So basically the story is that Strategic Marks, LLC, a company that owns a bunch of old store brands, has the rights to the KB Toys name and announced they're planning to bring it back. But there's not really much more information than that. The company seems focused on popup stores with a retro shopping kind of experience? So maybe they'll do some limited run KB pop-ups in major markets around Christmas or something, I don't know.

I could definitely see the name being advantageous to Christmas pop-up stores in the mall, but malls are dying a slow death too it seems. But the fact remains that 20-30 years ago kids played with toys until they were into double digits. My kids still have some toys, but it seems now after age 6 or so it's more about electronics and internet. My daughter still collects Shopkins, but it's not like when I was a kid and my sister played with dolls all the time. Maybe you'll see smaller independent stores geared toward adult collectors, but I guess that's what ThinkGeek is, and really, that's so small. No, O think it's Walmart, Target, and Amazon from here on out.

Aaaaaaannnnndddd, maybe not...

From Ellia Kassoff of Strategic Marks, LLC coutesy of a LinkedIn article:

"Wow! is all we can say after our first announcement here on Linked In that we're bringing back @kbtoysstore very soon. We're received so many calls, emails, and private messages of support as we try to #savethetoyindustry. Due to the overwhelming response, we can't commit to replying back immediately but we will get to all messages as fast as we can. Many of you asked what our plans will be and all we can say is we spent the last six months working on a sustainable model to bring back KB Toys the right way so it can compete with not only the big box stores but on-line as well.

Our umbrella, Strategic Marks, LLC has been very successful bringing back many of the most popular products and companies over the last ten years because we follow a very strict formula; [To bring back the experiences we loved as a child, just as you remembered them]. With #kbtoys, we had to also look at why they initially failed and to make sure those mistakes won't be made again. Now, with the closing of @toysrus so quickly, it caught us by surprise so we've spent the last few days with our team and leaders in the toy industry to figure out how we can accelerate the project so our stores can open for the Christmas season. When we're ready, you will be very happy with the results and we believe our model can withstand both on-line as well as other large competitors for not only the short-term but long-term as well.

We understand, we're not just restarting the only other well-known and loved toy chain in the US but hope to find places for those 33,000 jobs which will be lost as Toys R Us closes. Please be patient with us over the next few weeks as we get this rolling. In the meantime, if you are a toy manufacturer, supplier, distributor, industry head or ex-KB Toys executive, we want to talk to you. Please email us at: info@kbtoysstore.com. If you are a current #toysrus employee, please feel free to send us your resume to resumes@kbtoysstore.com but also know that we won't get back to you for a little while as we finalize our concept. #savethetoyindustry #kbtoysareback"

Seems like their reach is exceeding their grasp on this one. That's a huge undertaking and they don't really seem to have the experience for it.

Maybe? I looked at what other 'brands and companies' they've brought back and I can't say I've ever heard of any of them besides Hydrox. It might just be due to geographical location. If I mentioned Super Duper, I'm not sure anyone on the west coast would have any idea what I'm talking about, so Marshall Field's means nothing to me. From the looks of their site it seems like they're are more of a virtual mall so not sure what their experience with brick and mortar is. I think if they could find a brick and mortar store that's somewhere between the size of a TRU and KB, it might be a good starting point. I don't know if starting out at a TRU scale is feasible. I won't pretend I know much about this sort of stuff. This has more info as well.

https://therockfather.com/news-and-revi ... -toys-r-us

Going Out of Business Tomorrow


https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2018/03/20/discounts-heres-when-toys-r-us-liquidation-sale-starts/443056002/

http://www.newser.com/story/256847/amazon-might-buy-some-toys-r-us-locations.html

https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-massive-toys-r-us-going-out-of-business-sales-begin-1823953347


Sad, but true ... read the links.

So sad...never thought I’d see this day

I visited the Appleton TRU today and though there were no liquidations happening, there was not a whole lot of good product there...

Gonna miss you my friend

Sadly fitting the original owner of Toys R Us died today at age 94.
http://www.businessinsider.com/toys-r-u ... -94-2018-3

PB! Seriously, don't do that to me with that image. Between that and the trailer for the Mr. Rogers documentary I'm a trainwreck right now. Time to get all high school and play some Dashboard Confessional baybee.

Also, wait, his name is Lazarus? Is TRU going to rise from the grave and take us all to our better lives in the sky? Do the Hot Wheels guys get to come? Because that might be a dealbreaker for me.

The Hot Wheel guys will spend an eternity digging through bins looking for that ever elusive Treasure Hunt.