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Summary:
Just last week, Toys R Us announced that they will be closing 735 stores around the U.S., putting an end to the iconic giraffe mascot as well as jobs for 30,000 individuals. Toys R Us has succumbed to debt that it has accumulated over the years and to the new trend of online shopping and mobile games. Shoppers moved to places like Amazon and huge chains like Walmart for their toy shopping.
Analysis:
It is important to understand that our generation relies on convenience rather than going to a store. Staring at a picture on a screen instead of walking through an aisle has its benefits, although many kids do not get to experience this. Furthermore, there will definitely be a high demand for jobs in retail especially because 30,000 people will be losing their jobs. Last fall, Toys R Us did mention that they would make their stores more interactive, but this had little to no effect, foreshadowing the closure of the store and a lack of public interest in their store.
Questions:
1. How do you think the 30,000 employees at Toys R Us will respond?
2. Why do you think online shopping has more of an impact on our generation today?
3. Based on the outcome of Toys R Us, do you believe that other stores could potentially follow the same path?
17 comments:
I don't think that the employees will respond well to this, because they just lost their jobs, and now they have to go and find new ones. I believe that online shopping has more of an impact on our society today because it's the convenience. A lot of people are just too lazy to be going to the store and buying things, when they can can get it online with just a click of a button, and have it the next business day. Other stores could potentially follow the same path, it depends if they will get bankrupt. But it is a possibility, since more and more people are buying toys online
Obviously, the employees aren't happy with this change. As you said, more people lean toward convenience these days and this has impacted other companies and stores as well like Express. They have also been closing down more stores as online sales have been rising. I actually find this more inconvenient because in order to return items, I have to drive really far. But I definitely can see closing the physical stores as a trend among businesses that aren't super popular.
That's too bad for the employees at Toys R us, but I imagine a lot of them are fine with it considering it is probably a part time job for them. Online shopping is more of an impact on our generation, because we are more tech savvy then the previous generations maybe? Or we value convenience a lot more. I feel like other stores won't follow the same path, perhaps because they offer an exclusive product or offer online shopping of their own. I'm sure some of them will adapt.
It is definitely unfortunate for the 30,000 employees; however, finding another job is no big deal. As Mr. Felder said in class, employment is at an all time low right now and how it is very easy to go outside and find a job. The amount of employees losing their jobs will have little effect on anything. I think that online shopping is more convenient for a lot of people. Most websites offer free shipping and it is less stressful to browse through all the items whereas in the store, you have to be constantly walking around to find your item. The organization is a lot better on websites, which is why so many people on days like Black Friday shop at home. Furthermore, it is expensive to go out and shop at all these different stores due to the price of gas and effort expended. And many of the items that people want these days can only be found online rather than in store. I do think that more and more stores will eventually follow the same path like Toy R US because there is just not enough traffic in these stores to sustain them. Eventually, the stores will be losing money and filing for bankruptcy. Most retailer stores will go out of business eventually.
Wow, this is truly an end of an era. Rest in Peace to all of our childhoods and the generation before us as well. I can't tell you how many Lego sets and toys I've brought out of the sliding doors of the Toys R Us at Bridgepointe. I remember going in there a few months ago and there were only a handful of people in the entire store. This just goes to show how much our society has moved away from physically shopping, as well as the drastic change in children's taste. Now, it seems like everyone is getting a phone by the age of 10, along with some video games, and that's all they need. It's a sad day...
I don't think there was anything that Toys R Us could have done to prevent this outcome. As Stephen stated, shopping from online websites like Amazon is fare more convenient than making a visit to the a store that has a limited selection and higher prices. I would think that the only way Toys R us could have succeeded is if they catered to online shoppers, although competing with major online shopping sites like Amazon would be tough. Also, unemployment is at an all time low. 30,000 jobs lost to a company that was bound to go bankrupt is not a major problem in my eyes.
I think there are many reasons for Toys R Us to close down. The main being that we shop online a lot more. People have less and less time now and they don't have the time to take their kids to a store when all they can do is put it up in a screen and browse or search all they want. There is also the factor that no one will have to wait in line and they can get fast shipping if they really wanted to. I think more and more stores will close down because the demand is not as big as it use to be. This is really sad for the 30,000 workers that will soon be jobless. I think we are lucky to live in the bay area because the demand for employees is pretty high, but they are so many other states where it is not like this and people will find it hard to find a new job. It is going to be really hard on them.
