Rush on for Toys R Us liquidation sales
More than 50 people lined up outside Henderson’s Toys R Us store Friday morning armed with shopping carts, wallets and gift cards, ready to take advantage of liquidation sales before the company closes its doors.
The company announced last week that it would close or sell its
735 stores across the United States. The announcement came after the chain’s $5 billion debt caught up with the company last fall and it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The Las Vegas area is home to fewer than 10 Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores. In January, the company announced plans to close 180 stores, including two in the Las Vegas Valley.
Liquidation sales were expected to start Thursday but were delayed. Shopper Kyle Gold said he and about 15 other shoppers were disappointed when store employees said the sales would start Friday instead.
Gold was there to try to get a discount on an Xbox or Nintendo Switch gaming system. “It’s a little bittersweet,” Gold said. The store opened at 10 a.m. for its normal business hours. Discounts were up to 30 percent off, but big-ticket items were such as video game systems and Lego kits were discounted conservatively, at 5 percent off.
Drones were 10 percent off, while smaller items such as fidget spinners, snow toys and party favors were 30 percent off.
Customers could use gift cards, but Toys R Us is no longer accepting coupons, including those recently mailed out.