Toys R Us

Just heard on the radio that there are less toys available on the shelves to buy this fall until Christmas.  Why?  Toys R Us is no longer in business.  What a shame.  I have fond memories of that store.  When both children were too young to know what was going on, we could shop there for their gifts with them with us.  Both of us  had a cart and a youngster.  We were older parents and were gleeful to shop there.  At that time Toys R Us had the cheapest diapers in town.  Many trips were made for diapers.  This was PW - pre-Walmart era.  Toys R Us was the only toy game around except for a few KB Toys. 

Those fond thoughts continued for years.  When children were in second grade, I worked as a temporary before Christmas.    The store in Schaumburg on Golf Road was my store and that was where I applied.  Afternoons and Saturday nights until midnight.  What an experience!  Because I had half a brain, I was put at customer service near the front door for returns and problems.  The feather in my cap was when corporate (New York) sent a mystery shopper to evaluate our store.  I waited on the mystery shopper who was unknown to me.  Customer service received a 100%.  It was all glory - no financial compensation.  I asked at a staff meeting.   

During the year the store had 4,000 customers a day.  During Christmas it had 12,000+ a day in 1992.  This was not a sit down job.  At peak times all hands were on the registers.  I was amazed at how many $1000 customers I had.  That was a lot of money to pay for toys. I was also amazed at how many customers there were on Dec. 26.  There was no special after Christmas sale so I guess they didn't get enough toys. 

During the Christmas season two semi's of toys would be unloaded every day. Employees didn't get a discount on merchandise, but we were able to buy hard-to-get toys just off the truck.  My daughter had a "Teacher Barbie" for Christmas that year when other girls didn't. 

This was when early hours were first used on Black Friday.  That day I was at customer service at 7 am with my blue pinny on.  I liked that pinny. 

This job was the only one in which I used a time card to clock in and out.  I used my earnings to buy Christmas for our family that year and to satisfy my Toys R Us longing.  

Final memory - Toys R Us stores had an odor - not good or bad - just distinctive.  It was soothing to me.