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

[Zayre88]

A Toys R us store in Quebec City, Canada.  Normally it should remain open.

[XISMZERO]

Here's an old local newspaper photo from the opening of the Toys R Us in Altamonte Springs, FL from 1982.

Stores around this time were being built to what I refer to as the "L" shaped corner wrapped design.

The store obviously looks drastically remodeled today but those ramps are still there.

[danfifepsu]

Here's an old local newspaper photo from the opening of the Toys R Us in Altamonte Springs, FL from 1982.

Stores around this time were being built to what I refer to as the "L" shaped corner wrapped design.

The store obviously looks drastically remodeled today but those ramps are still there.

it was remodeled.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

This one's for you, Dan! Go ahead and donate!

https://www.gofundme.com/helpsavetoysrus

[danfifepsu]

This one's for you, Dan! Go ahead and donate!

https://www.gofundme.com/helpsavetoysrus

i donated and fear it won't work and some may think it's a scam. It's  not

[JJBers]

This one's for you, Dan! Go ahead and donate!

https://www.gofundme.com/helpsavetoysrus

i donated and fear it won't work and some may think it's a scam. It's  not

are you kidding me

[danfifepsu]

This one's for you, Dan! Go ahead and donate!

https://www.gofundme.com/helpsavetoysrus

i donated and fear it won't work and some may think it's a scam. It's  not

are you kidding me

what you mean are you kidding me?  Toy makers will be HURTING due to this.

[JJBers]

This one's for you, Dan! Go ahead and donate!

https://www.gofundme.com/helpsavetoysrus

i donated and fear it won't work and some may think it's a scam. It's  not

are you kidding me

what you mean are you kidding me?  Toy makers will be HURTING due to this.

why are you giving to a gofundme to save a company. i don't even think they can give the money to toys r us.

[danfifepsu]

This one's for you, Dan! Go ahead and donate!

https://www.gofundme.com/helpsavetoysrus

i donated and fear it won't work and some may think it's a scam. It's  not

are you kidding me

what you mean are you kidding me?  Toy makers will be HURTING due to this.

why are you giving to a gofundme to save a company. i don't even think they can give the money to toys r us.

someone wants to salvage their remains

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Toy mogul Isaac Larian ditches GoFundMe campaign and bids $890 million for Toys R Us stores

By Jaclyn Cosgrove, The Los Angeles Times
Apr 13, 2018 | 4:20 PM


Isaac Larian, chief executive of MGA Entertainment, maker of the Little Tikes brand, made a $675-million bid Friday to save 274 U.S. Toys R Us stores. Above, Larian at one of the retailer's stores in Woodland Hills last month to film a video for a GoFundMe campaign. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

California toy mogul Isaac Larian submitted a $675-million bid Friday to buy 274 Toys R Us stores in the United States â€" and another $215 million to acquire 82 stores in Canada.

The bid came a little more than three weeks after Larian launched a $1-billion GoFundMe campaign to save hundreds of the 735 stores the bankrupt retailer operates in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

But money for Friday's bid will come from Larian's own coffers, additional investors and bank financing, according to a press release by MGA Entertainment Inc., the toy maker owned by Larian.

By Friday afternoon, the crowdfunding campaign that began March 21 had raised only about $59,500 from more than 1,970 people â€" on top of the $100 million that Larian personally pledged and another $100 million from other undisclosed large investors. A spokeswoman for Larian said he does not plan to use any of the funds raised through small donors on GoFundMe.

Larian's offer for the stores will have to be evaluated by the court that is administrating an auction of the company's assets and considering buyout bids. Toys R Us is already conducting liquidation sales nationwide.

"The time is now. Every day that goes by, the value of Toys R Us declines and more people lose their jobs," Larian said in a statement. "I did my part and now it's up to the other side to accept this offer. If they do, the real work will begin."

Larian's privately held MGA Entertainment in Van Nuys features a lineup that includes the popular Bratz dolls, Little Tikes cars and other toys. The retailer is an important sales channel for MGA, as well as other toy makers.

Larian has estimated that about 130,000 U.S. jobs are at risk, not only at Toys R Us but at suppliers, distribution centers, trucking companies and other firms tied to the retailer. They include MGA's Little Tikes plant in Hudson, Ohio, which employs 1,200 and sells 40% of its products through the retailer.

Toys R Us filed for Chapter 11 protection in September after suffering falling sales for years as Amazon and other online competitors ate into its business.

In late March, Larian announced the #SaveToysRUs crowdfunding campaign following the chain's decision to liquidate its stores in the U.S., including Puerto Rico, after it could not agree with its creditors on a restructuring plan.

Larian is not the only bidder for Toys R Us stores. An attorney for the retailer said in bankruptcy court this week that it has received multiple bids topping $1 billion for its Asia stores. Larian previously told The Times he is not interested in helping bail out stores outside North America and instead wants to focus his energy on the U.S. and Canada.

