DanJ30 what’s interesting is that toysrus (looking for a buyer) in Canada may stick around outlasting sears here which just shutdown here completely in January
KB Toys staff always seemed to know more about the product selection in their stores better than ToysRus, probably due to the smaller format stores. Their videogames section always seemed better stocked for such a smaller store, too. At least back in the late 90s-early 00s when that mattered more.
Things that don't sell: Pop figures I've seen places that carry them, but everytime I see them the pulls has never gone down, has the same figures at the top, and nobody is looking at them except to wonder why they are there.
Same here, my father would take me on lazy Sunday afternoons to, a movie, the arcade, the mall to KB Toys, or EB/Game Stop, and sometimes give me a $20 bill if he had a good week at work, and was in a good mood to say get what you want, but you damn well better make sure to bring me the receipt, and change back if their is any lol!
I miss our KB toys soooo badly! I think it’s pretty smart of them to try to revive it now considering the nostalgia wave almost every company has been riding. Interestingly enough(and pretty dark) someone was murdered in our local KB.
Max Mills that was one of my favorite things about them when I was a kid. I used to buy a lot of older video games and computer games at KB Toy Stores. I bought a Sega Master System II and a bunch of games for a few dollars each back when the PlayStation one was relevant.
The pop-up store idea sounds like it might work. Some toys around the holidays become "hot sellers" (tickle me elmo, cabbage patch, etc). The only problem is that good malls often don't have many vacant slots.
Duncan F. If the audio from the recording wasn't so garbage I would have left my giddy giggling in when I came across all of the Ren & Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life, Rugrats, and Hey Arnold stuff 😁 the only thing missing was the orange VHS tapes!
I love Starlight Zone, best Sonic song! I miss KB's, they were fun to walk into as a little kid I think because as a Kid you were overwhelmed by how packed the store were for their small size.
I do think the size of KB Toys is better simply because they can have less crap and focus on just carrying the best stuff. The last few times I have been in a Toys R Us I was shopping for my nephew, but I more or less think what kind of stuff I liked when I was his age. Most of the toys I thought were stuff I would have never been interested in and appeared to be cheap to me. They could probably eliminate 90% of their products, go with a smaller store, and make it.
I attribute that dollar store-esque merchandise to the grandparent's effect. The picking out the cheap crap aren't kids buying it for themselves but other people buying it for them who are out of touch or just looking for something cheap.
I had no idea that KB Toys is making a comeback. Even though I don't have as much memories like Toys R Us, it will be great to see KB make a come back!
I wonder if FAO Schwartz is ever going to come back. They said something about coming back after being sold off from ToysRus, but I haven’t heard anything though.
That would be cool to see the KB (best remembered by me as KayBee) brand come back again. I have fond memories of both Toys R Us and KayBee as a kid. Anyone remember the Imaginarium too?
I remember back in the 90s I went to the local KB Toys. I got Transformers figures also in 1997 when yo-yos were the big thing I bought several yo-yos from there and I still have most of them. Like the Yomega Fireball the Yomega X brain. Honestly I would love to see yo-yos make a comeback 😀 . But this is awesome news I hope my Mall gets KB Toys back 🙏 .
Bloxikin Buddies I know, but it's not supposed to be the same. I don't think it's a coincidence that KB toys is coming back while Toys R Us is closing. And who knows? Maybe Toys R Us could come back one day, too.
Shocking thing is that there was a payless right across as you were exiting. No Claire's is probably going too. Malls are really in trouble. It will be interesting to see who gets in a physical store for toy selling.
Malls are dying left and right because their target customer, the younger generation aren’t going to malls anymore. Another example of how much time we spend indoors and online. And of course the generation that I grew up in (1990s) are adults and aren’t seeing malls necessary anymore.
Bobby Albert To me going in those malls and hanging out was sure a lot more fun than just being on Instagram. They were our social network! It's going to be sad when they are gone. Can't hardly think of little girls getting pierced in other places besides claires.
It’s not our fault that we’re working at multiple minimum wage jobs and don’t have the disposable income to go to middle class stores or have kids (if we are even interested in them). It’s also not our fault we’re victims of predatory capitalism that was enabled by the older generations, especially here in the US.
Yay for the recurring Sonic Star Light Zone music! ;) Thanks for the update, and one other thing... I think it's really cool that you're letting your daughter experience all this before (whatever) happens with the state of toy stores, and retail in general. Love your channel and what all you retail related RUclipsrs are doing to keep up on the news concerning the retailpocalypse, as well as the documenting of these places before they eventually fade into memory. I'm majorly bummed about Claire's because I spent a lot of time in there as a preteen girl, and I just read yesterday that my childhood Claire's in Virginia is closing (I live in PA now). Ugh, right in the childhood! :(
I'm not from the US, but I love their culture and I've been watching your vids in order for a couple weeks now. I've gotten misty eyed at the sight of a dying Toys R Us, and sad at a depressing Sears. And I don't even have fond childhood memories from those places! (Ok I have traveled to the US several times, but still). Thanks so much for sharing this amazing urban exploration with us.
I'm with you man. Most of my Toy memories are from KB and this place looks just like mine used to look. My nearest Toys R' Us was over an hour away so it was always more of a once a year trip so it remained kind of paradise in my mind more than a practical reality. By the time one opened near me, I was a little too old to care (as much) and , looking back, I prefer the confined space, packed aisles, and easy to access style of KB. In reality, Toys R Us felt more like a warehouse and a lot of its space was wasted (to my young mind) on books, baby stuff, bicycles, playground equipment, etc. . I would love to see mall toy stores make a come back. I still remember buying Mega Man at a KB... that glorious box art
The "KB Toys" stores that are coming back are just temporary ones for the holiday season, similar to the calendar stands you see in every mall in the country just about. It's not the actual chain coming back from the dead. It's just the trademark holder capitalizing on nostalgia to sell OVER priced cheaply made toys to suckers around Christmas.
