU I used to get most of my GI JOE's at, where I got a couple of my Transformers, what MASK I did pick up, most of my TMNT, Star Trek, and finally getting me back into Star Wars in 95. There are still two others, but it's not the same!

Oh and who here used to go to the "guest appearances" of the stars. I remember going to see He Man, Skeletor, Strawberry Shotcake and a couple of others!! Good times!!!
"I off one fat Angelino and you throw a hissy fit."
-Vincent

Offline Jeff

  • Administrator
  • Jedi Elder
  • *
  • Posts: 26320
  • Leave me where I lie
    • View Profile
    • www.JediDefender.com
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #24 on: January 8, 2006, 05:56 PM »
Why would they want to close the Woodbury MN store???  Haven't been there in awhile, but they always "seemed" busy..

Probably because they have the WORST customer service of any store I've EVER been to...  :P

I have so many "exclusive stuff leaked out the back door" stories about that place.  I witnessed a guy paying a stockboy $20 to get stuff early (Silver R2, Silver Clone) and my complaints and letters to the manager/regional manager basically went unanswered.

I won't miss that crappy place one bit.  Good riddance!
Editor-in-Chief  - www.JediDefender.com
On Twitter?  Follow JediDefender -> @jedidefender

Offline Scott

  • Staff Member
  • Jedi Guardian
  • *
  • Posts: 18704
  • Get Some
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #25 on: January 8, 2006, 06:05 PM »


We'll always have April 3, 2005 :-*

Offline JesseVader08

  • Retired Staff Member
  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 10862
    • View Profile
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #26 on: January 8, 2006, 06:18 PM »
That picture always disturbs me.   (where's the crying in fear of the flashing guy smilie?)

Offline Diddly

  • Jedi Master
  • *
  • Posts: 6359
  • SECede
    • View Profile
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #27 on: January 8, 2006, 06:43 PM »
I thought ROTS toys were released on April 2nd... :-*

Anyway, looks like none of the TRUs in Texas are closing. They should go ahead and do away with them though, they never have anything good.
http://diddlyscoop.blogspot.com
Twitter: @travis_banks

Offline Morgbug

  • Old
  • Jedi Guardian
  • *
  • Posts: 16232
  • mmm. pemmican.
    • View Profile
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #28 on: January 8, 2006, 07:36 PM »

I have so many "exclusive stuff leaked out the back door" stories about that place.  I witnessed a guy paying a stockboy $20 to get stuff early (Silver R2, Silver Clone) and my complaints and letters to the manager/regional manager basically went unanswered.


Yeah, I've those same stories as well, mostly dealing with McFarlane stuff (I missed out a 49ers Rice on that premise) and being lied to as well, but we remain short of retailers.  If Walmart steps up and gives a crap then fine, I can live without it.  But Walmart has sucked for the better part of four years. 

And I refuse to be manipulated by them.  If they have no toys in stock, I'm not buying anything else either.  I'll pay more for stuff at a retailer that carries toys I want on a regular basis.  If I find a Star Wars or other toy that I can buy, sure, bring home some TP, cereal and whatever else tickles my fancy.  Nothing else?  See ya, I'm off to the big Z.
Minivans: a sign of the apocalypse.

Offline Dimetrodon

  • Jedi Padawan
  • *
  • Posts: 657
  • Gort
    • View Profile
Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #29 on: January 10, 2006, 04:03 AM »