Toys R Us Express

You are greeted by cheesy, battery animals barking and rolling around… like Spencer’s and KB high priced junk stores. pleezze… After the battery welcome, we were greeted by a pleasant fellow asking if we were looking for something in particular. Nope. The store has a large selection of dolls, including Barbie, but prices are comparable to Target or Amazon. Loads of Legos… Those wonderful little pieces that hurt like hell when you step on them barefoot. Oops forgot one… Half the store looked like it was transported from the dollar store, only the prices were higher. The sales items were marked down 30%, primarily ghoulish looking dolls. why would any person want their child to cuddle a ghoul? Humm, maybe that’s why they’re on sale?!? These grandparents weren’t impressed with the store. Our lingering impression, the cheesy animals, flailing around in a battery induced fit…

Small store, not the hottest items for kids, not the best prices…

In reality, the star rating would be more of a 2.5 stars. Much like many former retail giants, the brick and mortar versions of Toys R Us has taken many hits from Amazon & the dreaded evil overlord from Arkansas (cue banjo music, canoes, morbidly obese customers in scooters, mullets, freaking out Coastal Oregonians, etc.) — WALMART (eeeek, run, hide the children!!). On a corporate level, they have had to make cuts, file BK, had to soak in the wet spot after Bain Capital had their way with them, etc. It is why that now, many of the locations look like the former KB Toy locations (stuck in the 80’s, dingy, staffed by burn-​outs and other retail rejects, on the verge of closing). Toys R Us acquired KB, Bain whipped out the KY and well, you do the math. The Giraffe got skinnier while the fat cats got fatter, and so it goes. Needless to say, I was very surprised to see this new Toys R Us location open up here on the Oregon Coast. Strategically, it is a very wise placement being located in the heart of tourist town, and in an outlet mall. It is an «Express» store, so it is small, cramped, oddly organized, and difficult to shop in for adults. What are negatives to me, are positives to them though. Cramped store = kids will manipulate their parents for toys and said parents would pay any price just to get the hell out of there. High prices = People are naïve about outlet malls, and will assume just because it is in an outlet, it must be a great deal. Tourist Zone = People will spend without thinking while on vacation. (as evidenced from the way they behave and drive when visiting our coast; «sans thought» in this latest fashion trend among tourists.) I predict that they will do very well during the summer season and spring rush. Christmas will be interesting, but I predict good things for them, as many residents of this area are sadly very economically depressed and are limited by their lack of transportation (many walk or bike – and not because they are trying to be «more green») The same logic that fuels why folks will pay almost 4 times the average price for something at a mini-​mart (because it is open, close, and easier), will undoubtedly apply to the higher prices offered here. Granted, there is only one other official toy store on the tourist drag in Seaside, and they are fairly pricey, so some things here will appear to be a bargain. Also, Toys R Us carries more «current toys» like Star Wars (feel the force), Angry Birds (watch out for those peckers), and licensed toys from Disney (Why George, why!!!) and the like that the other toy store doesn’t carry.
Damn, how did this turn into a WSJ review ??? OK, for our shopping experience at this location. The store is obviously very limited by it’s lack of square footage, so merchandise is stacked high and tight and it all seems very jumbled. Aisles are small, and it was difficult to navigate around the very few customers that were there while we were on this stormy Sunday. The shelves are tightly packed and merchandise will fall all over the place if you pick up a package. I noticed many folks having this «bull in a china shop» experience. Children are going to just trash the store on a busy day with the way the shelves are set up. I can imagine this place being a nightmare on a crowded Summer day filled with tourists, children, and more shoppers. You can’t fault the children really, it is just a logistical recipe for disaster. Prices seemed high and there was a lack of sales on most items. Some things were sale priced, but they were few and far between. There is a coupon floating around for 10 bucks off a $ 50 dollar purchase I believe, that could help out. There was a discount bin at the front of the store selling some items for $ 3 bucks, but these same items can be found at a 99 cent store.
Employees were friendly and offered help. It was obvious that they feel the pinch of the smaller layout, as 3 of them were struggling with product placement on the floor.
I hate to seem like I am whizzing all over this new business. I really want to see ALL places do well here on the coast. They just opened not too long ago, so maybe they will get a better rhythm and find their retail groove. As a local, I just feel that this is more of a place for the tourist trade. If they have a really killer sale, we may brave the place, but for now, it will just remain a blur as we drive by.