I was a mall employee for 6 years and I was an assistant manager at KB Tots for 5 of those years. Still have my lanyard and one shirt. I loved working for this company and deeply miss it . Thanks for the video. Keep up the good work .
My kids are really into those LOL dolls too! I took my family to our local TRU this past Sunday and let them each buy something, and I found the plush Geoffrey with gift card holder. I am watching the KB news closely. I always remember going to the mall and seeing that table at the entrance to their stores with all those mechanical toys (barking and bouncing puppies, etc). Love your videos!
Star wars toys are OVER produced so they are not collectibles. Basically, they are WORTHless. Only thing i bought at KB was baseball cards. Can't wait to see KB toys make a come back!!
Sad that Toys R Us is going. We have something called Smyths in the UK. I've seen a few of these stores open up recently. I wonder if they go in the direction as Toys R Us in a few years
That we had a Toys R Us Express a couple of times over at the Legends shopping outlet in Kansas City Kansas and I mostly end up having that just for the Christmas season. Also had used to work at a full scale Toys R Us store before.
My favorite memory of KB Toys store was back around 1996 after the Sega Genesis was no longer the top console and they had this gigantic bin full of brand new games. We got around 50 or so Genesis games for less than $200.00 and even a Virtua Racer for $5 which retailed for around $90 a few years before. Of course now as an adult I doubt I'll ever find that same kind of happiness going to a toy store as I did as a kid. In fact the last time I went to Toys R Us to get my niece a Christmas present was an utter nightmare and everything was so incredibly expensive there.
At one point the parent company of CVS, Melville, once owned KB Toys before selling it off. I used to go there, Toys R US, and even Child World, whose buildings were amazing.
The Toys R Outlet store shown at the beginning of this video looks like the one in my local mall - Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge, VA. Arizona Mills Mall is a Mills mall just like Potomac Mills Mall and now owned by the Simon group. Potomac Mills Mall opened in 1985, making it one of the first and oldest Mills mall.
Maybe, but... When Circuit City went under back in 2009. Tigerdirect bought the Name/Trademark and planned to rebrand existing Tigerdirect stores into the "new" Circuit City. That plan ultimately went nowhere when the company shuttered all it's brick and mortar stores just a few years later.
My childhood. The times I spent dragging my father to this very store and picking out a toy with my sister. *Sigh* Those memories are golden. I can't believe they closed it down.
I used to love how the Kay Bee Toys Video Game Section was set up. At with that, you can interact with the person behind the counter when you are buying the game.
The Toys R Us outlets aren't really outlets. For quite a few years now they've been popping them up in Malls and strip malls before the holiday season and closing them down afterwards. Apparently a few performed so well they became semi-permanent. They seem to stock a bunch of old crap that the big stores got rid of and couldn't sell.
I love the mills mall. I remember each area of the mall having a different theme, and the food court having these ice cream shaped objects floating above you. It looks a lot more modern now, but it’s still a great mall to visit :) I might be remembering wrong, but didn’t that Toys R Us use to be a KB Toys like 10 years ago?
That looked more like a TRU Jr store and not an outlet store which you don't think as being to well stocked and neat. And yes, it did have that long/narrow KB store look to it.
Like you, I also grew up with KB Toys more than TRU. My husband says the same thing. So if they’re making a comeback, it would be an awesome opportunity to show our kid a little piece of our childhood. As far as Amazon goes, if they’re not gonna turn these old TRU stores into warehouses (I believe you mentioned they’re too small and I can see that) the only thing I can think of is a brick and mortar aspect of Amazon. But I find that to be highly doubtful. We’ll just have to wait and see! Great video!
Interesting that Amazon wants to buy these stores. I guess they could use it for inventory for customers who want to pick up their orders that day as opposed to waiting for the order. It could also be connected to their acquisition of Whole Foods and could serve as a staging ground for grocery delivery service.
We had a KB Toys at my local mall as a kid. I remember it lasted until the mid 90s because I knew someone how worked there and figured out how to liberate PS1 games. As a young kid in the late 80s I remember it being a very big deal. I think its pretty neat that parents my age can take their kids to a KB Toys and share an experience that is unknown to parents 10 years younger than us.
Did you buy the 90’s Nickelodeon dolls you were holding? That surprised me when you came across that vintage Nickelodeon stuff. I can still remember sitting in front of the tv watching Hey Arnold, Rockos Modern World, Ren and Stimpy, Angry Beavers, Legens of the Hidden Temple etc......
As a kid, I only went to Toys R Us a few times. It was out of the way and too expensive to really go often. But our mall had a KB Toys so I'd get to go there more. I'm wondering what the pop up shops are going to try to do to compete with Amazon and big box stores. These days, brick and mortar retailers usually have to offer a curated selection or create an experience to attract buyers. Where I currently live, the Toys R Us is across the street from a mall that has been expanding quite a bit and seems to be doing well, so I won't be surprised if they pick it up. A lot of people think that Amazon is gonna buy up stores and turn them into either Amazon stores or Whole Foods. I wouldn't mind getting a Whole Foods, I want to see what the big deal is but the closest one I live to is pretty out of the way. The location is in a popular shopping area and there are more rich people coming into the area, so maybe it will happen. On that note, last week I went to Toys R Us to see if they had any good deals on quality animal toys. They didn't have the animal toys and their sales aren't any good yet. (I waited a few weeks after the sales started because I figured they'd be terrible at first and then get better, but it seems I'll have to wait longer) It seems the shelves had barely been touched, even with the sales, (most items were 10% off) the prices were really high. Only the video games seemed to sell, which isn't surprising considering that popular video games rarely go on sale so even a 10% discount is a good deal. (there were also some gaps on the American Girl shelves, so I imagine it's the same case there) The organization in the store was awful, no logic to it. I can see why they were closing. I did end up getting a Toothless the dragon plush because the Amazon listings were expensive, and my dad lost my favorite dragon plushie so I wanted something else to fill the gap.
