TRU facing banksruptcy?

[Boy Wonder]

Good question, PTB.  There are metric tons of toys and collectibles out there that neither store carry.  A dude over on the ORG said he heard something about TARGET starting to have an Adult Collectible section that's completely separate from the toy section.  For example, that might be where they would stock those upcoming Vintage style MOTU figs if they decide to carry them.

Well NECA announced that Target is going to be carrying their products, so this is starting to look more likely

[fishmilkshake]

My local TRU is now a minimum of 50% off. I finally picked up things like the Star Wars Black Rey/Speeder, but honestly, it felt like I was fleecing a corpse. The staff wander around like zombies, uncaring despite there being shit everywhere. There's crap all over the floors in the aisles and always a huge line of people waiting for the price check machines despite everything scanning at 100% with the discount being applied at the registers. 

[Chooch]

Why would you give a shit? The people that stay while the company is going under amaze me. I get they don't often have much choice, but damn that has to be the most demotivating thing ever.

[fishmilkshake]

Why would you give a shit? The people that stay while the company is going under amaze me. I get they don't often have much choice, but damn that has to be the most demotivating thing ever.

Truth.

I was there again yesterday and there was one employee zooming around trying to reorganise the mess. She was grabbing things off the floor and then re-homing them appropriately. If anyone was deserving of a hug and a medal for endurance it was her.

[kcekada]

Some news today -- the board isn't quite ready to liquidate all of the assets -- apparently. The want to retain rights to the stores and the giraffe! So maybe TRU will live again online?

[Chooch]

I hadn't thought of them going exclusively online.  How do they compete with Amazon though if that's their only meal ticket?  Any new avenue to get toys though is always welcome!

[fishmilkshake]

I hadn't thought of them going exclusively online.  How do they compete with Amazon though if that's their only meal ticket?  Any new avenue to get toys though is always welcome!

Isn't that one of the reasons they're in the boat they're in? In the late nineties when online shopping started to look like a thing they farmed their stuff out to Amazon. Thus ensuring people went to the Amazon site as the first port of call.

[Gardner Grayle]

Not seen this anywhere yet.  Heard it on the radio.  Toys R Us will be taking over the toy aisles in 600 Krogers across the country for Christmas.  As I said, unconfirmed so far.

[Chooch]

The King Soopers (local Krogers) have been expanding into more department-store type stuff lately.  Some even have half-way decent toy aisles.  It might make sense to let a third party handle the Christmas rush.

[Gardner Grayle]

I’ve heard a bit more:

Seems it’ll be a literal box called Geoffrey’s Toy Box.  The radio report made it sound like they’d be taking over a part of the store.  Not a glorified point of purchase display.  The local stores vary widely.  Some are just groceries.  Others have more general merchandise.  The largest has about two and a half dedicated toy aisles, including some discount stuff.  I saw Morbius there for nine bucks a while back.  I’ve seen both Marvel Legends and Multiverse in Kroger’s.  Also WWE and some Transformers.  Don’t recall if there was any Star Wars Black.

Anyhow, that’s what I thought TrU was taking over. 

[fishmilkshake]

I wonder if there's any hidden warehouse stock still left?