They Sold Toys When They Should Have Sold Childhood

I have thought about Toys“R”Us for years.

As a kid, Toys“R”Us felt magical.

Maybe some of that was simply because I was a kid. Everything was bigger. Everything was exciting. But when I became a parent and started taking my own children there, I kept thinking:

Where did the magic go?

It was a giant building filled with toys.

That was pretty much the experience.

There were sales. Flyers. Deals. Rows and rows and rows of products.

But no music. No play area. No little treat counter. No Santa at Christmas. No reason for my kids to beg me to stay longer.

And that always seemed like such a missed opportunity to me.

Their famous song was literally about being a Toys“R”Us kid. The entire idea behind the brand was childhood, imagination and play.

Yet the stores mostly sold stuff.

I think they forgot what business they were actually in.

They sold toys when they should have sold childhood.

Imagine if going to Toys“R”Us had been an event.

Kids could test toys.

There could have been LEGO tables, little racetracks, craft areas, character visits, birthday experiences, Christmas activities.

Even the shopping carts could have been designed differently.

I remember trying to Christmas shop with my kids and hiding their gifts under coats in the cart while attempting to distract them.

Why wasn’t there a secret compartment in the cart where parents could hide presents?

That’s such a tiny thing.

But imagine parents telling other parents, “You have to use the Christmas carts at Toys“R”Us. The kids can’t see what’s underneath.”

Now you’ve created something Amazon can’t deliver in a cardboard box.

Babies“R”Us was another huge missed opportunity.

Being pregnant, especially for the first time, is overwhelming.

• Which stroller?
• Which car seat?
• What bottles?
• Do I actually need a wipe warmer?
• Why are there 47 kinds of baby monitors?

Yet I remember wandering through this enormous store filled with products without enough people around to really help me navigate any of it.

And nowhere comfortable to sit.

You’re selling to pregnant women. Put some chairs around.

Give me water.

Have knowledgeable people who can explain things without making me feel like I need a PhD in strollers.

Babies“R”Us had the opportunity to sell reassurance.

Instead, too often, it sold inventory.

This is where I think it gets interesting from a brand perspective.

If I can buy the same Barbie, stroller or LEGO set from Walmart, Amazon or Facebook Marketplace for less money, why do I need you?

Price isn’t enough.

Selection isn’t enough anymore either.

But experience?

That can be very hard to copy.

And I would have paid more for it.

• I would have taken my children to Toys“R”Us because they loved going there.
• I would have wandered longer.
• I probably would have bought more.
• I would have associated that store with something bigger than a transaction.

That’s branding.

The more easily your product can be bought somewhere else, the more important it becomes to give people a reason to buy it from you.

Restaurants aren’t only selling food.

Home builders aren’t only selling houses.

Dentists aren’t only fixing teeth.

And toy stores were never really supposed to be selling toys.

They were selling the feeling of being a kid.

Somewhere along the way, I think Toys“R”Us forgot that.