Larian has admitted that the GoFundMe page was a publicity stunt, but he was hopeful it could draw other large investors to step forward and help him transform the retailer. He told the Associated Press that he was disappointed other toy companies had backed out of supporting him after initially showing interest, saying they were public companies not thinking long term.

"The liquidation of Toys R Us is going to have a long-term effect on the toy business," Larian said. "The industry will truly suffer. The prospect of bringing the Toys R Us experience to a new generation, my new grandson's generation, is enough to motivate me to save Toys R Us."

Larian has not been specific about his plans, but over the last several weeks he has said he wants Toy R Us to be as interactive and as kid-friendly as a theme park â€" a place where children can play and try out new toys.

Larian also has acknowledged having a soft spot for Toys R Us, noting that the company's late founder, Charles Lazarus, gave him his first break upon entering the toy business more than 30 years ago.

Larian has brushed aside doubts over his bid for the retailer.

He previously told The Times that over his decades-long career, he has repeatedly faced skepticism from toy industry leaders, including after his introduction of Bratz dolls, which he brought to market in 2001. The hip dolls featuring eye shadow and glossy lips ended up being a smash hit and eating away at sales of Barbie dolls, made by El Segundo rival Mattel Inc.

"I like challenges," Larian said. "I have some big, out-of-the-box ideas to save Toys R Us and grow the business if I'm successful in getting Toys R Us assets."

[JJBers]

But money for Friday's bid will come from Larian's own coffers, additional investors and bank financing, according to a press release by MGA Entertainment Inc., the toy maker owned by Larian.

Awww, boy. More bank financing. Isn't that what caused Toys "R" Us to sink in the first place?

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

But money for Friday's bid will come from Larian's own coffers, additional investors and bank financing, according to a press release by MGA Entertainment Inc., the toy maker owned by Larian.

Awww, boy. More bank financing. Isn't that what caused Toys "R" Us to sink in the first place?

Not all investment firms are bad. The guys at KKR, Bain and Vornado did it all wrong.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Larian's bid for TRU has failed...

[JJBers]

Larian's bid for TRU has failed...

Well, get ready to say your final goodbyes to Toys "R" Us in the next couple of months.

[danfifepsu]

Larian's bid for TRU has failed...

Well, get ready to say your final goodbyes to Toys "R" Us in the next couple of months.

there may still be hope! I hope he wont give up

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Larian's bid for TRU has failed...

Well, get ready to say your final goodbyes to Toys "R" Us in the next couple of months.

there may still be hope! I hope he wont give up

I hope somebody can acquire the rights to the Toys "R" Us brand, like somebody else did with Kay-Bee, and relaunch the chain as a holiday pop-up store. If some of those locations become profitable, then maybe they could stay open year-round, but first a buyer for the trademarks needs to be arranged, as well as the real-estate. There are some people out there who don't want this American icon to die, just like how the people who bought the Montgomery Ward trademarks did not want that store's legacy to fade into obscurity. That's why Ward is doing great business as an online and catalog retailer long after the death of the brick and mortar MW stores.

I personally don't want any brick and mortar stores to die. I would rather interact with real people if I need help, I also want to see what I'm purchasing up close. I want to try it on, see if it fits, rather than take a chance with a purchase from an online retailer, only to find that it does not fit. I also like brick and mortar stores, because they accept cash, checks, credit/debit, and other forms of physical payment, unlike e-commerce, which only accepts credit/debit, PayPal, Bitcoin, etc.

(I do predict that big box stores, such as superstores and hypermarkets will replace shopping malls in most areas where shopping malls are struggling.)

[AmesNewington]

Larian's bid for TRU has failed...

Well, get ready to say your final goodbyes to Toys "R" Us in the next couple of months.

there may still be hope! I hope he wont give up

I hope somebody can acquire the rights to the Toys "R" Us brand, like somebody else did with Kay-Bee, and relaunch the chain as a holiday pop-up store. If some of those locations become profitable, then maybe they could stay open year-round, but first a buyer for the trademarks needs to be arranged, as well as the real-estate. There are some people out there who don't want this American icon to die, just like how the people who bought the Montgomery Ward trademarks did not want that store's legacy to fade into obscurity. That's why Ward is doing great business as an online and catalog retailer long after the death of the brick and mortar MW stores.

I personally don't want any brick and mortar stores to die. I would rather interact with real people if I need help, I also want to see what I'm purchasing up close. I want to try it on, see if it fits, rather than take a chance with a purchase from an online retailer, only to find that it does not fit. I also like brick and mortar stores, because they accept cash, checks, credit/debit, and other forms of physical payment, unlike e-commerce, which only accepts credit/debit, PayPal, Bitcoin, etc.

(I do predict that big box stores, such as superstores and hypermarkets will replace shopping malls in most areas where shopping malls are struggling.)

