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Toys R Us
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banzait...@gmail.com
Apr 5, 2014, 10:33:10 AM4/5/14
to
ATT,
This should hardly come as a surprise, but TRU is in bad financial shape (see link below). I personally have an extremely low opinion of TRU. Their website sucks, their coupons are often a total scam (too many complicated restrictions), but most of all, their inventory is often months/multiple quarters behind the wal-marts and targets. They do only 1 thing, which is often the best strategy. However, the one thing they do (sell toys), they are hands down the worst at.
My prediction is they will be second in line of the big box chains to go bankrupt, right behind Best Buy.
http://nypost.com/2014/03/26/toys-r-us-suffers-1b-loss-sets-revamp-plans/
-Banzaitron
This should hardly come as a surprise, but TRU is in bad financial shape (see link below). I personally have an extremely low opinion of TRU. Their website sucks, their coupons are often a total scam (too many complicated restrictions), but most of all, their inventory is often months/multiple quarters behind the wal-marts and targets. They do only 1 thing, which is often the best strategy. However, the one thing they do (sell toys), they are hands down the worst at.
My prediction is they will be second in line of the big box chains to go bankrupt, right behind Best Buy.
http://nypost.com/2014/03/26/toys-r-us-suffers-1b-loss-sets-revamp-plans/
-Banzaitron
Zobovor
Apr 5, 2014, 10:48:41 AM4/5/14
to
On Saturday, April 5, 2014 8:33:10 AM UTC-6, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:
> This should hardly come as a surprise, but TRU is in bad financial shape
>(see link below).
I think it's hilarious how they're citing issues like a decline in birth rates or the advent of tablets as a problem. (If the birth rates have been so low, then there can't be *that* many kids playing on tablets, can there?)
> This should hardly come as a surprise, but TRU is in bad financial shape
>(see link below).
I have more to say about this, but it's gonna have to wait. Got to go to work.
Zob
Travoltron
Apr 5, 2014, 3:51:01 PM4/5/14
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I used to love TRU a LONG time ago before they added that star to their
logo.
If birthrates are low, they could try catering a bit more to the adults
that grew up with TRU and still collect toys.
BTW, somebody please post here if the GI Joe Kre-O ever goes on sale or
clearance. I'd like to get Kreon Destro and the Baroness, but not for $80.
logo.
If birthrates are low, they could try catering a bit more to the adults
that grew up with TRU and still collect toys.
BTW, somebody please post here if the GI Joe Kre-O ever goes on sale or
clearance. I'd like to get Kreon Destro and the Baroness, but not for $80.
Neo Thunder
Apr 5, 2014, 6:30:50 PM4/5/14
to
The Canadian stores are decent/good. They're often the only store with
some new stuff (like the Generations Dreadwing/Waspinator/Skids wave
here). My only complaint is that they don't often all have new stock at
the same time (that is, the north side store has nothing interesting at
the moment while the west and south stores do).
t.k.
some new stuff (like the Generations Dreadwing/Waspinator/Skids wave
here). My only complaint is that they don't often all have new stock at
the same time (that is, the north side store has nothing interesting at
the moment while the west and south stores do).
t.k.
Cornholio
Apr 6, 2014, 9:14:35 AM4/6/14
to
seems like a winning strategy in our modern era. If TRU goes out of
business maybe we'll get lucky and Hasbro will start doing MP exclusive
at Amazon instead in large quantities so it's easier for all the fans to
get them.
Cornholio
Apr 6, 2014, 9:14:52 AM4/6/14
to
On 4/5/2014 10:33 AM, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:
> ATT,
>
> This should hardly come as a surprise, but TRU is in bad financial shape (see link below).
>
> This should hardly come as a surprise, but TRU is in bad financial shape (see link below).
Cornholio
Apr 6, 2014, 9:15:28 AM4/6/14
to
On 4/5/2014 10:33 AM, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:
> ATT,
>
> This should hardly come as a surprise, but TRU is in bad financial shape
>
> This should hardly come as a surprise, but TRU is in bad financial shape
Cornholio
Apr 6, 2014, 1:11:39 PM4/6/14
to
On 4/6/2014 9:14 AM, Cornholio wrote:
Sorry for the spamming but Thunderbird was giving me fits with this.
Sorry for the spamming but Thunderbird was giving me fits with this.
Zobovor
Apr 6, 2014, 3:35:15 PM4/6/14
to
On Saturday, April 5, 2014 1:51:01 PM UTC-6, Travoltron wrote:
> If birthrates are low, they could try catering a bit more to the adults
> that grew up with TRU and still collect toys.
The problem, I think, is that they need to reevaluate their sales model. They can't possibly expect to compete with Walmart at their own game, so the trick (you would think) is to carry all the stuff that Walmart doesn't. Walmart usually has lower prices, but they also have problems getting stuff in stock. In theory, Toys "R" Us should have a lot more buying power when it comes to toys (they have entire buildings to display toys instead of just one small department) but it seems like they're out of stuff just as often, or even more frequently, than Walmart.
> If birthrates are low, they could try catering a bit more to the adults
> that grew up with TRU and still collect toys.