I went to KB toys all the time. Mostly for virtual pets such as nano, giga pets and Digimon which were virtual pets before an anime and all the other merchandise. And when that other merchandise hit the stores I sure as hell went to KB toys for that as well and for Pokémon too. I also went to get model kits of Zoids.
Took a trip to my local Toys R Us and took a few pictures yesterday. Might pop back when the sales start. Saw that they had a few copies of the Giana Sisters game for wiiU. Could never find it physically but got it in a nintendo indie humble bundle a few years back 😎
The only thing I can really see Amazon doing with the buildings is making them like mini warehouses. House very popular or common items and smaller locations so they can be shipped out earlier
I too had more memories of KB Toys rather than Toys R Us, but that is because they did not come to my town till I was around 13 (late 1989.) I only bought a few video games from them and they were always the most expensive place too get video games. I would only buy from them if they were the only place to sale the the games I want. The last time I bought from them was in 2015 and it was for a pair of headphones that were on sale. Now KB Toys, Venture, and Walmart is were most of my Atari 2600, NES, and Master System Games were bought at then I discovered Mail Order Companies and Game Exchange during my 16-Bit days and never looked back.
Amazon might be doing something similar to Target's "ship from store" program with the physical stores. They would have the stock on the floor for people to go in to buy toys, but will use the location as a glorified warehouses and pull things off the shelf/out of back to ship when ordered online.
It's the same deal with the Toys R Us in Mays Landing NJ -- no sale / discount signs anywhere and no "going out of business" banner by the front entrance. And it's still stocked floor-to-ceiling with toys -- no shelves have cleared out. I personally would love to see KB Toys make a comeback. We need a toy-only store to take TRU's place. Otherwise, we have only Target and Wal Mart left, and they only dedicate a couple of aisles to toys, so they won't have the volume and selection KB would have.
We didn't even have KBToys or Toys-R-Us when I was a kid. Our toy buyiing was in the toy basement at the local Ben Franklin's or Centers Department Store if we happened to be in Burlington. So no particular "memories" of it. So to me it's more like seeing the rise and fall of a brand, while you probably didn't see the brand build up. It isn't like Crazy Eddie's where I was so tired of seeing the ads I had actually said I was looking forward to *their* going out of business sale. And I got to see it too.
Oh man, I remember K B Toys, I got a gamecom from one for 10 bucks on clearance and it came with duke nukem. It was pretty terrible, but I loved it. I'm hoping beyond hope that someone decides to pick up Toys r us and keep their stores open. The one near me is ALWAYS super busy, that's why I was surprised to hear that they were going under.
I live in the small town and in the 80's all we had was department stores like Kmart , Hills , Harts . I did get to go to the city a few times to visit my grandparents and we used to go to Children's Palace . It was right beside Toys R Us in Columbus Ohio and they had a better selection of Masters of the Universe and GI Joe . When they closed I actually didn't like Toys R Us cause I thought they had a hand in it LOL . I do remember Kay Bee Toys in the Fairfield Commons mall in Beavercreek Ohio . I really liked it but it turned into a lousy shoe store . Me and my girlfriend at the time was shoe shopping in that store and she shopped a KB toys when she was growing up . She said she didn't like the vibe the shoe store gave off cause of what the store used to be . I totally understood . It's sad cause we all hold those types of memories dear to our heart . It was a time in our life were a toy could bring so much fun . I will support KB toys but not Amazon .
This outlet is quite interesting. When I was 8, when we moved to PA, there was this super boring outlet mall, and on the directory, we saw the TRU on there. I got excited, and hunted it down, only to find an empty store front. I was quite disappointed. I also have a LEGO obsession, and TRU has fueled that one.
That Toys R Us store looks like the same size as the one they had at the 360 Mall in Kuwait City. It may have been in the only TRU in country as it was the only one I saw there.
I hope if kb comes back that they have a retro section all 80s, 90s toys. Cause im still looking for a 90s stretch armstrong. First toy i got from toys r us.
Toys r us stores are way too small To be warehouses, toys r us stores are usually 20,000 to 50,000 square feet and Amazon warehouses are as big as 1 million square feet. I think they want to turn them into brick and mortar Amazon stores.
Your video title pretty much sums up what could be for future days. In all due respect, I view some of these major collapses as newer opportunities for a more optimal replacement of "extremely exhausted retail concepts."
I was about to say I don't remember KB Toys nearly as fondly as I remember Toys R Us, until I remembered that when I visited my dad on the weekends as a kid the mall was much closer than the Toys R Us and then remembered all the Yugioh and Pokemon toys/cards I'd get at the KB Toys there.
What Amazon is doing is buying up warehouse space in essence, and building toward an on the spot delivery of its products. People haven't figured that out yet, because they haven't announced it, but it obvious to me, as an old retailer, what they are doing. Watch, as they develop drone and autonomous cars delivery services, Amazon will evolve into a mostly automated short time (like 3-5 hours turnaround) retailing delivery service.
