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

[d_fife]

toys r us in Woburn http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaz18/4625405886/

[d_fife]

I am still upset about the one in Topeka as I never got a chance to see it when it was brown. STILL

Find me more old school Toys r us please!

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

I know it's getting harder to find a Toys "R" Us utilizing the brown roof/stripes motif these days. I noticed some of you struggling with that.

It's like finding a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 in excellent condition on the streets or finding a WeatherSTAR 4000 at a cable company that still provides the Local Forecast on the 8s for that city or town's Weather Channel, or finding a 76 gas station utilizing an orange ball that still spins.

Green Bay's Toys "R" Us store no longer has that roof or stripes, since it was remodeled in 2003.

I can see why D-Fife can be upset. Finding a Toys "R" Us upgraded to a Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us is almost like finding a WeatherSTAR 4000 on the Weather Channel in Bennington, Vermont, only to find that the cable company has upgraded it to the WeatherSTAR XL when you got there.

[d_fife]

that bothers me that Green BAy's got remodeled too!!!! when did it open? Adn why was that one of the older stores, what did Appleton's look like before it became Goeffrey

I know it's getting harder to find a Toys "R" Us utilizing the brown roof/stripes motif these days. I noticed some of you struggling with that.

It's like finding a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 in excellent condition on the streets or finding a WeatherSTAR 4000 at a cable company that still provides the Local Forecast on the 8s for that city or town's Weather Channel, or finding a 76 gas station utilizing an orange ball that still spins.

Green Bay's Toys "R" Us store no longer has that roof or stripes, since it was remodeled in 2003.

I can see why D-Fife can be upset. Finding a Toys "R" Us upgraded to a Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us is almost like finding a WeatherSTAR 4000 on the Weather Channel in Bennington, Vermont, only to find that the cable company has upgraded it to the WeatherSTAR XL when you got there.

[ynkeesfn82]

Toys R Us Express is opening at the end of this week in Bristol, Connecticut. It's located in The Stop & Shop Plaza on Route 6 next to Dress Barn. On a side note I wonder why a lot of new businesses choose to open in Stop & Shop Plaza rather than The Price Chopper Plaza. Price Chopper Plaza has had the same vacancies for years:

Former Panda Chinese Restaurant (downsized and reopened in adjacent Blockbuster Plaza as Sun Fat Chinese Restaurant)

Former Rainbow Rentals (Company Merged with Rent A Center, which already had 2 stores in Bristol)

Former Citi Bank (Opened in 06 and closed in 08. Used to be Party City and before that Olympia Sports which moved into adjacent Blockbuster Plaza).

Former KB Toy Works (Closed during the 1st Round of Closings).

Former Citi Financial in a building on the property in the back. (Moved to Blockbuster Plaza in former Jason's Ice Cream Cafe which used to be Baskin Robbins)

Former Internet Cafe (a very small store front that had been a small Pasta Restaurant and before that the original Baskin Robbins)

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

that bothers me that Green BAy's got remodeled too!!!! when did it open? Adn why was that one of the older stores, what did Appleton's look like before it became Goeffrey

It had a co-located Kids "R" Us with it. The entrance had the "square rainbow" surrounding it.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

New LEGO Toys "R" Us set coming soon!

It's called "7848 Delivery Truck"


I know LEGO did partner up with other companies to create sets like this in the past, like Exxon, Shell, and McDonald's, but this one takes the cake!

Read the review here:
http://www.brickhorizon.com/boardz/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2254

[d_fife]

that bothers me that Green BAy's got remodeled too!!!! when did it open? Adn why was that one of the older stores, what did Appleton's look like before it became Goeffrey

It had a co-located Kids "R" Us with it. The entrance had the "square rainbow" surrounding it.

what color was the building? before it became GEoffreY? I Wish I Saw Green BAy before it was remodeled, why did they chose to open it in the early 1980s, didnt they enter Milwaukee in the 1970s?

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

what color was the building? before it became GEoffreY?

Brown/white.

[d_fife]

what color was the building? before it became GEoffreY?

Brown/white.

what year era? give me an example of what the store may have l ooked like?

