The Technodrome Forums

Go Back   The Technodrome Forums > General Forums > General Discussion > Toys and Collectibles

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-07-2017, 10:55 AM   #21
RaphaelinSTL
Mad Scientist
 
RaphaelinSTL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 1,695
I still hop in to a Toys R' Us at least every few months or so just to see what's in stock. Obviously as a 30 year old man ... it doesn't have the same luster as it once did when I was 10 and younger, but I still enjoy going.

Some of my funnest memories were always stopping by the Toys R' Us and KB Toys stores. They seemed so HUGE back when you were little.
__________________
RaphaelinSTL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2017, 02:56 PM   #22
Autbot_Benz
Hellblazer
 
Autbot_Benz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Ventura California
Posts: 8,228
Who needs Toys R us when you have Big Bad Toy Store and Amazon. Better Prices they know how to ship an item and not just throw a brown piece of paper on top and call it secure in the box.

I mean BBTS uses bubble wrap and write Fragile on the box they have the best shipping I have ever seen.
__________________
I respect what FW cartoon did for the turtles franchise but it is the most overrated and hard to watch of the 3 turtles cartoons.
Autbot_Benz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2017, 03:00 PM   #23
Andrew NDB
Weed Whacker
 
Andrew NDB's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 29,137
Toys 'R' Us was a magical place. As a kid there was a gigantic one in my city, with aisles and aisles of stuff. You could spend like 30 minutes walking through it all, and still not see everything. The video game aisle(s) was particularly memorable. There was something very special about walking that slip you rip off the bottom to go and claim your game at the front. I remember I'd be staring at the "$79.99" price tag for Chrono Trigger and being like, "F***, I'm never going to save up enough allowance for that."

Then it went out of business and Toys 'R' Us became a hybrid with Babies 'R' Us in a tiny building. It was a FAKE Toys 'R' Us from then on and it's a real shame to go in there to buy my daughter toys now, what it's become.
Andrew NDB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2017, 03:24 PM   #24
Prowler
Emperor
 
Prowler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Portugal
Posts: 8,909
Isn't Toys R Us the biggest toy store chain in the world, anyway? Or at least the most well-known one? Even if there's other options out there for people to buy toys, how can Toys R Us just die out like that? Everyone knows Toys R Us.

Also, I speak for myself only but I've never like ordering stuff online myself. I prefer going to store and pick stuff myself. I hate waiting for something to arrive on mail, and sometimes I might not even be at home or no one opens the door to the mailman and I gotta pick up the order at my local post office, which requires waiting in a long line sometimes and that is annoying.
Prowler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-07-2017, 07:12 PM   #25
sdp
-
 
sdp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Tokio, Italy
Posts: 9,999
I didn't even know TRU was so big outside the US, I mean it's not huge but until this thread I didn't know it had stores in Europe but also in Asia, I think Latin America is the only place it doesn't have a presence which is really odd they'd skip it.

Anywho, it's still won't be the end of TRU, they're only likely filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy which allows them to re-negotiate their debts and many companies are able to though not all, counting TRU has been having trouble for a while it'll be more difficult but it'll still be a slow death if it indeed dies, just look at K-Mart still hanging in there and it filed for Ch. 11 many years ago, K-Mart is not a good example as I think TRU still has a chance of surviving if the are smart. Also the doom of TRU doesn't mean the end of TRU elsewhere, just take a look at Radioshack, it's dead in the US but through contracts or it still exists in other parts of the world.
sdp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2017, 11:37 AM   #26
Autbot_Benz
Hellblazer
 
Autbot_Benz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Ventura California
Posts: 8,228
http://www.businessinsider.com/toys-...reports-2017-9

Toy retailer Toys R Us may be on the brink of filing for bankruptcy.

It's just one of several options the chain is reportedly considering to pay down $5 billion in debt it owes as a result of a leveraged buyout in 2005, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The chain's trio of owners — private equity firms Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Bain Capital Partners and real estate investors Vornado Realty Trust — bought the company in a deal worth $6.6 billion, taking it private.

