Toys R Us

Companies hope AI branding makes them look ready for the future, but that leaves opportunities for "human-focused" marketing.

Just a few years ago, the toy retailer closed its U.S. operations and laid off 30,000 workers.

Since Toys R Us went into liquidation in 2018, retailers like Target, Walmart and Amazon have expanded efforts in the toy sector.

The retailer hopes to gain a competitive edge by offering a unique customer experience in smaller stores.

Rival toymaker Hasbro reported disappointing earnings last week, and Mattel faces similar headwinds from tariffs and store closures.

Although holding onto the name for customer nostalgia, stores will be fewer and smaller with more of an emphasis on show cases and play spaces.

Toys “R” Us could reportedly be coming back as soon as this year, but it probably won’t resemble the old big box chain.

Mattel and Hasbro will both report their earnings this week. Mattel reports Thursday after the market closes, and Hasbro reports Friday. Combined, these two companies will give us a sense of how the toy industry fared during the all-important holiday season and how they’re coping with the closure of retailer Toys R Us.

The private equity firms Bain and KKR announced this week that they will contribute $20 million to a compensation fund for former employees of Toys R Us. The retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2017, laying off tens of thousands of workers without severance packages. And for months, those former employees have been […]

The retail giant's bankruptcy has Hasbro and other toymakers scrambling to prepare for the holidays.