Toys R Us prepares to shut 25 stores

[TheCountOfNowhere]

9 minutes ago, winkie said:

.....have found children will have more fun with the box the toy came in......so many neglected toys with no home to go to......kids thrive on love and time not toys.

+1 

[Diver Dan]

15 minutes ago, winkie said:

.....have found children will have more fun with the box the toy came in......so many neglected toys with no home to go to......kids thrive on love and time not toys.

When I visit my brother's house, I'm always amazed by how much stuff each of his children have. What do they like to do best when I'm around? Playing card games with their uncle of course.

[winkie]

4 minutes ago, Diver Dan said:

When I visit my brother's house, I'm always amazed by how much stuff each of his children have. What do they like to do best when I'm around? Playing card games with their uncle of course.

....so true, they want you, you that care and are real not plastic......

..tell you what really appreciate lovable unwanted soft toys.....dogs.

[regprentice]

I think we will be rsurecing this thread in 2018...and maybe again in 2019 and maybe maybe in 2020

'The company agreed to pay £9.8m into its pension plan, composed of £3.8m in 2018, with a further £6m promised in 2019 and 2020.'

i think getting to 2020 would e an acheivement in itself!

[TheCountOfNowhere]

7 minutes ago, regprentice said:

I think we will be rsurecing this thread in 2018...and maybe again in 2019 and maybe maybe in 2020

'The company agreed to pay £9.8m into its pension plan, composed of £3.8m in 2018, with a further £6m promised in 2019 and 2020.'

i think getting to 2020 would e an acheivement in itself!

Well, it's 20 past 5 so only 3 hours to go.

 

It'l be gone by the summer I expect.

 

Plenty time to spend those vouchers...

[Errol]

Amazon will destroy them. No point in them continuing.

[Ash4781]

13 hours ago, Errol said:

Amazon will destroy them. No point in them continuing.

I have not seen the financials but from what is reported the pension protection fund (PPF) appears to be filling a hole in the pension fund. As they (PPF) are involved I guess it means they had a defined benefit scheme(s). They have to keep them going as presumably else the PPF will end up with it ( as well as having to reduce scheme member pensions). Still imagine this company will limp along - shedding staff, and stores. 

It is a delicate balance for PPF. I meant to checkout how many employees and schemes were in it.

 

[spyguy]

6 minutes ago, Ash4781 said:

I have not seen the financials but from what is reported the pension protection fund (PPF) appears to be filling a hole in the pension fund. As they (PPF) are involved I guess it means they had a defined benefit scheme(s). They have to keep them going as presumably else the PPF will end up with it ( as well as having to reduce scheme member pensions). Still imagine this company will limp along - shedding staff, and stores. 

It is a delicate balance for PPF. I meant to checkout how many employees and schemes were in it.

 

Complex.

ToysRus are relative new - I cannot remember them existing before about 1990ish.

Id doubt the majority of the staff would have much i nthe way of pensions -  80% low paid shop assistants.

Im guessing this is more well paid, unfunded manager/execs pension v. low paid, zilch benefits shop assistants jobs.

All the more reason that pensions should be paid when the benefit accrues i.e. yearly.

 

[John51]

I can remember the initial tv ad campaign for Toys R Us. 

They were on some pc kick and wanted to show just how righteous they were. The ad I remember had an Action Man and a toy tank vainly trying to get into the store. Because they don't sell non pc toys. Wasn't long before the till beat ideology and they sold whatever toys people wanted to buy.

 

[BorrowToLeech]

42 minutes ago, John51 said:

I can remember the initial tv ad campaign for Toys R Us. 

They were on some pc kick and wanted to show just how righteous they were. The ad I remember had an Action Man and a toy tank vainly trying to get into the store. Because they don't sell non pc toys. Wasn't long before the till beat ideology and they sold whatever toys people wanted to buy.

 

That was the early learning centre. 

 

[dgul]

15 hours ago, TheCountOfNowhere said:

Well, it's 20 past 5 so only 3 hours to go.

 

It'l be gone by the summer I expect.

 

Plenty time to spend those vouchers...

Sounds likely to me.  Frankly I thought this whole thing was just so they could get the residual Christmas trade (this weekend is likely to be busy) and then stiff up their landlords (and the pension fund) come Feb.

[Still Dews]

A visit to ToysRUs doesn't seem to be that enjoyable for the children - it never quite lives up to the expectations. It definitely isn't enjoyable for the parents. The kids seem to find it more fun at somewhere on a more human scale and I think we end up spending more because of it. All toy shops are struggling to compete with the likes of Amazon, but Toys R Us probably falls between the two - the convenience and cheapness of Amazon, and the enjoyable experience of a smaller toy shop to spend birthday money in. 