A Chapter 11 bankruptcy would allow the company to restructure $400 million in debt that is due in 2018, then renegotiate the rest.

CNBC previously reported that the chain hired law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP, that it was exploring options to take care of that debt, and is currently working with its creditors to stave off a Chapter 11 filing.

According to a new report by CNBC's Lauren Hirsch, the filing could come as soon as this week.

The debt crisis looms at a critical time for the toy seller. Toys R Us last year made 40% of its sales in the fourth quarter, thanks to the mad rush of holiday shopping. Vendors are feeling increasingly anxious about the chain's ability to pay down its debts, which could lead to a shortage of toys to stock its shelves and further exacerbating the issue.

Toys R Us has also struggled as its two main businesses, baby goods and toys, have moved online increasingly quickly in the last few years.

A Toys R Us spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
__________________
I respect what FW cartoon did for the turtles franchise but it is the most overrated and hard to watch of the 3 turtles cartoons.
Autbot_Benz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2017, 04:16 PM   #27
Papenbrook
*The King of Nothing*
 
Papenbrook's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: No comment -_- ...
Posts: 2,755
That's depressing.

R.I.P. Toys "R' Us.
Papenbrook is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2017, 05:39 PM   #28
TMNT_Guy
Stone Warrior
 
TMNT_Guy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Home, PA
Posts: 620
I've never been to a Toy R Us in my entire life. The nearest one to me has always been a good 30-40 miles away. I did however have a KB Toys at my mall...which incidentally is closing this month. That leaves Walmart as the only reasonably close store in my area to not only buy toys, but pretty much everything else.

I certainly hope Toys R Us can turn things around, I don't like seeing any long time store go out of business. I recently went to Toys R Us' website to buy a plush that was supposed to be exclusive to Toy R Us but they didn't even have it listed...yet Amazon somehow did. If their online store is as bad as their regular store at stocking items then it's not hard to imagine why this happened.
__________________
TMNT_Guy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2017, 05:44 PM   #29
Prowler
Emperor
 
Prowler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Portugal
Posts: 8,909
Quote:
Originally Posted by Papenbrook View Post
That's depressing.

R.I.P. Toys "R' Us.
Tbh, I find Toys R Us stores more depressing on the inside than the news of its possible bankruptcy.
Prowler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2017, 11:12 PM   #30
sdp
-
 
sdp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Tokio, Italy
Posts: 9,999
Let's hope it makes it through, even if you don't care about TRU, if you like toys then this will no doubt affect the toy industry. The stocks of various toy companies like Mattel took a toll because of this news and that means many toys you've been getting might not happen in the future in favor of what sells at Walmart best.

Most of their problems are not with selling toys but selling baby products which is a very profitable market but has all gone mostly online.
sdp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2017, 12:24 AM   #31
Autbot_Benz
Hellblazer
 
Autbot_Benz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Ventura California
Posts: 8,228
They have filed for bankruptcy The company said it will continue to operate as usual its approximately 1,600 Toy R Us and Babies R Us stores around the world.

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/18/toys...ankruptcy.html
__________________
I respect what FW cartoon did for the turtles franchise but it is the most overrated and hard to watch of the 3 turtles cartoons.
Autbot_Benz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2017, 02:58 AM   #32
ProactiveMan
Spooky ghost
 
ProactiveMan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 2,266
The TRUs around here are pretty lame. They're huge warehouse sized stores that don't seem to sell anything. They must make most of their money on baby stuff and Lego because they never restock anything else. They don't carry NECA stuff here, and they stopped selling Masterpiece Transformers after they failed to convince anyone to swallow their insane mark-up. They haven't sold video games in years.

