Rant #1,984: All of My Toys

No, there is no Hurricane Jeffrey this year.

But for toy chain Toys 'R Us, the storm has hit them, and hit them hard.

The nation's largest toy chain filed for bankruptcy protection yesterday, trying to handle its debts in this Chapter 11 move.

Toys 'R Us has 1,600 stores and 64,000 employees, and it says that even through this filing, it is business as usual at its facilities.

But the timing of the filing is kind of odd, to me at least.

Such a filing right as the holiday shopping season is ready to begin?

To me, that means that the toy retailer is in trouble, and maybe even tremendous trouble.

Brick and mortar retailing is not what it once was, and heavy competition from online retailers--including Amazon--is hurting this type of business beyond what few want to admit.

And with a toy retailer, trying to compete with online vendors--the hustle and bustle of a store versus ordering a toy in the comfort of your home at any hour by the push of a button--doesn't measure up.

I would think that somewhere down the line, Toys 'R Us will close its most unprofitable stores, leaving huge holes in shopping centers from coast to coast, since their stores take up so much space.

It will also put thousands out of work, which is never a good thing.

Yes, it is business as usual now, but for how long--that is the question.

And again, the timing of this filing is very curious; you would think that they would give this holiday season a whirl, and if it didn't turn out well, then file for bankruptcy.

To do this right before the season begins shows that things aren't just bad for the retailer, they are probably dire.

Will Toys 'R Us follow other major toy retailers--like KB Toys--into the dumpster?

It is too early to tell, but I wouldn't bet against it.

Personally, I have nothing but fond memories of Toys 'R Us.

With two kids, there was a time when a visit to Toys 'R Us was almost akin to a visit to the supermarket; I went there just about every week from the time my daughter was born in 1988 until my son was about 10 years old in 2005.

For my daughter, there was no better place to buy her favorite toys as a kid--Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures and other related stuff--and for my son, it was the place to go for Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars.

But when they grew older, we pretty much stopped going to these stores. There really was no need anymore, as they moved onto other things.

Even with my son, who got into video games, there were other places to get these games, and at cheaper prices.

As I am writing this, I can't think of the last time I was in a Toys "R Us, but it must be years ago, and honestly, I don't even remember the reason for my last visit to the retailer.

And with no grandchildren or any other kids to buy for in sight, I doubt that I will be visiting there any time soon.

So Toys 'R Us is nothing more than a nice memory for me now, but let's hope, for traditional retail's sake, that it doesn't become a memory, period.