I agree about brick and mortar vs. online shopping. There are just some things I wouldn't buy online unless I had to. Disadvantages to online shopping are you have to wait an x amount of time to get the item when you could drive to a store, it could get damaged in transit, and if it is an item with an expiration date, I want the one with the longest date.

[danfifepsu]

2 nights ago had a dream of this Toys r us closing thing

[JJBers]

Larian's bid for TRU has failed...

Well, get ready to say your final goodbyes to Toys "R" Us in the next couple of months.

there may still be hope! I hope he wont give up

I hope somebody can acquire the rights to the Toys "R" Us brand, like somebody else did with Kay-Bee, and relaunch the chain as a holiday pop-up store. If some of those locations become profitable, then maybe they could stay open year-round, but first a buyer for the trademarks needs to be arranged, as well as the real-estate. There are some people out there who don't want this American icon to die, just like how the people who bought the Montgomery Ward trademarks did not want that store's legacy to fade into obscurity. That's why Ward is doing great business as an online and catalog retailer long after the death of the brick and mortar MW stores.

I personally don't want any brick and mortar stores to die. I would rather interact with real people if I need help, I also want to see what I'm purchasing up close. I want to try it on, see if it fits, rather than take a chance with a purchase from an online retailer, only to find that it does not fit. I also like brick and mortar stores, because they accept cash, checks, credit/debit, and other forms of physical payment, unlike e-commerce, which only accepts credit/debit, PayPal, Bitcoin, etc.

(I do predict that big box stores, such as superstores and hypermarkets will replace shopping malls in most areas where shopping malls are struggling.)

I agree about brick and mortar vs. online shopping. There are just some things I wouldn't buy online unless I had to. Disadvantages to online shopping are you have to wait an x amount of time to get the item when you could drive to a store, it could get damaged in transit, and if it is an item with an expiration date, I want the one with the longest date.

Then again, you could get damaged items in a store. Plus some stores can accidentally carry expired food.

[danfifepsu]

I hope toys r us gets saved

[giantsfan2016]

No one cares what you think. You're a f u c k i n g moron.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

No one cares what you think. You're a f u c k i n g moron.

Watch your mouth!

[danfifepsu]

No one cares what you think. You're a f u c k i n g moron.

Watch your mouth!

IT did say the Bratz owner isnt giving up without a fight. There is an 8 yr old starting a petition. I want to get a  newsworthy petititon too, as I too want to help save the chain. I AM  LOYAL AND DEDICATED FAN

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

No one cares what you think. You're a f u c k i n g moron.

Watch your mouth!

IT did say the Bratz owner isnt giving up without a fight. There is an 8 yr old starting a petition. I want to get a  newsworthy petititon too, as I too want to help save the chain. I AM  LOYAL AND DEDICATED FAN

Maybe someone with business acumen will come along, buy up all the Toys "R" Us trademarks, and relaunch the chain with a clean slate.

[danfifepsu]

No one cares what you think. You're a f u c k i n g moron.

Watch your mouth!

IT did say the Bratz owner isnt giving up without a fight. There is an 8 yr old starting a petition. I want to get a  newsworthy petititon too, as I too want to help save the chain. I AM  LOYAL AND DEDICATED FAN

Maybe someone with business acumen will come along, buy up all the Toys "R" Us trademarks, and relaunch the chain with a clean slate.

that will make me happy, latley I have had many dreams involving this chain closing.
This chain didnt deserve it. for 5-6 years it did well after the buyout but the debt caught up with it in like 2013 as it stopped being profitable then. Their debt was 5 billion and revenue was 11 billion and assets 6 billion. a friend of mine who runs a business said you are about out of business with that debt revenue asset ratio.
But it wont be so bad when Kmart closes them all (Ya will still have Walmart) and Toys r us was above Kmart with taking care of their stores for most of them. however many in trade areas with 150K  were less remodeled or look same as the did when it opened in the 1990s or earlier.

[giantsfan2016]

They rejected one guys bid to buy all 82 stores in Canada plus 275 in this Country, but accepted a bid from anther guy for all 82 stores in Canada.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toys-fairfax-larian-20180420-story.html

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

I read that Toys "R" Us founder Charles Lazarus was good friends with Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton in the March 22, 2018 article on the passing of Charles P. Lazarus in the Washington Post.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

If the resurrection of Gander Mountain has taught us anything, it is that any retailer could make a comeback by buying up trademarks and assets. I hope for something similar to happen to Toys "R" Us someday. Right now, the chain is in a slow-as-molasses mass-liquidation.

[danfifepsu]

If the resurrection of Gander Mountain has taught us anything, it is that any retailer could make a comeback by buying up trademarks and assets. I hope for something similar to happen to Toys "R" Us someday. Right now, the chain is in a slow-as-molasses mass-liquidation.

i was just thinking the same thing

[danfifepsu]

https://www.bnn.ca/fairfax-eyeing-some-u-s-stores-after-toys-r-us-canada-purchase-1.1067704