I don't have any attachment to the brand either. They didn't set up here until the 90s, when they more-or-less killed the toy stores that I frequented as a kid.
__________________
ProactiveMan!
ProactiveMan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2017, 04:00 PM   #33
TMNT_Guy
Stone Warrior
 
TMNT_Guy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Home, PA
Posts: 620
I found a great video discussing why and how Toys R' Us filed for bankruptcy. Intrestingly it may not have anything to do with competing with Amazon and other online retailers.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JYUo9WKkao
__________________
TMNT_Guy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2017, 04:07 PM   #34
Prowler
Emperor
 
Prowler's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Portugal
Posts: 8,909
Quote:
Originally Posted by ProactiveMan View Post
The TRUs around here are pretty lame. They're huge warehouse sized stores that don't seem to sell anything. They must make most of their money on baby stuff and Lego because they never restock anything else. They don't carry NECA stuff here, and they stopped selling Masterpiece Transformers after they failed to convince anyone to swallow their insane mark-up. They haven't sold video games in years.

I don't have any attachment to the brand either. They didn't set up here until the 90s, when they more-or-less killed the toy stores that I frequented as a kid.
I believe it didn't get here until the 90s either. But they do sell video games here and are by far the largest stores where you can buy toys in my country. It's either at TRU or at a big supermarket or a general store or something.

A shame cuz TRU are more expensive than average.
Prowler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2017, 10:04 PM   #35
sdp
-
 
sdp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Tokio, Italy
Posts: 9,999
Quote:
Originally Posted by TMNT_Guy View Post
I found a great video discussing why and how Toys R' Us filed for bankruptcy. Intrestingly it may not have anything to do with competing with Amazon and other online retailers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JYUo9WKkao
That' snot a great video actually, I watched it the other day and he makes a lot of incorrect assumptions. His other videos aren't that bad but it's one thing to analyze a company going back with hindsight than a current one, but yeah a lot of what that video assumes is happening is wrong.
sdp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2017, 10:08 PM   #36
TMNT_Guy
Stone Warrior
 
TMNT_Guy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Home, PA
Posts: 620
Quote:
Originally Posted by sdp View Post
That' snot a great video actually, I watched it the other day and he makes a lot of incorrect assumptions. His other videos aren't that bad but it's one thing to analyze a company going back with hindsight than a current one, but yeah a lot of what that video assumes is happening is wrong.
What's wrong with that video? Just asking so I don't go around spreading wrong facts.
__________________
TMNT_Guy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2017, 11:13 PM   #37
sdp
-
 
sdp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Tokio, Italy
Posts: 9,999
well you made me watch it again, that video is a mess, watch it again and see how he chooses words because he knows he's filling in a lot of gaps and doesn't have the studies to understand it, he covers himself by saying "it's hard to see in the present", Leveraged Buyouts are also not necessarily a bad thing. He talks about Babies are us as if it somehow has some type of naming issue which couldn't be further from the truth and was in fact more important than TRU itself saleswise. Thing is he is not on the "inside" either.

He's not wrong in all of the things he says but he just misinforms all those people who watched it with his guesses. The thing is he misses the biggest point which is sales of Babies R Us slowing down, mostly due to competition from the internet, target, & Walmart. Toys have been selling less and less but that's not the biggest factor, sales of toys were not a big concern. So yeah, that video mostly angered me since he tries to come off as being in the know while covering his ass in almost every way possible through out it.

There were plenty of articles about it and he does seem to do research but he totally missed the mark, I guess he's just used to analyzing companies that are already dead. Coldfusion and another youtuber do the whole Armchair CEO thing a bit better. Also be wary of FAKE news, I think it was the USA today that was reporting that AR was TRU's new bet to get out of Bankrupcy which is all false since that had been in the works for over a year but that doesn't get clicks so you know, FAKE news gotta FAKE news.
sdp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-24-2019, 02:11 PM   #38
Candy Kappa
The Agenda of Existing
 
Candy Kappa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Vikingland
Posts: 14,596
welp.

Top-Toy, a company that was running Toys 'R Us and BR Toys in Scandinavia got bankrupt in December. Although Top-Toy Norway was supposed to be unaffected, it's closing its doors as well after rough Christmas sales. Tomorrow is the last official day they're still open, but no one knows yet what's going to happen after that.
Candy Kappa is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:34 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.