It does suck for the employees that work there, but that's just the way business works. Things come and go after time, technology evolves and leads to more convenient methods of buying toys and such. People above mentioned how this large loss of jobs is not as bad as it seems since a lot of people at Toys R us are only working part time. This situation reminds me of when blockbuster closed down all of their stores because of more convenient ways to watch movies, such as Netflix.
There is no doubt that the Toys R Us employees are unhappy with this change. But I do believe that there has been a decline in people shopping at stores. Most of my family friends prefer to shop on Amazon or other online stores because it's just more convenient. And I think that making shopping more convenient for consumers is the reason why most of the in store shops might end up turning into online stores in the future.
It is sad that the stores are closing, but it makes sense considering the convenience of online shopping services like Amazon. Purchasing games online is much easier than going to a store and having to wait in long checkout lines, and oftentimes the prices online are lower than inside the store. I know a lot of high school students who work at Toys R Us, and they have already found jobs at other stores, so the store closing has little to no impact on them. I am sure that many other retail stores will end up like Toys R Us because it's much easier to just purchase items online. I know that Claire's filed for bankruptcy recently, and there will no doubt be others eventually.
I think that the immense number of employees that lost their jobs are not going to be that satisfied, but in the end, these things happen; companies do go out of business. I do think that the technological advancements have made things way more efficient, but people tend to experience less. For instance, people would rather purchase goods online than go in store and wait on long lines and risk the ability of the store having those goods. I think that some stores are advocating, or appealing to online shopping as many stores put more on their website than in stores. Overall, I think that the retail business is going to decline as everything seems to be online these days.
I think the online shopping industry makes the most of its profit off human nature; people are lazy and want to find the easiest or fastest way to do everything. Online shopping caters extremely well to that, as people do not need to leave the comfort of their own home. It is hard for companies like Toys R Us to compete with convenient ways of shopping that others like Amazon provide people with. Although it is disappointing to the company and its workers, I think this is great example of a competitive market. The people's demand for a store like Toys R Us decreased and ultimately caused its bankruptcy (obviously). This closure reflects the control the people have over the market.
Obviously, the Toys R Us employees are mad and unhappy with this change because they just lost their jobs. Although I'm personally dissatisfied with my childhood vanishing in thin air, I can see how this change is beneficial. I'm starting to see a trend that people shopping at stores is steadily declining because online shopping is more convenient. I prefer online shopping like Amazon too so this rings true to myself. Business is business though and markets adjust to consumer demand.
I think that the people losing their jobs will be pretty upset and could potentially take a setback financially. However, society is shifting and so this news does not surprise me. Nowadays you can order practically anything on amazon and have it on your doorstep the next day. Though I love and support shopping in stores, I think online shopping is a lot more efficient and convenient. As a result, I would imagine that the retail business will see a big decline fairly soon.
I think that online shopping is so big today because it is so much more convenient. People are able to lay down in their bed and shop for what they want, something much easier than having to get dressed, drive, and go up and down aisle to find the few things you're looking for. Because of the convenience of online shopping, I am not surprised at all that stores like Toys R Us are going out of business. However, it's really sad to hear as Toys R Us was such a cool place and such a fun atmosphere for kids. I think that originally, the employees of the company will be distraught but should not have too much trouble finding new work, as it is relatively easier to get a job right now. I expect other stores like Toys R Us to close in the near future too with the growing threat of companies like Amazon that offer easy and convenient online shopping.
I think it is very sad to see such a large business go down. I used to love Toys R Us and to hear its going bankrupt is heart breaking. However as many mentioned above, the online market place has truly taken over the world. It is not to my surprise that people have stopped going to Toys R Us because of the convenience of online shopping. Hopefully Toys R Us will help its employees find new jobs.
I bet all the employees are super upset, as they are losing their jobs and now unemployed, however Toys R Us's downfall couldn't have been prevented. Convenience is what people look for and online shopping has taken over. With the growth of new technology, it is so much easier to google where to buy a certain item and have it delivered right to your door. Even comparing prices is easier as it's all one google search away, so now people don't have to walk into separate stores to compare prices. Amazon for example is a platform that basically sells everything and anything you want or need ranging from technology to clothing. It's sad to see the toy shop we grew up with closing, but I understand what stores like Toys R Us are competing with Amazon and Ebay and Target, etc. As employment is at an all time low, like Stephen and Mr. Felder said, hopefully these employees will quickly get up and find new jobs.
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