Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us/Kids "R" Us

[danfifepsu]

And as promised, photos of the Southgate, Michigan TRU (store #9262).

The side of the building. Notice the brown stripe, a remnant from it's brown-roof days.


The front of the building and a zoom-in on the Geoffrey labelscar.



Looking towards where the video games are now.


Checkouts.


Looking into the store.


Two generations of carts!


A map of the store.


Christmas trees about the same size as that one in A Charlie Brown Christmas in September?! Also note the sign on the left containing the aforementioned map.


And finally, a close look at the video game area, part of it has a ceiling closer to the floor than the rest of the store. I assume that this was where the entrance originally was before it was remodeled in the early 1990's (this sounds about right, since according to The Caldor Rainbow, Type B stores had corner entrances and since this store opened in 1980, it was originally a Type B store) and the video games probably weren't originally here as a result, they may have been somewhere else in the store in the pull-ticket days.


And a bonus: a 1981 aerial photograph of the store, showing how it originally looked. This one had NO ripples and if you look carefully towards the upper right, you may notice a glass-encased exit approximately where there's now a red employee entrance door.


It's too bad that nearly all TRUs in Michigan lost their brown roof in favor of what The Caldor Rainbow refers to as "White, Bright & Tiled" (this store included), though I do know of stores in Madison Heights (ex-Type C, now a Babies "R" Us combo and includes an attached Harbor Freight Tools that was originally a Kids "R" Us), Pontiac (possibly an early "White, Bright & Tiled" store or even one of the last Type C stores) and Westland (also an ex-Type B) that are in the Concept 2000 style instead (Madison Heights and Westland were renovated into that from their brown-roof style circa 1998).

For those of you wondering, TRU entered the Detroit market in 1980, since Dearborn, Roseville, Southfield, Southgate and Westland were all type B stores (today, only Dearborn and Southfield retain their corner entrances and even they are now in the "White, Bright & Tiled" style).

file:///Users/danielfife/Downloads/documents-ppm-portage-lbg-syndication-presentation-final-3-10-15.pdf

[danfifepsu]

this says no plans to close a significant number of stores during the balance of the year, does that mean stores will close in 2016????? http://nreionline.com/retail/toys-r-us-shifts-bricks-and-mortar-strategy

[jason83080]

Sandusky, Ohio, affectionately referred to as the "Toys 'R' Us That Time Forgot" --





This location also has glass cases with electronics in them and an entire aisle of pull-tickets for the video games, with the pickup section in the front corner of the store! They've retained the original front-to-back aisles and, until a couple of years ago, still retained the blue hanging aisle markers. It's definitely a nice trip to the past, albeit slightly modified to reflect the modern times. :)

[danfifepsu]

Sandusky, Ohio, affectionately referred to as the "Toys 'R' Us That Time Forgot" --





This location also has glass cases with electronics in them and an entire aisle of pull-tickets for the video games, with the pickup section in the front corner of the store! They've retained the original front-to-back aisles and, until a couple of years ago, still retained the blue hanging aisle markers. It's definitely a nice trip to the past, albeit slightly modified to reflect the modern times. :)

it opened in 1991 they said.

[patk]

behold the Durham nc TRU http://tinyurl.com/m9alz3r its still that way today i went  there 2 weeks ago ;D if theres a post of this 1 my bad lol a side note: an old CC in the back round lol

[danfifepsu]

behold the Durham nc TRU http://tinyurl.com/m9alz3r its still that way today i went  there 2 weeks ago ;D if theres a post of this 1 my bad lol a side note: an old CC in the back round lol

I went there 8 yrs ago and it was retro.

[danfifepsu]

will Toys r us close stores ever more? they did say last year that 98 percent of their stores are profitable. so would they? A new CEO Took over, to turn the company public ok what will happen?

how do the ones in SOuth Portland and Bangor do?

[Hudsons81]

will Toys r us close stores ever more?

Haven't heard anything in a very long while.

[danfifepsu]

thery said 98 percent of their stores are profitable in a statement last year, so what do you say?

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

I have to agree with Dan. The stores are doing great.

