The Downfall of Toy Stores

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Toys R Us played a revolutionary role in putting name brand toys on the map, such as the “LEGO”, “LeapFrog learning”, and “Cabbage Patch” dolls.

Morgan McIntosh, Staff Section Editor
December 14, 2021

Alright, now pretend you could go back in time. Let’s rewind to your childhood, specifically to when you were about 8-10 years old. It’s Christmas time. You’re happy- ecstatic, even: little ol’ you can’t stop tugging on your mom’s shirt, begging her to take you to the most magical, incredible place of all: Toys R Us.

You convince her, and once you walk through those sliding doors, your mouth drops. It’s like you’ve stepped into a whole universe of its own: the faraway action sounds of the latest Mario Kart video game echoes down the hall, towers of the year’s model of Barbies sit neatly stacked at the front of each aisle, and the rich scent of Play-Doh and Crayons waft through the air.

Toys R Us played a revolutionary role in putting name-brand toys on the map, such as the “LEGO”, “LeapFrog learning”, and “Cabbage Patch” dolls.

Quite amazing, right? Now, let’s jump back to current times. As you may know, Toys R Us, the most prevalent toy store in the nation, no longer exists. Filing for bankruptcy in 2017, the company announced that it would permanently close its stores in March of 2018. Toys R Us stores are now emptied out, dusty and deserted on the inside, the only decor a giant “LEASE” sign hanging on the front window.

Toys R Us was founded in 1957, closing in 2017.

The rise of technology and big, multipurpose stores like Target came with the convenience of shopping online or in stores where one can go grocery and Christmas shopping. Websites like Amazon, which provide users with a surplus of items- such as the latest toys that they can purchase with one click- consumed the beloved and in-person “toy” world. Now, one does not have to get out of bed to fulfill their children’s Christmas wish list, searching up and down aisles looking for the Gots2Glo Fairy Sparkler 3000. Moreover, chain stores like Target allow one to knock out all of their shopping at once: grocery, gift, and even furniture shopping can be checked off the list! And there’s nothing wrong with this method, per se: it’s arguably more efficient for the average shopper.

Amazon may not have killed “Toys R Us”, but the convenience of online shopping, as well as competing stores like Target and Walmart, likely played a role in its downfall.

However, as Christmas rolls around, it’s significant to think about how incredibly different times are now- little children will no longer know the joy of surprise trips to Toys R Us: the rising excitement to immerse themselves in a land like no other. This is not to say that shopping sites and chain markets are childhood ruin-ers, but rather to acknowledge how significantly times have changed, as well as what this change bodes for the future. If the internet and big-box companies could kick out a 70-year long, incredibly popular chain store, what else can they eliminate?