Author Topic: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)  (Read 103972 times)

Offline tonphanan

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #45 on: May 29, 2009, 07:32 PM »
Acquring FAO will only help sink the company into further debt. The high end/ high price exclusives that FAO is know for selling will be too much for R US company to handle. I don't know about other stores, but my store seems to rearrage the aisles every four months, but gets NO new products. I can't even remember the las thing I even bought from the store. Good bye R US and FAO, Christmas is the only thing to keep them afloat.
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Offline efranks

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #46 on: May 29, 2009, 08:18 PM »
Well, I've tried to look at the published financial stuff for TRU but that's out of my wheelhouse, I never was good at accounting.  But, they've been on a buying spree so it seems odd to me that they would do that if they were in such bad shape that they were on the brink of going out of business.

They're buying FAO and they just bought eToys.com which included babyuniverse.com and ePregnancy.com.  Historically one of their more profitable areas has been Babies-R-Us so bu.com and ep.com fit in with that.  They must be making money somewhere.

And I have to tell you, I've never understood collectors rooting for a company to go out of business just because they don't carry the stuff you want to buy or they charge a higher price than WM or Target or [insert favorite retailer here]. 

I rarely go into K-Mart because they almost never have what I'm looking for and when they do, it costs a $1 or $2 more than WM and Target.  But I don't look at the store as I pass it on the way to WM, cursing them under my breath and hoping for them to go bankrupt because they offend me.  I still can't get over the joyous postings on vaRiouS forums when KB went under.

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Offline Phrubruh

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #47 on: May 30, 2009, 12:23 PM »
Where else but K-mart would I find a prego Padme on ROTS card? Of course, there is always Rite-Aid for a freeze frame 8-D8 for $12.
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Offline Brian

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #48 on: September 9, 2009, 03:07 PM »
Sort of related...I just noticed this article on Yahoo, which mentions Wal-Mart's new "Project Impact" - where one of the goals is to apparently drive TRU out of business.  The article discusses a lot more about Wal-mart's new strategy (less clutter, friendlier employees, etc.) - but I just thought I'd pass this along.

Although TRU is far from perfect, and usually the most expensive retailer, I have to say that I'd be sad to see our local store go.  I grew up in a small town, but a trip to the "city" that brought with it a stop at TRU was almost like a vacation when I was a kid.  Although the world is certainly a much different place now, and kids don't seem to appreciate "little things" like that as much anymore, I sort of like having a TRU to take our daughter to.  Every time we go there it is like we're taking her to an amusement park, just getting to look at a whole store full of toys (and most times we don't even walk out with anything).  Anyways, just wanted to pass the story along.

Offline Jayson

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #49 on: September 9, 2009, 03:10 PM »
I read that as well and despite WM new efforts, I'll believe "less clutter and friendlier employees" when I see it.  :D
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Offline Brian

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #50 on: September 9, 2009, 03:14 PM »
I read that as well and despite WM new efforts, I'll believe "less clutter and friendlier employees" when I see it.  :D

Yeah, the employees has always been a pretty big problem at our store, and I can't say I've seen that change at all (not to mention a lot of the customers there too).  I will say though that our store used to look like a tornado hit it, and since the redesign it is pretty easy to get around in - and, at least so far, things have been pretty organized as well.  We've got the smaller toy section now, but they still seem to carry all the lines I care about (and finally have the DCUC figures for the first time), and a nicely sized SW section.  My only concern is all the SW exclusives this fall/winter.  That said, I still try to avoid going there whenever possible :).

Offline iFett

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #51 on: September 9, 2009, 04:01 PM »
I read that as well and despite WM new efforts, I'll believe "less clutter and friendlier employees" when I see it.  :D

I've seen the less clutter - as in NOTHING in any of the main aisles and most of the aisle headers have shrunk back (VH WM).  I really don't like it because well, I guess I'm just used to seeing crap everywhere.  Now it's like a full on skating rink around the store.

Anywhoo - I never even had the pleasure of visiting a TRU as a kid.  First time was in 99ish or so when Ep1 came out just to check the new stuff out.  I had toys as a kid, but TRU was off limits for some reason so I never got to see those massive aisles of Transformers and Joes back in the day.

KB kinda sucked, but it was nice stopping in every once in awhile to check out.  I'd feel the same way if TRU closed I guess so no biggie. They've already closed maybe half the TRUs out here so there's really only 1 now that I can stop at and that's maybe once every few weeks or so.
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Offline Sugart

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #52 on: September 9, 2009, 05:05 PM »
We already have a place with "less clutter and friendlier employees". Its called Target.

Offline JediMoses

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #53 on: September 10, 2009, 01:46 AM »
WM's new strategy is interesting if thy are trying to drive a company out of business with a lot less product, a crappy distribution system and horrible employees.  I dont; shop often at TRU due to distance and the prevalence of Target, but WM is a last resort for me.  And I am giving up hope on finding new things.

Offline efranks

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #54 on: September 10, 2009, 11:27 AM »
I read this article last night and the one thing that seems at odds with WM's plan to drive TRU out of business is that WM has been shrinking their toy aisles.  How can you run a toy store out of business if you don't carry what that store does?

I think I've posted in other threads here that my local WM never carried any of the Star Trek or Terminator movie figures and they stocked the GI Joe stuff a week after the movie opened and hadn't had any Joe stuff since the first of the year.

