OT: Toys R Us Closing Its Flagship Store in New York City
Toys R Us is closing its flagship store in Times Square. And if you aren't happy about this, you need to quit drinking and go to bed.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:13 AM ^
That certainly didn't take very long. I wonder who he'll be running into the ground next year?
December 9th, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
He will be named CEO of Nike on 8/1/16.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:16 AM ^
You shut your whore mouth.
December 9th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^
you dirty pirate hooker.. .
December 9th, 2015 at 5:55 PM ^
Honestly Toys R' Us is in a really tough place, between the rise of all forms of electronic gaming and online retailers. The only thing I would think to buy at Toy R' Us are larger toys and I would probably look at Walmart first.
December 9th, 2015 at 6:52 PM ^
Brandon will announce a 2016 presidential campaign, win, and then run the country deep into the ground.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^
You move away from the B1G and you stop coveting the NYC market over anything else. Any respect Delaney had for Brandon must now be gone.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:32 AM ^
Delany NEVER had any respect for Dave Brandon - that was part of the problem.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:17 AM ^
First FAO Schwarz, now this. Where are we supposed to buy toys, the internet?
December 9th, 2015 at 11:19 AM ^
I know, right? I used to see a cargo van with "Free Toys" roaming around Happy Valley, but even that's been gone for a few years now.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:22 AM ^
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December 9th, 2015 at 12:00 PM ^
Ouch!
December 9th, 2015 at 1:25 PM ^
soon!
December 9th, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
... if there are structural problems in the industry that Brandon is responding to in a rational way, as opposed to the often ridiculous and irrational comments posted here about him.
December 9th, 2015 at 12:31 PM ^
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December 9th, 2015 at 3:27 PM ^
December 9th, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^
Well yes, but if you buy a six pack of Coke you get a free giant-size stuffed Winne The Pooh.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
#retailactivation
December 9th, 2015 at 11:20 AM ^
Bring your own sledge-hammer to the demo and you get a free Coke!!!!
December 9th, 2015 at 11:20 AM ^
I'm so going to start a Toys-R-Us blog to catch all the DB stalkers from here.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
is owned by Toys R Us. That once great and iconic brand has been reduced to a couple of shitty shelves in regular Toys R Us stores.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
Next they'll start carrying giraffe fur.
December 9th, 2015 at 12:01 PM ^
This will help Brandon's overall plan of recapturing the Dentist-Big Game Hunter market in Minnesota. First you capture the exotic mammal fur market. ("Geoffrey, meet Cecil. Cecil - Geoffrey.") Then you build on the obvious leveraging synergies.*
He's tapping into a market that you can't begin to comprehend. There's always a plan with Brandon, people.
- *"Daddy, this toy baby seal is sooooooo soft and cuddly. It's the best Christmas gift ever. I LOVE baby seals!"
- "Well, Suzy, that's because it's made with real baby seal fur! Thanks, Dave Brandon!"
December 9th, 2015 at 11:26 AM ^
I'm not sure why I should be happy about people losing their jobs.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:32 AM ^
firing Fridays is no longer decimating our athletic department and has moved on to now impact a giant, soul-less corporation that peddles cheap foreign-manufactured goods and licensed/schlocky merchandise from other giant, soul-less corprorations.
December 9th, 2015 at 8:55 PM ^
"Oscar, do you see the irony?"
December 9th, 2015 at 10:17 PM ^
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December 9th, 2015 at 11:28 AM ^
I always thought the Toys R Us times square concept was a bit odd. Only tourists spend any time there and even after its "Disneyfication" Times Square isn't the most child-friendly place in the city. Never seemed like Toys R Us would be able to sell enough toys to tourists in that spot to pay what must be an astronomical rent. And it's not like going to a fun, cool Toys R Us would make going to your average shitty suburan version any better.
The Disney and M&M stores made more sense as they sell things that aren't boxed up clunky toys, and the experience at those stores may actually help bottom line elsewhere.
Much as I hate to admit it, but this is probably a smart move by the David Brandon led company (probably means it was someone else's idea).
December 9th, 2015 at 11:47 AM ^
I read something recently about the rents in that area. None of the businesses there now break even, much less turn a profit; they all lose money due to the astronomical rents.
December 9th, 2015 at 12:23 PM ^
It is more of an advertisement than an actual profit-seeking store. There a few areas like this around the country now where actual businesses are priced out and essentially replaced by 3-D, interactive billboards for mega-chains.
December 9th, 2015 at 12:35 PM ^
"According to the CO, "The asking rent on the ground floor in the 150,000-square-foot building is $2,500 per square foot"
That price is insane for any business. A 2k square foot retail store in that location would be paying $5 million per year in rent. I can't think of a single product that would generate enough sales/profit to cover that. Not even cocaine.
December 9th, 2015 at 1:43 PM ^
5th Avenue is going for $6K PSF these days.
December 9th, 2015 at 12:53 PM ^
Right, which is why I get it for companies like Disney or Mars operating huge stores that also serve as entertainment locations. In addition to goods sold at the store, Disney provides an experience which helps with future projects, promotes their shows, promotes disney world, etc. M&M world sells candy and a cool experience that may entice you to pick up that pack of candy when you're at checkout at the drug store.
But I'm not sure what Toys R Us gets. They don't have a concept to push outside of their stores (they don't, right?). Remembering how great the times square store is isn't going to do anything when you also remember how crappy their average store is and how it's just easier to order off Amazon. And I wouldn't think they'd sell enough toys at the location to even bring the loss into reasonable territory.
December 9th, 2015 at 7:27 PM ^
December 9th, 2015 at 11:28 AM ^
December 9th, 2015 at 11:57 AM ^
My hometown Toys R Us has people shooting each other. I blame the higher ups.
December 10th, 2015 at 8:15 AM ^
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December 9th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^
John Bacon is writing the foreword to the new book
"Toys 'R not us"
December 9th, 2015 at 11:48 AM ^
Geoffrey's Lasting Lessons?
December 9th, 2015 at 11:31 AM ^
I know we all like to pile on Brandon but this is actually a good move for Toys R Us. Times Square real estate is the most expensive commercial space per square foot in the world, and that store was a monstrosity that must have been losing millions. Toys are mostly bought online, and the Toys R Us brand (with a target consumer of young kids and the parents that buy for them) was not getting enough of a value-add from having the flagship there.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:52 AM ^
how many barbies would have to be sold to pay the rent on that place for a month.
December 9th, 2015 at 1:44 PM ^
No it's not. Fifth Avenue is much higher PSF and as well as places like Oxford Street in London.
December 9th, 2015 at 2:37 PM ^
December 9th, 2015 at 3:15 PM ^
CNN was reporting three months before Brandon signed on with Toys R Us that they wouldn't be renewing their lease for the TS location. But yeah, I get it, if something can be twisted to put DB in a bad light, jump on the bandwagon.
December 9th, 2015 at 11:31 AM ^
db as much as the next person but pretty sure this actually started well before he took over as CEO due massive high cost location and wasted space that includes a ferris wheel in the store