A couple of weeks ago, Toys “R” Us filed for bankruptcy. Toys “R” Us is filing for bankruptcy because, “In its fight to stay relevant, Toys “R” Us amassed $5 billion in debt,” CNN Money said. This debt was accumulated from reducing prices, entering into licensing deals, and purchasing other corporations, such as FAO Schwartz and KB Toys. I find it utterly sad that this is happening. Toys “R” Us was a major part of my childhood. When I was a kid, if I was my family would take me to this store after lunch on Sundays to get a toy if I behaved well.
I also remember that my siblings had the best time at this store as well. My sisters and I would stay together at the store and look around thoroughly at everything that was laid out. My brother would stroll around the store on his own and go look at the video games and the sports toys. This was a place that my parents loved to take us to because they saw how happy all of us got whenever we were in this store.
I remember when I saw Dance Dance Revolution at Toys “R” Us and my siblings and I thought it was the coolest toy. My parents ended up purchasing it for us and we spent hours in the basemen in the dark playing with it.
I also remember when my siblings and I got our Razor Scooters at Toys “R” Us. We would ride them before and after school and on the weekends. We rode them for hours until we got exhausted and went inside for the night and did our own thing.
I think Amazon, eBay, Etsy and other stores like these are another why Toys “R” Us went bankrupt. Toys “R” Us is expensive compared to these online stores. All of these stores sell the same merchandise, which is why customers often look for the cheaper price. If people were to go out and purchase toys in person, they would most likely go to Target and Wal-Mart because they are both cheaper than Toys “R” Us. These stores know how to attract their customers based on their affordable prices. Parents work hard and they want to be cautious when spending money
In my opinion, kids today still have imaginations. However, I do not see how their imagination can be as big as ours were when we were kids. This is because of the large amounts of time they spend playing on electronic devices such as iPads, iPhones and video game consoles as opposed to “real” toys. Parents need to take these devices away and give their kids other toys, such as dolls or plastic cars.
New York City has the largest Toys “R” Us in the world and attracts many visitors. People are sad and distraught that it is closing. I’ve heard people talk about how much they love the store’s unique features and attractions, such as the Ferris wheel, and the overall feeling they got by going into the store. If Toys “R” Us closes, people will lose this experience when visiting New York City.
As a kid I loved the feeling I got when I went into Toys “R” Us. It’s sad that kids won’t get to experience this amazing store if it closes.
Farah Haidari
fahaidari@vwu.edu