[danfifepsu]

I have to agree with Dan. The stores are doing great.

will toys r us still close more stores as they said 98 percent of their stores are profitable, the company has had losses. when a company says cut costs or cost savings. Does that mean close stores?

how well does the one in Bangor Maine do?

[danfifepsu]

https://www.google.com/maps/@25.9285862,-80.1900702,3a,75y,76.78h,87.02t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_2gjSBX0CkFCwqZgXcq_uQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1   the Brown Toy sr us in North Miami Beach got remodeled.

[TRU7536]

one of the most saddest thing i saw today when i drove by Toys r us in Newington on the pike, store 7536 my first job. They replaced the "R" with the current one on both the plaza sign and on the building. It was a quick glimpse, but i hope they didn't take off the Geoffrey sign off the building, that would be sad.

On a side note, next October 2016 would mark 20 years since store 7536 has been at that location. Everyone is still shocked it lasted this long when it was for a long time the only store left after Caldors and Service Merchandise closed.

[EddieJ1984]

The Toys R Us on Cottman Ave in NE Philly has the current logo now.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Toys "R" Us closes Times Square Store:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/31/nyregion/days-after-christmas-toys-r-us-closes-in-times-square.html?_r=0

[TRU7536]

Toys r us newington ct store 7536. Still bummed they removed the Geoffrey sign when redoing the store facade. But the store and plaza signs have been updated. Not even west hartford has the new logo on its plaza sign.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

If you want to find a map of your local Toys "R" Us store, you can do so by visiting this website: http:/toysrusmaps.com/

[TRJ_22487]

1990 display window at Toys "R" Us in Rochester, New York



1991 boys looking at Nintendo display at Toys "R" Us



1992 December Jonathan Taylor Thomas at NYC Toys "R" Us for Sonic 2 launch




2000 October employee brings out PS2 systems at launch at Toys "R" Us

[StoreLiker2006]

CONFIRMED: the toys r us in portage mi will LOOSE its brown roof. the plaza is being renovated and will be finished before Xmas. how come 3/4 of the brown toy sr us; I Went to on this trip in 2007 have been renovated?

Does anyone remember when this store originally opened? I want to think that it was around 1985.

Thank you,


Ben

[danfifepsu]

CONFIRMED: the toys r us in portage mi will LOOSE its brown roof. the plaza is being renovated and will be finished before Xmas. how come 3/4 of the brown toy sr us; I Went to on this trip in 2007 have been renovated?

Does anyone remember when this store originally opened? I want to think that it was around 1985.

Thank you,


Ben

it WAS in 1985 it opened.

[StoreLiker2006]

CONFIRMED: the toys r us in portage mi will LOOSE its brown roof. the plaza is being renovated and will be finished before Xmas. how come 3/4 of the brown toy sr us; I Went to on this trip in 2007 have been renovated?

Does anyone remember when this store originally opened? I want to think that it was around 1985.

Thank you,


Ben

it WAS in 1985 it opened.

Dan,

Thank you very much. That would mean this location was a "type C" store.

~Ben

[Hudsons81]

Well, a while ago I found a source that revealed the actual opening date of the Toys "R" Us in Southgate, Michigan. It actually opened in 1969.

[StoreLiker2006]

Does anyone have any pictures of any Toys "R" Us locations built in the "Type C" motif, but with the old-style lettering colors: red, yellow, light blue, pink, green, orange and light blue?

Also, does anyone have pictures of these two TRU stores in OR? They are:
1133 Valley River Dr., Eugene
1200 Lancaster Dr. NE, Salem
Both of these locations appear to have originally opened in 1985, which would mean them being "Type C" buildings.

~Ben

[StoreLiker2006]

UPDATE: the old TRU in Tigard at 10065 SW Cascade Ave. has closed and moved to 7805 SW Dartmouth St.

Here's what it looked like on Google Maps years ago:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/classictvman81/6201759415/

Again, when this TRU originally opened in 1981 (just west of the Washington Square mall and OR-217), it was a "Type B" store with an "L-shape" building. Around 1997 it was totally rebuilt from the ground up, with the entry/exit now at the center of the building.

