Toys R Us Closing: How Long Are Your Gift Cards Valid

DETROIT, MI — Toys R Us will close all its stores as part of a company-wide liquidation, said the company in a bankruptcy court filing. That means Michiganders at more than a dozen Toys R Us locations throughout the state will likely soon be out of a job. Babies R Us will also close, adding more than a dozen other stores to the list.

It also means a mad scramble as people flock to the stores to use any gift cards before the soon-to-be extinct retailer closes its doors in the U.S. forever. A company spokesperson told USA Today that the company plans to honor gift cards only for the next 30 days.

Retailers in bankruptcy aren’t obligated to honor gift cards, but most do at least while they attempt to reorganize. The company announced in a press release on Thursday that it has asked a U.S. Bankruptcy Court for approval to start the process of winding-down its U.S. businesses.

"I am very disappointed with the result, but we no longer have the financial support to continue the company's U.S. operations," said the company's CEO Dave Brandon.

That means some 33,000 Americans will soon be out of work. It also spells doom for the remaining Michigan stores. Toys R Us did not provide a date as to when all stores will be shuttered.

Toys R Us already closed 180 stores nationwide earlier this year.

Toys R Us has the following stores left in Michigan:

• Southgate, 14333 Eureka Rd.
• Ann Arbor, 3725 Washtenaw Ave.
• Westland, 34800 Warren Rd.
• Livonia, 29150 W Seven Mile Rd.
• Madison Heights, 32700 John R Rd.
• Roseville, 32070 Gratiot Ave.
• Sterling Heights, 13801 Lakeside Cir.
• Pontiac, 220 N Telegraph Rd.
• Novi, 43460 W Oaks Dr.
• Auburn Hills, Great Lakes Crossing, 4526 Baldwin Rd.
• Flint, 3250 S Linden Rd, Flint.
• Birch Run, 12150 S Beyer Rd.
• Jackson, 1038 Jackson Crossing.
• Okemos, 1705 West Newman Rd.
• Saginaw, 2800 Tittabawassee Rd.
• Portage, 6207 S Westnedge Ave.
• Grand Rapids, 3445 28th St SE, Grand Rapids.

These are the Babies R Us locations in Michigan:

• Taylor, 14544 Racho Rd.
• Ypsilanti, 3725 Carpenter Rd.
• Northville, 20111 Haggerty Rd.
• Roseville, 32471 Gratiot Ave.
• Sterling Heights, 12050 Hall Rd.
• Madison Heights, 32700 John R Rd.
• Orion Charter Township, 4936 Baldwin Rd.
• Flint, G-3274 S Linden Rd.
• Lansing, 5900 W Saginaw Hwy.
• Grand Rapids, 4923 28th St SE.
• Saginaw, 3321 Tittabawassee Rd.

Last year was a disaster for brick-and-mortar retailers that announced plans to close more than 7,000 stores - a whopping 224 percent increase in announced store closures compared to 2016.
Chains that already have confirmed they will be shuttering locations in 2018 include Gap, Sears-Kmart, Teavana and Walgreens.

Photo: Getty Images