I stop in WM maybe once a week, sometimes less, and only shop there when I'm after something I can't get at Target.  Mostly that means SW exclusives or once in a while if they have a good sale on something, but since that's not very often, I don't bother with them.

I'd rather drive close to 2 hours round trip to visit TRU and a second Target than go to WM just down the street.  And these new Impact stores aren't all that great anyway, the ones I've been in have been just as much of a wreck as any WM store I've been in.

As for service, WM can have all the stuff they want, have the friendliest employees, best laid out store they can design, but if I can't check out in a timely manner I'm not going to shop there.  WM is the only store where I've ever left merchandise behind and walked out because the checkout lanes were ridiculous.  And it wasn't holiday shopping season, we're talking mid-week in July.  I've walked out of multiple WM stores because of this.  I've never done that at Target, TRU or any other store I shop at, but when a store that has 30+ checkout lanes and only 10 or fewer are open, and there are lines 15 people deep, **** it, I'm not waiting.

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Offline Dressel Rebel

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #55 on: September 10, 2009, 11:59 AM »

I'd rather drive close to 2 hours round trip to visit TRU and a second Target than go to WM just down the street. 


But you've got to realize that whatever you end up buying is probably costing you $10-15 more (depending on your gas mileage).

If your Walmarts are really that big of a wreck (and I've seen some that are really bad), then it might be worth it.
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Offline jedi_master_sal

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #56 on: September 10, 2009, 12:30 PM »
Fact is we NEED to have TRU in business. For one it helps keep Wal*Mart in check. They would have to stay competitive. Imagine WM being the only game in town for mass retail toys? With them shrinking the toy section in most stores, stuff will be even harder to come by. Their distribution is spotty at best.

Also, do we really need to see WM have even more leverage against yet another manufacturer? Do we really want WM telling Hasbro "you can make this but not that" even when it's already gone through the approval stage with Hasbro to LFL. (I paraphrased that from efranks response to my post in our state collecting group's e-mail list.)

I, just as other here have stated happen to like to walk into a store devoted to toys. I feel like a kid in a candy store or a kid in a TOY STORE....lol.

I just don't get the same service at WM as I do TRU. TRU wants to sell you toys. It's their business. WM and other big chains like Target use toys as a means to draw people in for other purchases whether those purchases are intended by the consumer or not. Think how often you may have gone to WM or Target looking for toys and came out with something else (and maybe even no toys at all). Then consider the times that happened, you got home, then questioned your purchase. This is how the big box multilevel stores work. While Target has a bit more of a niche for better clothes than Wal*Mart, they are very similar. (Oh and if you read the article, you'll see WM is going after Target too.) Imagine if that happens also...

We need TRU folks, slightly higher prices or not. Even if you don't shop there yourself, having another choice to go to is ALWAYS a better option than the potential monopoly WM is becoming.
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Offline efranks

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #57 on: September 10, 2009, 03:15 PM »

I'd rather drive close to 2 hours round trip to visit TRU and a second Target than go to WM just down the street. 


But you've got to realize that whatever you end up buying is probably costing you $10-15 more (depending on your gas mileage).

If your Walmarts are really that big of a wreck (and I've seen some that are really bad), then it might be worth it.

Obviously.  But I don't make that trip every day, or even every week.  Sometimes once a month I make a Saturday out of it and I do end up at WM, but the trip is specifically for TRU and Target.  And, yes, I'd rather spend an extra $5-$10 in gas to make that trip to buy from those two stores than to spend money at Walmart.

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Offline Brian

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #58 on: September 10, 2009, 03:28 PM »
I will say, regarding prices, with the recent price hikes for toy lines across the board, TRU (at least our store) isn't all that out of line anymore.  It used to be much worse around 5 years ago, but now I think SW figures are $7.99 at TRU, $7.49 at Target, and $7.54 or so at Wal-Mart.  I think stuff like G.I. Joe and DCUC is actually the cheapest at TRU currently, at least here locally.

We've also been fortunate where the TRU employees here are always friendly and helpful, at least from our experience.  Like I said, we usually just go in there to look around for the most part, and they are still more than willing to help us find anything we're looking for.

I also worry about WM becoming the "only game in town".  Our local store has improved quite a bit, although I do worry about exclusives.  Plus, like it was mentioned, it wouldn't be great to see them have even more "pull" with toy makers.  Heck, I think they arguably have some of the best exclusives already this year for Star Wars (AT-ST, Dewback, Octuparra Droid, Evolutions, Comic Packs, etc.) compared to the others (Target/TRU).  A lot more "all new" stuff, compared with mostly repaints at other retailers.

Offline DoctorPadawan

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Re: Toys R Us (Or: Die, Dinosaur, Die!)
« Reply #59 on: September 11, 2009, 07:27 PM »
How does Wal-Mart plan on getting "friendlier employees?"  Are they going to force them to undergo Emergency Squiggley Dance brainwashing sessions until their will to be lazy dicks is driven from them completely, along with the will to live?

As for the "less clutter", it was once explained to me that the reason WM's aisles were so much closer together than other retailers (Target, TRU, etc) was so when the behemoths were standing in the middle of an aisle blocking access, you'd have to go to the next aisle over and come up the other side of the previous aisle, which would expose you to more products and hopefully increase impulse purchases.  Same deal with the main aisle obstructing kiosk things; the more obstacles you have, the more likely you are to choose an alternate route to your desired location, and the more likely you are to see something else you don't need that you wind up buying.

Long live Toys R Us!