Toys R Us Corporate Officials Update Manchester Closure Scenario

MANCHESTER, CT — The Toys R Us store will remain as-is, but the Babies R Us Presence in Manchester will be eliminated and both will not be part of the dozen locations designated for "co-branding" into a combined store, a Toys R Us corporate spokeswoman said on Friday.

Both are located at opposite ends of the Buckland Hills shopping district – the Toys R Us at the Plaza at Buckland Hills and the Babies R Us in a small cluster of retail buildings at 169 Hale Road.

Toys R Us corporate spokeswoman Amanda Kahl outlined that scenario on Friday. The timeline for the closures is still being determined, as well as the official word on what stores will be co-branded.

As of Friday, Manchester was staying with a specific Toys R Us brand, she said.

Twelve of the stores on the closings list will actually be remodeled into co-branded Toys"R"Us/Babies"R"Us combination locations. The timeline for it all is still being determined, as well as what stores will be co-branded, she said.

Newington is the other Toys R Us-related store nearby doomed for closure, according to the list.

Other Connecticut locations on the hit list are Waterbury and North Haven. A total of 180 stores are slated to be shuttered and the closings will begin early next month and run through mid-April, according to a corporate announcement posted Wednesday.

Stores in Milford, Danbury, Norwalk, Waterford, and West Hartford locations will remain open.

The closure announcement comes four months after Toys R Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid declining sales and climbing debt. Going-out-of-business sales are scheduled to begin in February.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Brandon sent out a message to customers this week:

I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued support of Toys"R"Us. As you may be aware, we launched a financial restructuring of our business last fall. As we begin the new year, I want to provide an update on our progress to date, as well as our plans for the future.

Our primary focus is on reimagining our business with you in mind. We want to make it easier for you to shop with us, whether online or in our stores. This past season, we were successful in accomplishing this objective for millions of customers. However, there were also far too many transactions where this wasn't the case – due to our operational missteps. As the leader of this company, I want you to know that we can and will address the gaps in the experience that you may have had when shopping this holiday. My team is already hard at work to make the improvements necessary to ensure that we have the products you want, when, where and how you want them.

In addition to convenience, we also recognize that you want fair and competitive prices and it is our job to deliver on that expectation. We recently relaunched our price match program to give you greater confidence when buying from us, and in 2018 we are taking additional steps to ensure that we provide greater overall value to you and your family. We will do this through compelling promotions and by providing an improved loyalty program and a more personalized way of communicating with you – in email, online and social media.

The reinvention of our brands requires that we make tough decisions about our priorities and focus. To that end and following a top-to-bottom assessment of our business, we have decided to close a number of our U.S. stores. We also intend to convert a number of locations into co-branded Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores. The actions we are taking are necessary to give us the best chance to emerge from our bankruptcy proceedings as a more viable and competitive company that will provide the level of service and experience you should expect from a market leader.

We estimate store closing sales to begin in early February with the majority of locations closing in mid-April 2018. During this time, we welcome you to take full advantage of the deep discounts and deals available.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• We are open for business and ready to serve you. We will continue to operate stores in all major markets across the U.S. and around the world. And as always, you can also continue to shop online at www.toysrus.com and www.babiesrus.com.

• We are honoring customer programs. Our customer, registry, credit, warranty and loyalty programs will continue as normal. We will continue to sell and accept gift cards as always.

While our store roster may be getting smaller, what is not changing is our desire or commitment to serving you. For the past 70 years, we have worked hard to earn your business and look forward to being champions of play and a best friend to parents everywhere for decades to come.

Thank you for your support and for choosing to shop with us.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel