Toys R Us Filing for Bankruptcy?

[Autbot_Benz]

Toys “R” Us has hired restructuring advisers from the prominent law firm Kirkland & Ellis as it tries to cope with hundreds of millions of dollars of debt coming due, according to two people briefed on the matter.

Among the options that the retailer, which is owned by private equity firms, is considering includes filing for bankruptcy, the people said.

Toys “R” Us must find a way to pay back about $400 million in debt as it tries to increase sales in the upcoming holiday season.

The company, based in New Jersey, is still holding out hope that it can refinance the debt. But the hiring of the restructuring lawyers by a financially troubled company usually suggests that bankruptcy is a real possibility. The hiring of Kirkland & Ellis was first reported by CNBC.

“Toys ‘R’ Us is evaluating a range of alternatives to address our 2018 debt maturities, which may include the possibility of obtaining additional financing,” a company spokeswoman said in a statement on Wednesday.

The company was bought by the private equity firms Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Bain Capital, as well as the real estate firm Vornado Realty Trust, for about $6 billion in 2005.

For years, the company dominated toy sales, and its Babies “R” Us chain was a leader in baby products like diapers and strollers. But it has faced intense competition from big box retailers like Walmart and Target that have ramped up toy offerings. The rapid growth of toy sales on Amazon.com has also cut into the market share of Toys “R’ Us.



Toys “R” Us closed its flagship store in Times Square in 2015 to save money on rent, but in August, it opened a smaller, seasonal store a few blocks away to take advantage of holiday shoppers in New York.

Many traditional retailers have struggled to compete with Amazon, but the debt load carried by Toys “R” Us has amplified that pressure.

The company has about $5 billion in long-term debt and has been burning through cash, as sales decline.

As of April 29, the company had $301 million in cash or cash equivalents, down from $458 million a year earlier, according to a quarterly securities filing in June. The company said in the filing that it had hired the firm Lazard to help with its refinancing efforts.

But Toys “R” Us warned at the time that “a number of factors including factors beyond our control could reduce or restrict our ability to refinance these debt obligations on favorable terms.”

Already this year, there has been a wave of retail bankruptcies, including the children’s clothing retailer Gymboree, Payless Shoesource and rue21, which sells clothing for teenagers. Other retailers have closed thousands of stores and laid off tens of thousand of workers as they try to cut costs and compete with e-commerce sites.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/b...-advisers.html

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Huh. Another Blockbuster in the making?

[Prowler]

Never liked Toys R Us much. Back when I used to buy TMNT action figures still, they were always a couple of bucks or so more expensive at Toys R Us than at anywhere else. Plus, the place looks like a giant warehouse and is kind of soulless, imo. That being said, I don't wish bankruptcy on it, since many people would lose their jobs if it happened.

[TheCanadiandrome]

Noooo say it isn't so?!

[oldmanwinters]

I enjoy going into some TRUs near me, but the big stores usually feel empty of people. I can't imagine how much a store needs to clear a day to make a profit, but when you only sell plastic pieces of entertainment and baby clothes, most folks aren't going to casually browse the aisles. I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner.

Originally Posted by Prowler

Back when I used to buy TMNT action figures still, they were always a couple of bucks or so more expensive at Toys R Us than at anywhere else. Plus, the place looks like a giant warehouse and is kind of soulless, imo. That being said, I don't wish bankruptcy on it, since many people would lose their jobs if it happened.

Largely my experience too.

[Powder]

They charge too much, treat their merchandise like crap, take way too long to stock stuff in-store, & have the single worst online shipping system out there. Adios.