Toys 'R' Us preparing for possible bankruptcy filing

Toys 'R' Us is working to put together a loan to fund its operations in a potential bankruptcy filing that could come before the holiday sales season, according to people familiar with the matter.

The retailer had already said it was working with an investment bank to assess options for about $400 million in debt that comes due next year.

Buyout firms KKR & Co LP and Bain Capital LP, together with real estate investment trust Vornado Realty Trust, took Toys 'R' Us private for $6.6 billion in 2005. The deal saddled the company with debt, limiting its ability to revamp its stores and make online shopping easier.

Nordstrom is truly a class act.

They are the only business besides Chick-Fil-A that I can think of that truly does everything to please the customer.

(P.S: unfortunately, they had to relinquish their “honor system” a few years back due to so many slimeballs taking advantage of them. No more “just bring back the item no questions asked”; now one has to have a receipt and maybe tags.)

Back in the 80s the place was a reward to visit as a kid even if you didn’t get anything. The racks of pristine BMX bikes, the wall of action figure boxes you thought were 80 feet tall, and the “dream toys” behind the big glass case that you just stare at in awe.

You've got that right. I really loved going to see Geoffrey the Giraffe when I was little.

MANY years later, I was a network field service engineer, and one year in early December, I had an emergency service call, because the Toy R Us distribution center outside of KC had a critical network failure, and that was their distribution hub for most of their electronic and video games at the time. I was able to get them back up and running in a couple of hours. Their IT manager told me that I was "Santa's special helper," and I helped save Christmas for many little boys and girls.

While I look back on that and smile, it really makes me sad to see yet another favorite thing from my childhood close its doors. So many stores simply can't compete with the on-line monsters. Like you, when I was little, I loved being treated with a trip to Toys R Us, and for many, many years, I loved strolling through the shelves at the local B. Dalton or WaldenBooks stores, perusing the titles, to see if anything looked interesting. You can't do that online with Amazon.

Mark

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