It certainly is sad to see that Toys R Us is going out...but KB coming back? I'm actually rather excited, for I have been to some KB stores in Oregon back in the day and it was about as big of a part of my childhood as Toys R Us had been. Also, hella good on finding the Toys R Us outlet in Arizona Mills, I've been there a couple times myself, even visiting the aquarium at said mall. I have also visited Toys R Us stores at the Aqua City mall in Japan near Tokyo and at the Chadstone mall in Melbourne, Australia. :)
According to what I read, The Toys R us chain here in israel is actually staying open. Apparently it turns a steady enough profit, and everyone that I’ve been in with my kid, is absolutely packed.
A KB toys store would be ideal to bring back....I still think its always a thrill to walk around an actual toy store and look at and choose things...Its not the same staring at some computer screen browsing through pages of various toys...There really is no real big toy store to visit once T R Us closes and I still think kids today want to walk around an actual store again instead of browsing toys on some computer screen....Perhaps Amazon will make one of those buildings an Amazon toy store ...Imagine that! I could see them popping up stores with different merchandise in some places....It will be a welcome sight to walk through an actual toy store years after TRUs closes....
It's real great that KB toys is coming back cause I actually have more memories going there than toys r us. I remember when they started closing all the stores I cried and at one of the malls that used to have a KB toys, they still had those red and yellow tiles but an empty store. :(
I was a big KB Toys fan myself. Grew up with that before ever stepping into a Toys R Us. But what KB had and sold back in its prime is not whats out there now. You could find older stuff at KB that was a real find 1,2, 3 years after its initial release....if they open now they will be selling whatis being sold in stores now....and its the stuff that diesnt sell that assisted in the decline of Toys R Us ( even though they did themselves in more w mismanagement than anything else). Love to see KB come back bit not a Toys R Us repeat.
I always bought my toys from Woolworths and one small toy store. When our family moved to MD I discovered Toys R Us. Great place. I even worked one Christmas season for them. Never dreamt they would go down the tubes. I’m not that familiar with KB but I hope something replaces Toys R Us. 😢
But if KB toys comes back will they even survive with Walmart, Target and Amazon around? When they went out of business Walmart wasnt as big and Amazon wasnt even around back then.
For Malls to survive. They need to evolve to have activities that you can’t have online. Places like Ice and in-line rinks, skate parks, lego land type centers, etc.
Zany Brainy used to be in my mall over a decade ago. I only went there a couple times but I greatly miss it. Imagine Zany Brainy makes a comeback as well? Does anyone else remember that brand?
It would be cool if Amazon picked up those stores, but why didn't they or anyone else do so with Radio Shack at least for delivery depots? Toys R Us is a lot more square footage and warehouse-like but we'll see.
![Diggy Graves - Red Vineyard [Official Lyric Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8Ro085T0mnQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Personally, I find "outlet" stores to be a bit of a joke. The prices are almost always the same as they are in the regular stores.
Linda from SEA AT TULL but it's smaller, so...
Worth it?
ccateni 28 The Toys R Us outlet?
Linda from SEA AT TULL same ? i find them to be more expensive
Have you ever been in Nordstrom Rack? WAAAY cheaper than than Nordstrom.
Linda from SEA AT TULL Most product in manufacturers outlet stores are made specifically for the outlet stores. This is well known in the “industry”.
the revival of KB Toys? Maybe everything isn't going to COMPLETE shit
Really awesome.
It breaks my heart to see Toys R Us go, and I'm surprised Sears and Kmart appear set to outlast it. But welcome back KB...
DanJ30 what’s interesting is that toysrus (looking for a buyer) in Canada may stick around outlasting sears here which just shutdown here completely in January
DanJ30 all the kmarts near me closed last year and all the Sears are closing now I think they have a couple weeks left
What!?!? Kb toys came back from the dead?!?! Unbelivable revival era for kb toys
KB Toys staff always seemed to know more about the product selection in their stores better than ToysRus, probably due to the smaller format stores. Their videogames section always seemed better stocked for such a smaller store, too. At least back in the late 90s-early 00s when that mattered more.
Holy crap dude just realized you have 30k subs. I subscribed a year ago when you had less than 2k subs. Congrats dude.
Things that don't sell: Pop figures
I've seen places that carry them, but everytime I see them the pulls has never gone down, has the same figures at the top, and nobody is looking at them except to wonder why they are there.
Those pop figures are also pretty freaky and ugly looking.
It's sad seeing a big part of peoples childhood going away, i used to always love toys "r" us but now i can never see it again.
Would love to see KB Toys return, fond memories there.
I was only there when they closed for good
UltraPunch I agree
Same here, my father would take me on lazy Sunday afternoons to, a movie, the arcade, the mall to KB Toys, or EB/Game Stop, and sometimes give me a $20 bill if he had a good week at work, and was in a good mood to say get what you want, but you damn well better make sure to bring me the receipt, and change back if their is any lol!
Wow you were so damn lucky
I have a K.B toys
I miss our KB toys soooo badly! I think it’s pretty smart of them to try to revive it now considering the nostalgia wave almost every company has been riding. Interestingly enough(and pretty dark) someone was murdered in our local KB.
Kb-Toys and Walden Books are where I went to in malls.
Before Borders and Barnes & Noble there was Walden books I used to always go there.
Same here. Those were my go to places at the mall when I was a kid.
I also remember one I don't see mentioned often. Anyone rember Child World?
Lets hope the new KB will do the same thing as the old. They were sort of a toy clearance store, which made it very interesting to explore.
Max Mills that was one of my favorite things about them when I was a kid. I used to buy a lot of older video games and computer games at KB Toy Stores. I bought a Sega Master System II and a bunch of games for a few dollars each back when the PlayStation one was relevant.
KB Toys - a dead store, is going to "resurrect" into malls - which many are dying as well... am I the only one that sees something wrong with this?
