When I heard Toys R Us was closing, my heart broke. Even though it will still be a retail chain in Canada, not having the stores in the US will never be the same.
Toys R Us was not only important to my childhood, but also important to other millennials and the number of generations that came before. From here on out, the toy industry will never be the same.
I haven’t walked into their store since I was probably in my early years of high school, when I would shop with my brothers for our younger cousins. But those aren’t the only memories I have.
Sometimes my parents would bring my brothers and me, when we were younger, to the toy store after we went out to eat for dinner. Whether it was just for fun, shopping for one of our friends’ birthdays, or our own birthday, it was a trip. Walking through those automatic sliding doors as a child, I would get giddy. Just seeing all of the bright colors, the displays of the latest, hottest toys, and the art section would get my blood pumping.
While my brothers hung around the LEGO section, I’d be amongst the dolls and the arts & crafts kits. Tie-dye a shirt, make your own jewelry, paint your own stained glass. I had them all.
Probably the most memorable purchase was my pink Nintendo DS Lite. I saved up my allowance for months and then made the trip over to Toys R Us when I was in fifth grade. I paid – in cash – for the largest purchase I’d ever made in my life at that point. I think it was more than $130 if I remember that correctly. I remember slowly laying out the bills on the counter, counting them. The young man behind the counter was patient with my 10 year old self, who was just learning how to.
It worries me to think that people aren’t buying as many toys as they used to. Amazon and other online retailers are taking over the world; Target and Walmart sell toys for cheaper than Toys R Us. In addition, kids aren’t interested in toys as much anymore. They would rather play with their iPads and other digital systems. It is disappointing to know that children do not have as much sensory and hands-on stimulation as I and previous generations did as children.
It’s sad that this is goodbye, but I will always think of Toys R Us fondly.