~Ben

[StoreLiker2006]

Here is a list of known TRU stores in Oregon and Washington originally built in the "brown" and rainbow-planked look:
#8002: TUKWILA, WA - 16700 South Center Parkway - opened September 27, 1980; closed ca. 2005
#8003: LYNNWOOD, WA - 18601 Alderwood Mall Blvd. - opened September 27, 1980; remodeled ca. 2002
#8004: PORTLAND, OR - 1800 Jantzen Beach Center Dr. (Hayden Island) - opened October 4, 1980
#8005: CLACKAMAS, OR - 12535 SE 82nd Ave. (south of Clackamas Town Center) - opened October 4, 1980; remodeled 2002-03
#8006: TIGARD, OR - 10065 SW Cascade Ave. (west of OR-217) - opened October 3, 1981; remodeled ca. 2000; closed 2015 (replaced by #9574, 7805 SW Dartmouth St.)
#8007: TACOMA, WA - 4214 Tacoma Mall Blvd. - opened 1983; remodeled ca. 1995
#8009: EUGENE, OR - 1133 Valley River Dr. - opened ca. 1984; remodeled ca. 2003
#8010: SALEM, OR - 1200 Lancaster Dr. NE - opened ca. 1985; remodeled ca. 2000

~Ben

[Pikapower]

CONFIRMED: the toys r us in portage mi will LOOSE its brown roof. the plaza is being renovated and will be finished before Xmas. how come 3/4 of the brown toy sr us; I Went to on this trip in 2007 have been renovated?

Did that Toys "R" Us get paired with Babies "R" Us?

[danfifepsu]

CONFIRMED: the toys r us in portage mi will LOOSE its brown roof. the plaza is being renovated and will be finished before Xmas. how come 3/4 of the brown toy sr us; I Went to on this trip in 2007 have been renovated?

Did that Toys "R" Us get paired with Babies "R" Us?

no there is one across the street, the plaza got bought out and renovated.

[Hudsons81]

1990 display window at Toys "R" Us in Rochester, New York

*large image*

1991 boys looking at Nintendo display at Toys "R" Us

*large image*

1992 December Jonathan Taylor Thomas at NYC Toys "R" Us for Sonic 2 launch

*large images*

2000 October employee brings out PS2 systems at launch at Toys "R" Us

*large image*

Those games and consoles made up the backbone of my life in the 1990's/early 2000's as they were in fact at pretty much every game-selling store I went to in those times.

Below are known Detroit-area TRU stores that were either originally built in or were remodeled into the brown roof and rainbow planks:

9262: 14333 Eureka Road, Southgate, MI - opened as Bargain Town 1969, became TRU early 1970's, remodeled into brown roof early 1980's (after 1981), remodeled into current exterior sometime between 1990-96
9263: 32766 John R. Road, Madison Heights, MI - opened as Bargain Town 1970, became TRU early 1970's, remodeled into brown roof early 1980's, remodeled into current exterior ca. 1998
9264: 27000 Telegraph Road, Southfield, MI - opened as Bargain Town 1970, became TRU early 1970's, remodeled into brown roof early 1980's, remodeled into final exterior sometime between 1990-96, closed January 2016 (http://www.wxyz.com/news/toys-r-us-in-southfield-closing-after-45-year-run)
9265: 29150 7 Mile Road, Livonia, MI - opened as Bargain Town 1969, became TRU early 1970's, remodeled into brown roof early 1980's (after 1981), remodeled into current exterior sometime between 1990-96
9266: 32070 Gratiot Avenue, Roseville, MI - opened 1983, remodeled sometime between 1990-96
9268: 24411 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI - strip mall built 1961, opened as Bargain Town about 1970, became TRU early 1970's, remodeled into brown roof early 1980's (after 1981), remodeled into current exterior sometime between 1990-96
9269: 13801 Lakeside Circle, Sterling Heights, MI (across from Lakeside Mall) - opened 1983, remodeled 1990's
9271: 34800 Warren Road, Westland, MI - opened 1985, remodeled ca. 1997
9272?: 10000 East 8 Mile Road, Detroit, MI (Bel-Air Center) - opened 1985, closed 2003, now Forman Mills (couldn't find the actual store number, though Google searches did pull up older listings for a TRU at this exact address, so this is a guess)
9273: 220 North Telegraph Road, Pontiac, MI - opened 1987, remodeled (partially on the exterior) ca. 1997
9274: 43460 West Oaks Drive, Novi, MI (West Oaks Center, near Twelve Oaks Mall) - opened 1986, remodeled ca. 2003

[XISMZERO]

Hey guys. I was in Montgomery, Alabama this weekend, took many pictures of the Toys "R" Us there. Let the pictures speak for themselves... this store is incredible. I took all of these long before the store opened.

