36 People Will Be Laid Off When Toys R Us Elyria Closes

ELYRIA, OH — Toys R Us announced on March 15 it would close or sell all of its 735 U.S. stores. On June 30, the Elyria location will shut down, leaving 36 people without a job.

Filings with the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, show the majority of Ohio stores will be closed at the end of June, including the location at 1601 West River Road North.

About 31,000 people are expected to lose their jobs across the nation when all of the US's Toys R Us stores are closed. Several last-second attempts to save the franchise were rebuked.

Isaac Larian, the CEO of MGA Entertainment, tried to save the once-dominant retailer, but said recently that he was unable to reach an agreement with Toys R Us' lenders, CNNMoney reported.

"I am most disheartened that the legacy of the retailer will be lost for future generations," Larian said in a statement provided to CNNMoney. He also said that he wasn't able to reach a deal with the company's lenders.

The bankruptcy filing came amid slumping sales and mounting debt, which grew to about $5 billion. The once-popular chain faced increasing competition from Amazon, Walmart and Target. The chain was set to close about 180 of its stores, or about 20 percent.

Photo from Autumn Johnson, Patch