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

what color was the building? before it became GEoffreY?

Brown/white.

what year era? give me an example of what the store may have l ooked like?

The Green Bay store was a mid-1980s Toys "R" Us which had the shingled brown roof and vertical rainbow-colored stripes on the corner entrance of the building, with greenhouse-style exit. Kids "R" Us was added in 1995, but was integrated into the store itself in the last remodel. It also had the Geoffrey sign until the 2003 remodel.

[d_fife]

what area did Appleton look?

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

what area did Appleton look?

It used to look similar to this one in Des Moines, Iowa:


Located across the street from the Fox River Mall, it had a Kids "R" Us inside it until 2003, when it became Geoffrey's Toys "R" Us.

The Appleton location got remodeled for the third time, this time it became a Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us combo store.

[d_fife]

what area did Appleton look?

It used to look similar to this one in Des Moines, Iowa:


Located across the street from the Fox River Mall, it had a Kids "R" Us inside it until 2003, when it became Geoffrey's Toys "R" Us.

The Appleton location got remodeled for the third time, this time it became a Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us combo store.

what do you mean remodeled a third time? was it ever brown???? and when did it open?

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

what area did Appleton look?

It used to look similar to this one in Des Moines, Iowa:


Located across the street from the Fox River Mall, it had a Kids "R" Us inside it until 2003, when it became Geoffrey's Toys "R" Us.

The Appleton location got remodeled for the third time, this time it became a Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us combo store.

what do you mean remodeled a third time? was it ever brown???? and when did it open?

It was never brown, and it opened in the early 1990s.

[d_fife]

what area did Appleton look?

It used to look similar to this one in Des Moines, Iowa:


Located across the street from the Fox River Mall, it had a Kids "R" Us inside it until 2003, when it became Geoffrey's Toys "R" Us.

The Appleton location got remodeled for the third time, this time it became a Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us combo store.

what do you mean remodeled a third time? was it ever brown???? and when did it open?

It was never brown, and it opened in the early 1990s.

why did it take the store that long to come? and why did Green Bay open in the 1980s

why do some Toys r us enter some places later than ot hers, and they didnt enter Denver and Salt LAke City Markets till 1990, St Louis and Minneapolis 1989, Kansas City 1988, New Mexico 1988 or 1989, Montana 1990s and the Dakotas in the 1990s and they dont have one in Wyoming and they never did.

[Lastdaysofrain]

According to the sign at the Meadow Glenn Mall in Medford, MA a Toys R Us has opened in the mall. I haven't checked it out yet, but wouldn't that be somewhat unusual for Toys R Us to have a mall store?

[ynkeesfn82]

According to the sign at the Meadow Glenn Mall in Medford, MA a Toys R Us has opened in the mall. I haven't checked it out yet, but wouldn't that be somewhat unusual for Toys R Us to have a mall store?

Maybe it's a Toys R Us Express like at the Stop & Shop Plaza in Bristol, Connecticut. I seem to remember hearing Toys R Us was supposed to be opening a bunch of Toy R Us Express stores.

[CTAmeshopper]

I'm bummed out that Woburn is getting remodeled now it's going to be a store with a boring beige rectangular front sad.

It's looking like this remodeling campaign is going to be storewide, so even the blue front concept 2000 stores are under the gun. The Waterbury Toys R US lost it's childlike blue front for a boring beige front with the new logo and the Babies R US logo, it's a combo of Toys R Us and Babies R Us. The color is underwhelming at the least, nothing childlike like the previous rainbow castle roofed store or the blue Concept 2000 storefronts. It's really anti-Toys R Us is the way I can explain it.

[d_fife]

I'm bummed out that Woburn is getting remodeled now it's going to be a store with a boring beige rectangular front sad.

It's looking like this remodeling campaign is going to be storewide, so even the blue front concept 2000 stores are under the gun. The Waterbury Toys R US lost it's childlike blue front for a boring beige front with the new logo and the Babies R US logo, it's a combo of Toys R Us and Babies R Us. The color is underwhelming at the least, nothing childlike like the previous rainbow castle roofed store or the blue Concept 2000 storefronts. It's really anti-Toys R Us is the way I can explain it.

