Toys R Us to Make a Comeback

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By Alexa Soroka, Assistant Junior Editor

After closing down over 800 stores, a group of investors look to revive Toys R Us, a popular toy store chain, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

If all goes well, the store will be rebranded and renamed “Geoffrey’s Toy Box,” after the previous Toys R Us mascot.

This comes after a discussion among investors in which they decided that there is more potential in reviving the store rather than selling it off.

Toys R Us issued a tweet recently which stated, “Guess who’s back? He’s been traveling across the globe for the past few months but now #GeoffreysBack and once again ready to set play free for children of all ages. Share some of your favorite memories and get ready to make a whole lot of new ones!”

Following social media buzz, some were disappointed with the news.

“It’s not as iconic. There’s a ring to Toys R Us, but not Geoffery’s Toybox,” shares junior Anisa Sarwar.

However, others were optimistic towards the new store.

“It’s kind of sad that it’s gone, but if they could run the new business correctly then what the heck? They could bring back so many jobs,” comments junior Derek Pepple.

Despite its popularity, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September of 2017, detailing that they needed to borrow two billion dollars to contribute to their some five billion dollars worth of debt.

Stores were not bringing in as many customers, as Americans have become less reliant on visiting stores and more on online outlets, such as Amazon, Walmart, and Target, for shopping.

The company reported that holiday sales were not as strong as they anticipated, which was a huge financial disappointment.

At the end of the day, the company was unable to compete with other big name stores which sold the same product for a cheaper price, leading to its ultimate downfall.

Despite past failures, however, the company is optimistic toward future endeavors and looks to incite excitement and creativity in children for years to come.