It’s the end of an era for many Toys R Us stores around the country. The toy retailer filed for bankruptcy and faces complete liquidation if it does not find a quick financial solution. A bankruptcy-court filing revealed that the chain currently intends to close six Arizona stores by mid-April.
The locations include:
- 12801 North Tatum Boulevard in Phoenix.
- 9139 Indian Bend Road in Scottsdale.
- 7000 E. Mayo Blvd. in Scottsdale.
- U.S. 60 and Signal Butte Road in Mesa.
- 4619 N. Oracle Road in Tucson.
- 801 W. 32nd St. in Yuma.
At the Toys R Us store near the Paradise Valley Mall, a closing sale has already started with sales up to 50 percent off. Signs in the store windows claim, “Nothing held back!”
Some toys are marked down 20 percent such as a $199.99 Little Tikes Magical Unicorn Carriage selling for $199.99. Smaller knick-knacks from the Fungus AmungUs line boast price tags as cheap as $1.78. However, not all toys are included in the discount sale, including more popular brands like Lego.
With a cart slowly filling with toys, Sudhir Reddy browsed the store with his 6-year-old daughter, claiming he hated “to see the store go.”
“Amazon — I don’t know. It’s killing everything,” he said.
Reddy wasn’t the only reflective customer, as many others pined over the loss of the store.
Andre Mitchell, who came to the store with his son, praised the toy company’s big selection and “niche toys.” He fondly reminisced about his trips to Toys R Us as a child, looking through the store for after-Christmas sales with money from his grandparents.
“We’d come here and clean up,” Mitchell said wistfully.