They sure won't be the first toy store chain to go under. Kiddie City, Kay Bee, Child World...
Zob
banzait...@gmail.com
Apr 7, 2014, 9:36:06 PM4/7/14
to
> The problem, I think, is that they need to reevaluate their sales model. They can't possibly expect to compete with Walmart at their own game, so the trick (you would think) is to carry all the stuff that Walmart doesn't. Walmart usually has lower prices, but they also have problems getting stuff in stock. In theory, Toys "R" Us should have a lot more buying power when it comes to toys (they have entire buildings to display toys instead of just one small department) but it seems like they're out of stuff just as often, or even more frequently, than Walmart.
>
> They sure won't be the first toy store chain to go under. Kiddie City, Kay Bee, Child World...
>
That was just icing though. What I realized is that TRU's selection is truly over the top. Target & Walmart carry primarily only the toys that are virtually guaranteed to move fast (Barbie, Monster High, Lego, transformers??). TRU, on the other hand, had aisle after aisle of obscure toy lines that virtually nobody wants. I never really looked before in detail
banzait...@gmail.com
Apr 7, 2014, 9:47:16 PM4/7/14
to
ATT,
Sorry, hit post by accident. Here is the full thread:
I had an ULTRA rare hour to kill today, so I ducked into a Toys R Us to do some research on this topic. I may have stumbled upon a workable theory on why TRU is doomed. First, the parking lot was approximately 1/25 as full as the target across the street. (red flag #1).
That was just icing though. What I realized is that TRU's selection is truly over the top. Target & Walmart carry primarily only the toys that are virtually guaranteed to move fast (Barbie, Monster High, Lego, transformers??). TRU, on the other hand, had aisle after aisle of obscure toy lines that virtually nobody wants. I never really looked before in detail (usually, I find the transformer aisle, and then leave), but they have tons of crap. Mostly here today, gone tomorrow toys, FLOPS. There was end cap after end cap of clearance this and that's.
In summary, (and I am making up numbers here), 80% of their product sales occupies 30% of their floor space. Add to that the incredibly inconvenience of going to a TOY STORE (I am already buying beer and diapers at Target, the toy aisle for timmy's b-day party is only two aisles) over, and has all of the most popular offerings. I think it is a woefully outdated business model. Toy stores used to be a thing of beauty, now they are really a sad experience.
The typical big box strategy of the day is to just get smaller (ain't working for Best Buy). However, this would paradoxically remove them of their one competitive advantage (selection) that is also the primary reason they are going out of business.
It kinda pisses me off, but I guess this is just another example of the world turning (I am also equally disappointed in the recent demise of "the mall".) I will be very sad when TRU finally shudders. I suspect the name will survive (Maybe target will buy them out and have a TRU "aisle" or something like that).
-Banzaitron
Sorry, hit post by accident. Here is the full thread:
I had an ULTRA rare hour to kill today, so I ducked into a Toys R Us to do some research on this topic. I may have stumbled upon a workable theory on why TRU is doomed. First, the parking lot was approximately 1/25 as full as the target across the street. (red flag #1).
In summary, (and I am making up numbers here), 80% of their product sales occupies 30% of their floor space. Add to that the incredibly inconvenience of going to a TOY STORE (I am already buying beer and diapers at Target, the toy aisle for timmy's b-day party is only two aisles) over, and has all of the most popular offerings. I think it is a woefully outdated business model. Toy stores used to be a thing of beauty, now they are really a sad experience.
The typical big box strategy of the day is to just get smaller (ain't working for Best Buy). However, this would paradoxically remove them of their one competitive advantage (selection) that is also the primary reason they are going out of business.
It kinda pisses me off, but I guess this is just another example of the world turning (I am also equally disappointed in the recent demise of "the mall".) I will be very sad when TRU finally shudders. I suspect the name will survive (Maybe target will buy them out and have a TRU "aisle" or something like that).
-Banzaitron
Zobovor
Apr 8, 2014, 1:16:40 AM4/8/14
to
On Monday, April 7, 2014 7:47:16 PM UTC-6, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:
> It kinda pisses me off, but I guess this is just another example of the
> world turning (I am also equally disappointed in the recent demise of "the
> mall".)
Remember when you used to call a telephone number and order things from a catalog? (Or, for that matter, when you used to clip and save Robot Points and get new Transformers toys direct from Hasbro in the mail?)
> It kinda pisses me off, but I guess this is just another example of the
> world turning (I am also equally disappointed in the recent demise of "the
> mall".)
> I will be very sad when TRU finally shudders. I suspect the name
> will survive (Maybe target will buy them out and have a TRU "aisle" or
> something like that).
What's funny is that I have occasionally looked for stuff on eBay and actually bought it from the Toys "R" Us eBay account, because they had the lowest prices and free shipping. When people are shopping online, I don't think they discriminate too much; they just don't want to get gouged on shipping. When I'm going to a physical store, I tend to shop at Toys "R" Us very infrequently because it's inconveniently far away. Obviously, every online retailer in the world is right at your fingertips, so that changes the game dramatically.
Zob
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