The pop-up store idea sounds like it might work. Some toys around the holidays become "hot sellers" (tickle me elmo, cabbage patch, etc). The only problem is that good malls often don't have many vacant slots.
Theres always strip malls which are still very popular
*WHAT YEAR IS THIS?!* KB Toys coming back, Rocko's Modern Life plush doll... Tell me the truth, is this 1994?
Duncan F. If the audio from the recording wasn't so garbage I would have left my giddy giggling in when I came across all of the Ren & Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life, Rugrats, and Hey Arnold stuff 😁 the only thing missing was the orange VHS tapes!
Retail Archaeology I can't believe I actually still have a bunch of VHS tapes after all these years lol.
I love Starlight Zone, best Sonic song! I miss KB's, they were fun to walk into as a little kid I think because as a Kid you were overwhelmed by how packed the store were for their small size.
lol they were the place i bought sonic toys as a kid (still have them on my shelf)
manny ichi really man.
Benderman 115 awww
what does that mean ?
Just revisited that game and beat it a week ago, finally got that song out of my head and now it's back lol
I do think the size of KB Toys is better simply because they can have less crap and focus on just carrying the best stuff. The last few times I have been in a Toys R Us I was shopping for my nephew, but I more or less think what kind of stuff I liked when I was his age. Most of the toys I thought were stuff I would have never been interested in and appeared to be cheap to me. They could probably eliminate 90% of their products, go with a smaller store, and make it.
Yes, much of the toys at Toys 'R' Us are dollar store-esque merchandise. 😞
I attribute that dollar store-esque merchandise to the grandparent's effect. The picking out the cheap crap aren't kids buying it for themselves but other people buying it for them who are out of touch or just looking for something cheap.
I had no idea that KB Toys is making a comeback. Even though I don't have as much memories like Toys R Us, it will be great to see KB make a come back!
KB Toys in name only. No relation to the old retailer. Just a name.
QCriderBrandon i had no idea it exsisted (kb toys)
I wonder if FAO Schwartz is ever going to come back. They said something about coming back after being sold off from ToysRus, but I haven’t heard anything though.
I would love to see KB Toys! I also remember them more than Toys R Us cause my hometown didn't havw a Toys R Us. That's be awesome to go into one!
That would be cool to see the KB (best remembered by me as KayBee) brand come back again. I have fond memories of both Toys R Us and KayBee as a kid. Anyone remember the Imaginarium too?
I remember back in the 90s I went to the local KB Toys. I got Transformers figures also in 1997 when yo-yos were the big thing I bought several yo-yos from there and I still have most of them. Like the Yomega Fireball the Yomega X brain. Honestly I would love to see yo-yos make a comeback 😀 . But this is awesome news I hope my Mall gets KB Toys back 🙏 .
I'm sad for losing Toys R Us, but it WOULD be nice having KB Toys back. They were also a great toy store as well.
John B aka Smooth Chocolate I have never seen a kb toys, so it would not be a suprise if I ever been in one
LunaDroid they're going to come back during the holidays. They weren't a bad store; check it out when you have a chance. It's nice to meet you btw.
It's not the same
Bloxikin Buddies I know, but it's not supposed to be the same. I don't think it's a coincidence that KB toys is coming back while Toys R Us is closing. And who knows? Maybe Toys R Us could come back one day, too.
John B aka Smooth Chocolate goodnight
When I went to Arizona Mills this store was a books, calendars, And toys. But then this was a gift tech store
Shocking thing is that there was a payless right across as you were exiting. No Claire's is probably going too. Malls are really in trouble. It will be interesting to see who gets in a physical store for toy selling.
Spoiler, I have a Claire's video coming soon.
Malls are dying left and right because their target customer, the younger generation aren’t going to malls anymore. Another example of how much time we spend indoors and online.
And of course the generation that I grew up in (1990s) are adults and aren’t seeing malls necessary anymore.
Bobby Albert To me going in those malls and hanging out was sure a lot more fun than just being on Instagram. They were our social network! It's going to be sad when they are gone. Can't hardly think of little girls getting pierced in other places besides claires.
Not so much spending more times indoors, but more fixated on social media and mobile devices, which they can bring outside.
It’s not our fault that we’re working at multiple minimum wage jobs and don’t have the disposable income to go to middle class stores or have kids (if we are even interested in them). It’s also not our fault we’re victims of predatory capitalism that was enabled by the older generations, especially here in the US.
also, i wonder if toys r us exclusive game boys are going to gain any extra value
How could KB toys survive in the same format as go calendar and games, another toy store?
I remember KB Toys used to get so much there.....
Owen Gerboth I used to get creepy freaks there and wrestling figures, I also got video games there
Uummmmm
I didn’t even know Toys R Us had outlet stores and I’m planning to go film a store a little later today too
Yay for the recurring Sonic Star Light Zone music! ;) Thanks for the update, and one other thing... I think it's really cool that you're letting your daughter experience all this before (whatever) happens with the state of toy stores, and retail in general. Love your channel and what all you retail related RUclipsrs are doing to keep up on the news concerning the retailpocalypse, as well as the documenting of these places before they eventually fade into memory. I'm majorly bummed about Claire's because I spent a lot of time in there as a preteen girl, and I just read yesterday that my childhood Claire's in Virginia is closing (I live in PA now). Ugh, right in the childhood! :(
I'm not from the US, but I love their culture and I've been watching your vids in order for a couple weeks now. I've gotten misty eyed at the sight of a dying Toys R Us, and sad at a depressing Sears. And I don't even have fond childhood memories from those places! (Ok I have traveled to the US several times, but still). Thanks so much for sharing this amazing urban exploration with us.
