Toys R Us is back - and, apparently better
than ever.
Following their downwards spiral within the
retail market, the re-emergence of Toys R Us on the scene has caught the
attention of the CRE industry. It seems like everyone has questions about what
exactly is going on here.
What does the comeback of Toys R Us mean for
retail - and respectively, for commercial real estate? This blog post will
analyze the situation to provide a comprehensive briefing on the new era of
Toys R Us.
Here’s what all CRE pros need to know about
their come back and their newly opened stores:
A Lot
Can Happen in Two Years
Toys R Us knows this is true. After more than
50 years of success in the toy market, in 2017 the international giant
officially filed for bankruptcy. The company couldn’t support the loads of debt
that accumulated throughout retail’s turbulent decade - reportedly, most of
which was accumulated from a brand leveraging buyout in 2005.
When they filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in
2017, the records weighed a debt of $7.9 billion against assets of $6.6
billion. All stores in the United States were closed and it seemed like that
was the end - but the nation shouldn’t have cut Toys R Us out so quickly.
As stated above, a lot can happen in two
years.
2019 rolled around and Toys R Us made a
revival on the US brick-and-mortar market - and they’ve adopted a completely
new approach to merrymaking.
Rewriting
the Script with Experiential Retail
Toys R Us is harnessing retail’s biggest trend
- experiential storefronts. The company is focusing on providing fun and
interactive activities for both children and parents in the new round of US
mall locations.
The new stores might be smaller but they’re
packed with the coolest toy selection on the market and tons of room to play.
It’s a kid’s paradise!
5 Main
Takeaways
So what can CRE pros learn from all of this?
For one, brick and mortar retail is far from
dead. It’s a thriving industry that, when harnessed correctly, can achieve
feats that contemporary e-commerce could never deliver.
Second, honing in on experience is one of the
strongest strategies that is leveraging physical retail’s revival. The power of
experiential retail shouldn’t be ignored into 2020 and beyond.
Big isn’t always better, especially in today’s
retail arena. When the online marketplace brings products to the people,
physical stores can become social destinations for fun and excitement.
In today’s retail market, brands can do better
by having a few stores in key cities with less square feet than by having
sprawling locations in suburban areas.
Finally, not all brands that fall off the
market won’t come back in one form or another. Staying afloat amidst today’s
changing tides of retail may require some time to reconfigure a brand’s
business approach. Industry pros should keep an eye on everyone - especially
the quiet ones.
There’s a lot to be learned from Toys R Us.
Use these insights to stay ahead in CRE’s retail sector.
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