[Castlevania]

14 hours ago, John51 said:

I can remember the initial tv ad campaign for Toys R Us. 

They were on some pc kick and wanted to show just how righteous they were. The ad I remember had an Action Man and a toy tank vainly trying to get into the store. Because they don't sell non pc toys. Wasn't long before the till beat ideology and they sold whatever toys people wanted to buy.

 

The Entertainer are a toy chain run by Christians. They don't open on Sundays, which in our consumerist society I find bizarre. 

[spyguy]

11 hours ago, Castlevania said:

The Entertainer are a toy chain run by Christians. They don't open on Sundays, which in our consumerist society I find bizarre. 

Entertainer i sort of find fascinating.

As far as i can tell it was founded by a fatbloke finance type bloke who was ramping up the leverage to compete eith toysrus.

Then he got the jaysus! and stopped opening on sundays.

My gut feeling is that his funding - and he must have a lot as thry opened up when leases were fuxing expensive - is being swapped ftom bank lending and replaced by jaysus! Botherers sipp pension funds.

Id not touch Entertainer eith a barge pole.  Bad feeling itll make bhs look well run.

[John51]

On 12/22/2017 at 9:01 AM, BuyToLeech said:

That was the early learning centre. 

 

Now I'm wondering how many of my past memories are wrong.

[Switch625]

And I bet the poor devils out of work won't be counted as part of the rising trend of unemployment at a time that the main stream media keep telling us that we have low levels of unemployment.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/unemployment-in-the-uk-is-now-so-low-its-in-danger-of-exposing-the-lie-used-to-create-the-numbers-2017-7

 

[Houdini]

9 hours ago, spyguy said:

Entertainer i sort of find fascinating.

As far as i can tell it was founded by a fatbloke finance type bloke who was ramping up the leverage to compete eith toysrus.

Then he got the jaysus! and stopped opening on sundays.

My gut feeling is that his funding - and he must have a lot as thry opened up when leases were fuxing expensive - is being swapped ftom bank lending and replaced by jaysus! Botherers sipp pension funds.

Id not touch Entertainer eith a barge pole.  Bad feeling itll make bhs look well run.

The entertainer has virtually no debt and is still owned by the founder and his family - I would go and look at the accounts...

Edited December 23, 2017 by Houdini

[deadasadodo]

I went to the local Toys R Us a few months ago to get a grow bag for the youngest. Dreary, deserted warehouse is how I'd describe it. Ours is quite central and has free parking - I can't understand why they don't put in a soft play and a cafe to make it more of a destination for kids and parents. As it is they're just waiting for Amazon and co to put them out of business.

[Ash4781]

It’s reported that the Toys R US situation will resolve next week with a large VAT bill due next week.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/feb/23/toys-r-us-faces-bankruptcy-putting-3200-jobs-at-risk

[leonardratso]

resolve? has it already solved something (and wants to go over it again?)

[leonardratso]

always reminded me of a huge retail warehouse where nonody ever went, i have no idea how it managed to keep going as long as it has.

[GregBowman]

On 22/12/2017 at 10:49 PM, Castlevania said:

The Entertainer are a toy chain run by Christians. They don't open on Sundays, which in our consumerist society I find bizarre. 

Or admirable as opposed to students backing their lecturers to not teach them or millenials worrying about #metoo and not their shafting at the hands of older generations ?

as Houdini says their money their way in fact the opposite of bizarre.

But I guess your a zero hour contract, gig economy 5 days in any 7 sort of person - why do you need 7 days ratger than 6 to buy s**** from China ?

[Castlevania]

6 minutes ago, GregBowman said:

Or admirable as opposed to students backing their lecturers to not teach them or millenials worrying about #metoo and not their shafting at the hands of older generations ?

as Houdini says their money their way in fact the opposite of bizarre.

But I guess your a zero hour contract, gig economy 5 days in any 7 sort of person - why do you need 7 days ratger than 6 to buy s**** from China ?

You drunk? For those that work Monday to Friday, Sunday shopping is a gift. 

[GregBowman]

1 hour ago, Castlevania said:

You drunk? For those that work Monday to Friday, Sunday shopping is a gift. 

Or time with your family ? The Germans and French get by. That aside is Saturday wiped out too heavy a Friday and Saturday in Spoons ? 

 

[goldbug9999]

On 12/21/2017 at 5:18 PM, Errol said:

Amazon will destroy them. No point in them continuing.

It not just that, kids play on phones tablets and computers these days e.g. minecraft is replacing lego.