My family was pretty poor when I was a kid. I always dreamed of going to Toys R Us but it was always Walmart and a rare Kay Bee visit for me. 😢 Then, I grew up.

I went there a few times for video games and I used to take my kid there. It was pretty cool.

I remember going to Toys R' Us when I was a kid... and it was boring as hell.

Growing up in the early 2000s, plastic toys and the like were already fading. Good for them for being able to last into the technology age, though, I guess.

https://youtu.be/4JYUo9WKkao?t=279

Short story the former public-traded company was bought with debt and turned private, but the debt was too much.

They might go public again and get money back if their business model is sound.

So they're a profitable company with a mountain of debt. Same thing happened to Six Flags a decade ago and they were able to recover after selling properties and changing their business model.

I assume you mean 'isn't' effecting UK stores going by that link. Seems european stores are profitable which is great news for jobs. Seems US stores are profitable too just that huge burden of debt they built up previously.  Hopefully this will have a happy ending for everyone except the people who are owed money of course.

I hope you never get into the habit of lending people money, you'd seriously be your own worst enemy.Thought for that very reason I'd be surprised if you did.

I get the impression you think the process is corrupt by nature, which its not. However abuse and manipulate it to their own ends - both borrowers and lenders. From the borrowers side, companies have been known to pile up on excessive debt and then default in bankruptcy, effectively increasing the owners wealth whilst screwing the lenders. These aren't always banks, often they are suppliers - many of which can be much smaller companies that toys r us, and not getting paid and cripple and bankrupt them aswell. Think about that.

It's gonna be sad when they have to resort to Chapter 7.

I go there all the time (in Canada) and get all my Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers swag from them. I also picked up all kind of decent video game deals over the years ($10 Move controllers on clearance, headsets, Vita games, etc.) so I'll definitely miss them if they start closing locations.

Having said that, with Zellers, then Target, then HMV closures all happening within a few years of each other, I'm sorta kinda maybe looking forward to some fire sales...

Not really, the economy is growing (and people are tired of me talking about this) but it is simple companies are growing like crazy and a lot of them make more money than they ever did they just need less people to get that profit mostly thanks to new technology.  What is also great that those big companies hardly have to pay a huge amount of taxes compared to smaller companies who even employ more people (see Amazon/Walmart issue). 

I don't really shop at Toys R Us, but is a disappointing to see specialty stores like these run out of business