I'm with you man. Most of my Toy memories are from KB and this place looks just like mine used to look. My nearest Toys R' Us was over an hour away so it was always more of a once a year trip so it remained kind of paradise in my mind more than a practical reality. By the time one opened near me, I was a little too old to care (as much) and , looking back, I prefer the confined space, packed aisles, and easy to access style of KB. In reality, Toys R Us felt more like a warehouse and a lot of its space was wasted (to my young mind) on books, baby stuff, bicycles, playground equipment, etc. .
I would love to see mall toy stores make a come back. I still remember buying Mega Man at a KB... that glorious box art
The "KB Toys" stores that are coming back are just temporary ones for the holiday season, similar to the calendar stands you see in every mall in the country just about. It's not the actual chain coming back from the dead. It's just the trademark holder capitalizing on nostalgia to sell OVER priced cheaply made toys to suckers around Christmas.
I'd love to see Kay Bee come back.
I was a mall employee for 6 years and I was an assistant manager at KB Tots for 5 of those years. Still have my lanyard and one shirt. I loved working for this company and deeply miss it . Thanks for the video. Keep up the good work .
I bought my PS2 (Which still works and I still have) at the old local KB Toys at the mall. I want to say it’s a cookware store now.
Andy Sorensen how about the memory cards? I miss my PS2.
Jared Drogose Still got those too along with a good number of PS games.
My kids are really into those LOL dolls too! I took my family to our local TRU this past Sunday and let them each buy something, and I found the plush Geoffrey with gift card holder. I am watching the KB news closely. I always remember going to the mall and seeing that table at the entrance to their stores with all those mechanical toys (barking and bouncing puppies, etc). Love your videos!
i wonder if the revived kbtoys will sell video games.
they did. but they tended to get stuck with dud games.
i bought tons of Atari 2600 games there
Star wars toys are OVER produced so they are not collectibles. Basically, they are WORTHless. Only thing i bought at KB was baseball cards. Can't wait to see KB toys make a come back!!
Sad that Toys R Us is going. We have something called Smyths in the UK. I've seen a few of these stores open up recently. I wonder if they go in the direction as Toys R Us in a few years
That we had a Toys R Us Express a couple of times over at the Legends shopping outlet in Kansas City Kansas and I mostly end up having that just for the Christmas season. Also had used to work at a full scale Toys R Us store before.
I'm really happy to hear KB toys is making a come back. My childhood isn't completely lost.
My favorite memory of KB Toys store was back around 1996 after the Sega Genesis was no longer the top console and they had this gigantic bin full of brand new games. We got around 50 or so Genesis games for less than $200.00 and even a Virtua Racer for $5 which retailed for around $90 a few years before. Of course now as an adult I doubt I'll ever find that same kind of happiness going to a toy store as I did as a kid. In fact the last time I went to Toys R Us to get my niece a Christmas present was an utter nightmare and everything was so incredibly expensive there.
At one point the parent company of CVS, Melville, once owned KB Toys before selling it off. I used to go there, Toys R US, and even Child World, whose buildings were amazing.
The Toys R Outlet store shown at the beginning of this video looks like the one in my local mall - Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge, VA. Arizona Mills Mall is a Mills mall just like Potomac Mills Mall and now owned by the Simon group. Potomac Mills Mall opened in 1985, making it one of the first and oldest Mills mall.
Ah, Starlight zone in the background, don't here it very often outside of related sonic games :)
I used to own bootleg My Little Ponies, it came with little gem stickers and hair styling stuff. I loved it
Maybe, but...
When Circuit City went under back in 2009.
Tigerdirect bought the Name/Trademark and planned to rebrand existing Tigerdirect stores into the "new" Circuit City.
That plan ultimately went nowhere when the company shuttered all it's brick and mortar stores just a few years later.
My childhood. The times I spent dragging my father to this very store and picking out a toy with my sister. *Sigh* Those memories are golden. I can't believe they closed it down.
I remember going to this store on my 10th birthday, but most of my childhood was spent going to KB at Arrowhead mall, good times!
I used to love how the Kay Bee Toys Video Game Section was set up. At with that, you can interact with the person behind the counter when you are buying the game.
The Toys R Us outlets aren't really outlets. For quite a few years now they've been popping them up in Malls and strip malls before the holiday season and closing them down afterwards. Apparently a few performed so well they became semi-permanent. They seem to stock a bunch of old crap that the big stores got rid of and couldn't sell.
1:09 - I want one of those Rocko plushes! ;-(
Excited to hear kb toys might come back loved those stores.
Man, it feels good to see a nice store. My store in PA here is holding its liquidation sales already...
I love the mills mall. I remember each area of the mall having a different theme, and the food court having these ice cream shaped objects floating above you. It looks a lot more modern now, but it’s still a great mall to visit :)
I might be remembering wrong, but didn’t that Toys R Us use to be a KB Toys like 10 years ago?
That looked more like a TRU Jr store and not an outlet store which you don't think as being to well stocked and neat. And yes, it did have that long/narrow KB store look to it.
Like you, I also grew up with KB Toys more than TRU. My husband says the same thing. So if they’re making a comeback, it would be an awesome opportunity to show our kid a little piece of our childhood.
As far as Amazon goes, if they’re not gonna turn these old TRU stores into warehouses (I believe you mentioned they’re too small and I can see that) the only thing I can think of is a brick and mortar aspect of Amazon. But I find that to be highly doubtful. We’ll just have to wait and see!
Great video!
Interesting that Amazon wants to buy these stores. I guess they could use it for inventory for customers who want to pick up their orders that day as opposed to waiting for the order. It could also be connected to their acquisition of Whole Foods and could serve as a staging ground for grocery delivery service.