Montgomery, AL is the oldest one in the country remaining that hasn't seen any remodels at all. The online assessor catalog reports the store was built in 1983.
It's also the first/original store in Alabama and as far as I know, the 4th store in the region (region for storecode "80" which covers TN, GA and AL mostly).
It's the last "corner-wrapped" style built from 1981 until 1983 or 84 in the original concept. Before this, it was the one in York, PA.
It's 88 miles from the other closest store in state in Hoover, then Birmingham which have both converted to BRU/Superstores.

Odd thing about this store was the entrance door, which didn't have the typical wider door on stores of this age. The glass canopy over the exit and Geoffrey's sign on the roof were removed, unsure as to when.

I'm astounded after all these years this store is still here, stuck in time. I'm guessing the store does well enough to survive but not enough to remodel and the rent must be cheap. The only area that would do the company good is moving to the up-and-coming Eastchase area of Montgomery since the rest of the retail landscape is drying up. Practically all the existing malls in the city are fairly dead. I'm predicting there will be a TRU/BRU superstore there in a few years since there's a ton of development over there (they were building a Whole Foods plaza at the time).


See all 48 pictures here.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10073060@N00/albums/72157667802305750

I was going to head to the formerly old one in Augusta, GA but I had found out that the stripes were painted tan in 2015.

There's only 5 brown-roof/rainbow-striped ones left, in operation, in the USA.

Clay, NY
Waco, TX
Wilmington, NC
Montgomery, AL
Boardman, OH

Yes, I am aware there's others with the brown-roof but many have been bastardized/had stripes or roofs repainted. The above list of known stores that have not been repainted or stripes removed. Not many left these days!

[Brian the Helenman]

Hey guys. I was in Montgomery, Alabama this weekend, took many pictures of the Toys "R" Us there. Let the pictures speak for themselves... this store is incredible. I took all of these long before the store opened.

Montgomery, AL is the oldest one in the country remaining that hasn't seen any remodels at all. The online assessor catalog reports the store was built in 1983.
It's also the first/original store in Alabama and as far as I know, the 4th store in the region (region for storecode "80" which covers TN, GA and AL mostly).
It's the last "corner-wrapped" style built from 1981 until 1983 or 84 in the original concept. Before this, it was the one in York, PA.
It's 88 miles from the other closest store in state in Hoover, then Birmingham which have both converted to BRU/Superstores.

Odd thing about this store was the entrance door, which didn't have the typical wider door on stores of this age. The glass canopy over the exit and Geoffrey's sign on the roof were removed, unsure as to when.

I'm astounded after all these years this store is still here, stuck in time. I'm guessing the store does well enough to survive but not enough to remodel and the rent must be cheap. The only area that would do the company good is moving to the up-and-coming Eastchase area of Montgomery since the rest of the retail landscape is drying up. Practically all the existing malls in the city are fairly dead. I'm predicting there will be a TRU/BRU superstore there in a few years since there's a ton of development over there (they were building a Whole Foods plaza at the time).


See all 48 pictures here.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/10073060@N00/albums/72157667802305750

I was going to head to the formerly old one in Augusta, GA but I had found out that the stripes were painted tan in 2015.

There's only 5 brown-roof/rainbow-striped ones left, in operation, in the USA.

Clay, NY
Waco, TX
Wilmington, NC
Montgomery, AL
Boardman, OH

Yes, I am aware there's others with the brown-roof but many have been bastardized/had stripes or roofs repainted. The above list of known stores that have not been repainted or stripes removed. Not many left these days!

Don't forget Wilmington, North Carolina!