Toys R Us To Hire 1,800 Seasonal NJ Employees Following Bankruptcy Filing

WAYNE, NJ — Toys R Us plans on hiring more than 1,800 seasonal employees this holiday season — an announcement that comes days after the global company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The hires will fill part-time positions, including cashiers, sales and stock associates and the recently-created position of toy demonstrator. That last job is someone who will unbox and play with toys and give kids and gift-givers the chance to test them out.

The Wayne-based company expects "thousands" of seasonal employees hired to stay on a permanent employees.

"Every year, we look for candidates that share our vision and want to help gift givers bring joy to kids nationwide while having fun along the way," said Tim Grace, executive vice president, global chief talent officer. "We are also committed to making Toys R Us a great place to work — and play — for all team members during the holiday season and beyond.”

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The hiring announcement seems to complement the fact that the company's 1,600 Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores will remain open. Toys R Us said the vast majority" of its stores are profitable.

But closings could still occur.

Eric Snyder, chairman of corporate restructuring department of Wilk Auslander, a New York law firm, said in a NorthJersey.com report that the fact that Toys R Us has not announced any store closings yet shows that the company will contact all of its landlords and tell them if they don't reduce the rent or improve the terms of their leases, "we're going to leave."

The company filed for bankruptcy to try and restructure $5 billion in long-term debt to strengthen its competitive position and better invest in its future.

Toys R Us has received a commitment of more than $3 billion of debt financing from lenders, including JPMorgan Chase and some of its existing lenders, the company announced. This money is expected to "immediately improve" Toys R Us' financial health, the company announced.

Toys R Us plans to invest $277 million from next year to 2021 to convert current locations into side-by-side storefronts dedicated to toys and its Babies R Us brand, USA Today reported.

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Photo courtesy of Toys R Us