We had a KB Toys at my local mall as a kid. I remember it lasted until the mid 90s because I knew someone how worked there and figured out how to liberate PS1 games. As a young kid in the late 80s I remember it being a very big deal. I think its pretty neat that parents my age can take their kids to a KB Toys and share an experience that is unknown to parents 10 years younger than us.
Did you buy the 90’s Nickelodeon dolls you were holding? That surprised me when you came across that vintage Nickelodeon stuff. I can still remember sitting in front of the tv watching Hey Arnold, Rockos Modern World, Ren and Stimpy, Angry Beavers, Legens of the Hidden Temple etc......
As a kid, I only went to Toys R Us a few times. It was out of the way and too expensive to really go often. But our mall had a KB Toys so I'd get to go there more. I'm wondering what the pop up shops are going to try to do to compete with Amazon and big box stores. These days, brick and mortar retailers usually have to offer a curated selection or create an experience to attract buyers.
Where I currently live, the Toys R Us is across the street from a mall that has been expanding quite a bit and seems to be doing well, so I won't be surprised if they pick it up. A lot of people think that Amazon is gonna buy up stores and turn them into either Amazon stores or Whole Foods. I wouldn't mind getting a Whole Foods, I want to see what the big deal is but the closest one I live to is pretty out of the way. The location is in a popular shopping area and there are more rich people coming into the area, so maybe it will happen.
On that note, last week I went to Toys R Us to see if they had any good deals on quality animal toys. They didn't have the animal toys and their sales aren't any good yet. (I waited a few weeks after the sales started because I figured they'd be terrible at first and then get better, but it seems I'll have to wait longer) It seems the shelves had barely been touched, even with the sales, (most items were 10% off) the prices were really high. Only the video games seemed to sell, which isn't surprising considering that popular video games rarely go on sale so even a 10% discount is a good deal. (there were also some gaps on the American Girl shelves, so I imagine it's the same case there) The organization in the store was awful, no logic to it. I can see why they were closing. I did end up getting a Toothless the dragon plush because the Amazon listings were expensive, and my dad lost my favorite dragon plushie so I wanted something else to fill the gap.
I went to KB toys all the time. Mostly for virtual pets such as nano, giga pets and Digimon which were virtual pets before an anime and all the other merchandise. And when that other merchandise hit the stores I sure as hell went to KB toys for that as well and for Pokémon too. I also went to get model kits of Zoids.
Took a trip to my local Toys R Us and took a few pictures yesterday. Might pop back when the sales start. Saw that they had a few copies of the Giana Sisters game for wiiU. Could never find it physically but got it in a nintendo indie humble bundle a few years back 😎
The only thing I can really see Amazon doing with the buildings is making them like mini warehouses. House very popular or common items and smaller locations so they can be shipped out earlier
I too had more memories of KB Toys rather than Toys R Us, but that is because they did not come to my town till I was around 13 (late 1989.) I only bought a few video games from them and they were always the most expensive place too get video games. I would only buy from them if they were the only place to sale the the games I want. The last time I bought from them was in 2015 and it was for a pair of headphones that were on sale. Now KB Toys, Venture, and Walmart is were most of my Atari 2600, NES, and Master System Games were bought at then I discovered Mail Order Companies and Game Exchange during my 16-Bit days and never looked back.
A lot of that unsold/unwanted Star Wars stuff ends up at Ollie's stores, at much cheaper prices. Great video!
Amazon might be doing something similar to Target's "ship from store" program with the physical stores. They would have the stock on the floor for people to go in to buy toys, but will use the location as a glorified warehouses and pull things off the shelf/out of back to ship when ordered online.
Well, it need not be JUST toys - with a little refurbishment, Amazon could stock just about ANYTHING in one of those spaces!
They're probably going to turn them into Amazon Go stores.
It's the same deal with the Toys R Us in Mays Landing NJ -- no sale / discount signs anywhere and no "going out of business" banner by the front entrance. And it's still stocked floor-to-ceiling with toys -- no shelves have cleared out. I personally would love to see KB Toys make a comeback. We need a toy-only store to take TRU's place. Otherwise, we have only Target and Wal Mart left, and they only dedicate a couple of aisles to toys, so they won't have the volume and selection KB would have.
We didn't even have KBToys or Toys-R-Us when I was a kid. Our toy buyiing was in the toy basement at the local Ben Franklin's or Centers Department Store if we happened to be in Burlington. So no particular "memories" of it. So to me it's more like seeing the rise and fall of a brand, while you probably didn't see the brand build up.
It isn't like Crazy Eddie's where I was so tired of seeing the ads I had actually said I was looking forward to *their* going out of business sale. And I got to see it too.
It’s because malls need more activities. For the younger crowd like a Dave or busters, go karting, stuff like that, place where they can hang out.
Oh man, I remember K B Toys, I got a gamecom from one for 10 bucks on clearance and it came with duke nukem. It was pretty terrible, but I loved it. I'm hoping beyond hope that someone decides to pick up Toys r us and keep their stores open. The one near me is ALWAYS super busy, that's why I was surprised to hear that they were going under.
Our KB Toys was anchor sized. It actually was the same size as a Super Target.
I live in the small town and in the 80's all we had was department stores like Kmart , Hills , Harts . I did get to go to the city a few times to visit my grandparents and we used to go to Children's Palace . It was right beside Toys R Us in Columbus Ohio and they had a better selection of Masters of the Universe and GI Joe . When they closed I actually didn't like Toys R Us cause I thought they had a hand in it LOL . I do remember Kay Bee Toys in the Fairfield Commons mall in Beavercreek Ohio . I really liked it but it turned into a lousy shoe store . Me and my girlfriend at the time was shoe shopping in that store and she shopped a KB toys when she was growing up . She said she didn't like the vibe the shoe store gave off cause of what the store used to be . I totally understood . It's sad cause we all hold those types of memories dear to our heart . It was a time in our life were a toy could bring so much fun . I will support KB toys but not Amazon .