I agree with you CTAmesSHopper every step of the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! have you seen the one in Woburn in the last few months, how do you know of this? and why is WAterbury too looking like this. I love the 1970s and 1980s look and the Concept 2000 ones.

and I too think the ones with a beig rectangle front are BORING!

[CTAmeshopper]

I was basing this on the recent photo of a new Toys R Us (I can't find it) and my experience with the Waterbury store.

I don't know why they chose beige it's the most boring-ist color to have ever seen, doesn't strike any good childhood memories in me. Nothing wonderful and whimsical about the new color. It's just cold, corporate, and bland.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

I'm bummed out that Woburn is getting remodeled now it's going to be a store with a boring beige rectangular front sad.

It's looking like this remodeling campaign is going to be storewide, so even the blue front concept 2000 stores are under the gun. The Waterbury Toys R US lost it's childlike blue front for a boring beige front with the new logo and the Babies R US logo, it's a combo of Toys R Us and Babies R Us. The color is underwhelming at the least, nothing childlike like the previous rainbow castle roofed store or the blue Concept 2000 storefronts. It's really anti-Toys R Us is the way I can explain it.

I agree with you CTAmesSHopper every step of the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! have you seen the one in Woburn in the last few months, how do you know of this? and why is WAterbury too looking like this. I love the 1970s and 1980s look and the Concept 2000 ones.

and I too think the ones with a beig rectangle front are BORING!

I'd prefer a more color as well.

[CTAmeshopper]

My best guess is why they do this beige thing is so the logo could stand out more,sigh I wish they'd go back to the mansard roofed with rainbow planks look of 70's 80's and 90's. sigh. For trying to bring back memories of the old Toys R Us they're doing a strange way of implementing it. If they really wanted to be number one they should really brighten up their stores. :P

[d_fife]

My best guess is why they do this beige thing is so the logo could stand out more,sigh I wish they'd go back to the rainbow-ed castle look of 70's 80's and 90's. sigh. For trying to bring back memories of the old Toys R Us they're doing a strange way of implementing it. If they really wanted to be number one they should really brighten up their stores. :P

everyone write to TOYS R US to bring back to the old design. but with a more updated color but with the castle look!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

My best guess is why they do this beige thing is so the logo could stand out more,sigh I wish they'd go back to the rainbow-ed castle look of 70's 80's and 90's. sigh. For trying to bring back memories of the old Toys R Us they're doing a strange way of implementing it. If they really wanted to be number one they should really brighten up their stores. :P

everyone write to TOYS R US to bring back to the old design. but with a more updated color but with the castle look!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I like that idea. Beige may look good on Shopko, Kohl's, and Walmart, but it looks BLEH on Toys "R" Us. I'm not so keen on writing to them about it. The look that you're describing is not a castle, but a mansard roof with rainbow-colored wood planks.

BTW, have you seen the new LEGO Toys "R" Us set yet?

[CTAmeshopper]

Mansard roof got it! :) I didn't know what they were called before so I guessed castle because it looks like those shapes of the walls on the top of castle walls, hee hee.

BTW I found the image of the new Toys R Us looks like it's underwhelming in the least. This is from Auburn, Mass. This is from The Caldor Rainbow.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6JOCpADOJWg/SFgjRhOCItI/AAAAAAAABG8/Qqownb4hD04/s1600-h/DSC04746.JPG

This is what I expect the Woburn, Mass store to look like after the remodel. :'(

[CTAmeshopper]

George, I share your lament. As a matter of fact, I'm deeply saddened whenever I see a Toys R Us today that has either been painted over or remodeled to fit a "corporate blandness." Can't understand why they've abandoned the wonderous look many of us grew up knowing.

Sadly, that's been the wave of the chain and many others for decades -- and their newest CEO Eyler isn't looking to bring back the rainbow-colored goodness of the chain from it's 1970s-80s era.

