Kits at Toys "R" Us?!

[Joe Handley]

I was just at a local TRU and saw that this one had a small plastic section! Mostly the quickbuild snap Revell kits, their new simple build ZL1 and SRT kits, and one of the Ecto 1 kits, I'm going to assume it was a Polar Lights considering the other kits.

[Longbox55]

The TRUs in my area haven't had model kits in many years, at least 25 years at the one closest to me. Now, when it was still Childrens Palace, they had a model selection that would put most hobby shops to shame these days.

[Joe Handley]

I was surprised to see them there, they had all but gotten rid of plastic kits by the time I left the store I was at in late '01 and this one had none to speak of when I was last in it during Christmas '13.

[LDO]

I was surprised that Toys r Us is still in business. The local one closed. I figured it was the whole chain, like some other chains.

[Snake45]

Years ago they had a selection comparable to Micheals.

MANY years ago, they--and Juvenile Sales--had a selection that far exceeded today's Hobby Lobby. Cars, airplanes, tanks, ships--except for paints and supplies, they were almost as good as a full-service hobby shop.

[Joe Handley]

I was surprised that Toys r Us is still in business. The local one closed. I figured it was the whole chain, like some other chains.

They're still around, but I think they consolidated some after I left. My little store and another area store were closed back in '11 and a larger store was opened in a wealthier area that was between both locations. I haven't been to that one, since it's no closer than the one I was just in.

[av405]

The store I worked in briefly during the winter of 2013 had no kits. But I do remember that about 10 years ago, that very same store had at least an island shelf full of kits/tools. When I went to a different one in Glendale, CA, they had a minuscule section of kits, mostly Revell products. There are kits and supplies listed on their site.

[slusher]

I remember when they clearanced everything out at 5 dollars a kit back about 2000. I am surprised the one in my area is still open because the parking lot is always empty...

[Joe Handley]

2000 is about the time I started noticing a change in the company in how things were done, how the stores were treated and the hours we got. It's also about the time we went from the old, grocery store isle set up to the current set up that most big boxes went to with an outer parimiter of mini isles and a large lump of fragmented sections in the middle that seemed to be a great place to go and get your shoplifting done out of our sight. My little store also ended up with a mini Kids "R" Us that ate up space plus we lost about 2/3rds of our store room with that remodel too.