This outlet is quite interesting. When I was 8, when we moved to PA, there was this super boring outlet mall, and on the directory, we saw the TRU on there. I got excited, and hunted it down, only to find an empty store front. I was quite disappointed. I also have a LEGO obsession, and TRU has fueled that one.
That Toys R Us store looks like the same size as the one they had at the 360 Mall in Kuwait City. It may have been in the only TRU in country as it was the only one I saw there.
I hope if kb comes back that they have a retro section all 80s, 90s toys. Cause im still looking for a 90s stretch armstrong. First toy i got from toys r us.
I guess Amazon can turn Fiesta Mall into a warehouse? That is probably what they want Toys R Us space for.
Fiesta is supposedly turning into an educational/medical center by the developers that bought it last year(mall closed in Jan)
Not sure about Fiesta Mall, but my thought was similar. Regional warehouses seems to make sense.
Toys r us stores are way too small
To be warehouses, toys r us stores are usually 20,000 to 50,000 square feet and Amazon warehouses are as big as 1 million square feet. I think they want to turn them into brick and mortar Amazon stores.
Your video title pretty much sums up what could be for future days. In all due respect, I view some of these major collapses as newer opportunities for a more optimal replacement of "extremely exhausted retail concepts."
I was about to say I don't remember KB Toys nearly as fondly as I remember Toys R Us, until I remembered that when I visited my dad on the weekends as a kid the mall was much closer than the Toys R Us and then remembered all the Yugioh and Pokemon toys/cards I'd get at the KB Toys there.
I made a video about the fiesta mall that you went to, I thought you would be interested in it
We had a KB toys in our old mall back in the 90s then it closed the store was little my older siblings remember it better then I do tho
What Amazon is doing is buying up warehouse space in essence, and building toward an on the spot delivery of its products. People haven't figured that out yet, because they haven't announced it, but it obvious to me, as an old retailer, what they are doing.
Watch, as they develop drone and autonomous cars delivery services, Amazon will evolve into a mostly automated short time (like 3-5 hours turnaround) retailing delivery service.
I love the Night Sea theme from Little Nemo: Dream Master for the NES at 5:56.
It certainly is sad to see that Toys R Us is going out...but KB coming back? I'm actually rather excited, for I have been to some KB stores in Oregon back in the day and it was about as big of a part of my childhood as Toys R Us had been. Also, hella good on finding the Toys R Us outlet in Arizona Mills, I've been there a couple times myself, even visiting the aquarium at said mall. I have also visited Toys R Us stores at the Aqua City mall in Japan near Tokyo and at the Chadstone mall in Melbourne, Australia. :)
Where am I gonna buy my toys now?! I only got toys r us where I life apart for some small shops :'(
According to what I read, The Toys R us chain here in israel is actually staying open. Apparently it turns a steady enough profit, and everyone that I’ve been in with my kid, is absolutely packed.
A KB toys store would be ideal to bring back....I still think its always a thrill to walk around an actual toy store and look at and choose things...Its not the same staring at some computer screen browsing through pages of various toys...There really is no real big toy store to visit once T R Us closes and I still think kids today want to walk around an actual store again instead of browsing toys on some computer screen....Perhaps Amazon will make one of those buildings an Amazon toy store ...Imagine that! I could see them popping up stores with different merchandise in some places....It will be a welcome sight to walk through an actual toy store years after TRUs closes....
It's real great that KB toys is coming back cause I actually have more memories going there than toys r us. I remember when they started closing all the stores I cried and at one of the malls that used to have a KB toys, they still had those red and yellow tiles but an empty store. :(
Janelle Ramirez I do, too. And KB Toys also had exclusive toys too, like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles way back in the 80's.
There's a Sears next to our local TRU. How it outlasted them is beyond me...
I was a big KB Toys fan myself. Grew up with that before ever stepping into a Toys R Us. But what KB had and sold back in its prime is not whats out there now. You could find older stuff at KB that was a real find 1,2, 3 years after its initial release....if they open now they will be selling whatis being sold in stores now....and its the stuff that diesnt sell that assisted in the decline of Toys R Us ( even though they did themselves in more w mismanagement than anything else). Love to see KB come back bit not a Toys R Us repeat.
I always bought my toys from Woolworths and one small toy store. When our family moved to MD I discovered Toys R Us. Great place. I even worked one Christmas season for them. Never dreamt they would go down the tubes. I’m not that familiar with KB but I hope something replaces Toys R Us. 😢
My express didn't last that long. Shame :/
But if KB toys comes back will they even survive with Walmart, Target and Amazon around? When they went out of business Walmart wasnt as big and Amazon wasnt even around back then.
I think amazon will have those amazon stores where there is no cashier and the payment is sent to ur account
For Malls to survive. They need to evolve to have activities that you can’t have online. Places like Ice and in-line rinks, skate parks, lego land type centers, etc.
i found a old lego set in a KB toys when i was young store the lego set is from 1996-7 it was like the back of a shelf that's where i found it
Haha, I used to hangout at Arizona mills in college. That place was packed in 2008
Zany Brainy used to be in my mall over a decade ago. I only went there a couple times but I greatly miss it. Imagine Zany Brainy makes a comeback as well? Does anyone else remember that brand?
It would be cool if Amazon picked up those stores, but why didn't they or anyone else do so with Radio Shack at least for delivery depots? Toys R Us is a lot more square footage and warehouse-like but we'll see.
I use to work at the KB Toys location in Chandler right next to the Frys off alma school and elliot