If you read the mission statement of CEO John Eyler, he plans turn all existing stores into Toys R Us-Babies R Us superstores -- and now more than ever that is finally happening. Can't blame him -- his job is to keep the company financially afloat. He admits Babies R Us has outclassed the TRU brand and he's doing what he can to save the company as a whole. In actuality, he's probably done more/has a direction for the company than the former CEOs have in the past (need I remind you of the blackout between late 90s/early millennium age of lame remodels and "catch ups," mission (im)possible store layouts nonsense, etc.).

When I did my article on the Clay store on my website, my goal was to bring attention best I could and hope the bring attention to how significant it is to recognize what made the chain so beloved to many of us who shopped there as a kid. Their unique multicolored store facade was largely apart of that!

I'm realistic, so I'm not saying they need to stop remodeling older stores but it would be wonderful if they brought back that original concept and connected with the chain's roots today. TRU was one of the only chains you'd be treated to seeing a joyous rainbow-colored keyboard of colors upon driving past it!

The Clay store is a wonderful artifact -- when it goes their store's history is as good as kaput. I hope they know how important it is -- at least among us nuts!

I was right, it is a storewide renovation...

So even Clay is eventually going to be remodeled as well, sad :'(

I wish they left the older ones alone, but I guess that's not going to be happening

GET PICS WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!

[ynkeesfn82]

Toys R Us Express has opened a second location near me. The first one opened about a month ago in The Stop & Shop Plaza on Farmington Ave in Bristol. The second one just opened or is about to open in The Plainville Commons on New Britain Avenue. Ironically the Plainville Commons used to have a  KB Toys, which is now a Sleepy's.

The one in Plainville is next to Marshall's and is 6544 Square Feet. Like Marshall's this spot used to be part of Levitz Furniture. It's still not listed on The Plainville Commons Website. This sport was used yearly for one of those Halloween Stores.

The one in Bristol is 3940 Square Feet. It's next to Dress Barn and was used yearly for The Halloween Warehouse. This also is not on their website either. (Then again neither is the new bookstore).

[d_fife]

George, I share your lament. As a matter of fact, I'm deeply saddened whenever I see a Toys R Us today that has either been painted over or remodeled to fit a "corporate blandness." Can't understand why they've abandoned the wonderous look many of us grew up knowing.

Sadly, that's been the wave of the chain and many others for decades -- and their newest CEO Eyler isn't looking to bring back the rainbow-colored goodness of the chain from it's 1970s-80s era.

If you read the mission statement of CEO John Eyler, he plans turn all existing stores into Toys R Us-Babies R Us superstores -- and now more than ever that is finally happening. Can't blame him -- his job is to keep the company financially afloat. He admits Babies R Us has outclassed the TRU brand and he's doing what he can to save the company as a whole. In actuality, he's probably done more/has a direction for the company than the former CEOs have in the past (need I remind you of the blackout between late 90s/early millennium age of lame remodels and "catch ups," mission (im)possible store layouts nonsense, etc.).

When I did my article on the Clay store on my website, my goal was to bring attention best I could and hope the bring attention to how significant it is to recognize what made the chain so beloved to many of us who shopped there as a kid. Their unique multicolored store facade was largely apart of that!

I'm realistic, so I'm not saying they need to stop remodeling older stores but it would be wonderful if they brought back that original concept and connected with the chain's roots today. TRU was one of the only chains you'd be treated to seeing a joyous rainbow-colored keyboard of colors upon driving past it!

The Clay store is a wonderful artifact -- when it goes their store's history is as good as kaput. I hope they know how important it is -- at least among us nuts!

I was right, it is a storewide renovation...

So even Clay is eventually going to be remodeled as well, sad :'(

I wish they left the older ones alone, but I guess that's not going to be happening

GET PICS WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!

wait is CLAY GETTING REMODELED??? why are you saying that. I almost had a heartattack from it

I have seen Toys R us stores with only BAbies r us on the building but nothing to the building.

[CTAmeshopper]

I was assuming that Clay is going to be remodeled because it's one of the existing Toys R Us stores, he said he's going to turn all the existing Toys R Us stores into Toys R Us Babies R Us superstores. That means ALL the stores in the USA at least. If not the world.