Tonight at dinner I told my kids (ages 3, 6, 8) the news about #ToysRUs closing stores. They were apoplectic, and began coming up with ideas on how to save the toy chain. Here they are:
2/ Remove all the aisles and aisles, and create a fun play zone — “like Legoland Discovery Center, but better toys!”
3/ Create a track around outside of store where you can ride bicycles, scooters and battery-operated cars
4/ Cheaper stuff, “like Five Below.”
5/ More special toys you can only get at Toys R Us, like the “Paw Patrol” toys used to be (love that my daughter is picking up on power of store “exclusives”!)
6/ More video games like the Geoffrey’s Jungle. “Maybe a free iPhone game every time you buy a toy, like you get with McPlay when you get a Happy Meal.”
7/ Have birthday parties in the store! Charlie went nuts for this idea when Caroline proposed it. If the whole store was a play zone, you could try out and pick your favorite toys! And guests could just give you gift card! And favor bags from FiveBelow-ish low-$ bins
8/ Caroline said the store could charge very little for parties. I volunteered that if they were clearing, say, $20 per guest gift and $5 per favor bag, they’d make $25 a head and maybe host for free (NB: Though kids all agreed this was ingenious, my wife hated the party idea)
9/ Price match everthing! Kids have seen me match to Amazon at Toys R Us, and asked why everyone doesn’t do it. I said it was a chore. “They should make it easier! Why would anyone want to buy toys on Amazon? They don’t even have a store,” said Charlie.
“So super dumb,” said Gus.
“So super dumb,” said Gus.
10/ I was so sad to hear the #ToysRUs news today, but so proud and hopeful after hearing my kids’ ideas. No idea if TRU makes it out of this death spiral, but if they somehow survive, get bought, or are resurrected, please hire my kids to run the joint!
