6 ms·

The market for Toys-R-Us is absolutely still there, and currently there is a vacuum for a better company to step in place. People are simply not going to buy th

The market for Toys-R-Us is absolutely still there, and currently there is a vacuum for a better company to step in place. People are simply not going to buy their children's items online; moms just love to try things out in the store for their kids.

rdtsc 8y ago
We've driven many times by the now closed Toys-R-Us store and lamented how we can't go and pick out toys there anymore. Stores like Target have a toys section and it helps to some extent but the selection is just not there. Also another thing Amazon can't do is last minute gift shopping for the numerous birthday parties kids seem to be invited to.
- toomuchtodo 8y ago
  Parent life pro tip. Purchase an assortment of toys on clearance and keep them around for emergency party invites.
  - rdtsc 8y ago
    Excellent idea. Thanks!
  - pkaye 8y ago
    And you can also buy gift wrap and greeting cards at dollar stores. There is not much difference except for the limited selection.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
    - carlivar 8y ago
      Gift wrap is something I've learned over time not to cheap out on. Wrapping a present with cheap paper is frustrating. It rips far too easily. The task with quality paper is night and day. Worth a few more bucks per roll if you ask me.
marpstar 8y ago
My local Best Buy has expanded their "toys" section by probably 10x what they had when I worked there 2005-2009. Lots of non-tech-related stuff like Melissa & Doug, too.
AndrewKemendo 8y ago
Completely anecdotal but I think the market is bifurcating into one group that buys more video games than physical toys but buys them at existing box stores, and groups that buy almost no toys whatsoever. Wal-Mart and Target seem to be the go-to destination for toys for most of the people I work with who aren't making 100k+. For those over 100k+ in income they buy a lot more wood toys from scandinavia and educational toys instead of purely play toys like we had in the 70s-80s. For us, with our three kids we basically bought no toys whatsoever that weren't educational toys.

rdtsc 8y ago

We've driven many times by the now closed Toys-R-Us store and lamented how we can't go and pick out toys there anymore. Stores like Target have a toys section and it helps to some extent but the selection is just not there. Also another thing Amazon can't do is last minute gift shopping for the numerous birthday parties kids seem to be invited to.

toomuchtodo 8y ago
Parent life pro tip. Purchase an assortment of toys on clearance and keep them around for emergency party invites.
- rdtsc 8y ago
  Excellent idea. Thanks!
- pkaye 8y ago
  And you can also buy gift wrap and greeting cards at dollar stores. There is not much difference except for the limited selection.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - carlivar 8y ago
    Gift wrap is something I've learned over time not to cheap out on. Wrapping a present with cheap paper is frustrating. It rips far too easily. The task with quality paper is night and day. Worth a few more bucks per roll if you ask me.

marpstar 8y ago

My local Best Buy has expanded their "toys" section by probably 10x what they had when I worked there 2005-2009. Lots of non-tech-related stuff like Melissa & Doug, too.

AndrewKemendo 8y ago

Completely anecdotal but I think the market is bifurcating into one group that buys more video games than physical toys but buys them at existing box stores, and groups that buy almost no toys whatsoever. Wal-Mart and Target seem to be the go-to destination for toys for most of the people I work with who aren't making 100k+. For those over 100k+ in income they buy a lot more wood toys from scandinavia and educational toys instead of purely play toys like we had in the 70s-80s. For us, with our three kids we basically bought no toys whatsoever that weren't educational toys.