CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Clearance sales across the country at Toys R Us, the nation's largest independent toy seller, begin Thursday.
The eventual shutdown of approximately 735 stores could negatively impact toy companies, both big and small. Toys R Us served as a place to test and see new toys, but toy makers will now have to find new places to sell their goods.
"I call Amazon our kryptonite," local toy store owner Steve Presser says. "It takes the whole fun out of the shopping experience."
Presser owns Big Fun, an iconic toy store in Cleveland Heights. He recently announced plans to close the store after 27 years of operation.
The bigger toy makers, like Hasbro and Mattel, will likely have no trouble continuing sales through places like Walmart and Amazon. The lesser-known toy manufactures will be impacted more.
Families will also struggle with Toys R Us' closure. New and unique toys targeting kids from infants to teens will be more difficult to find without the shelf space Toys R Us provides.
"Families are not going to go out to shop, to walk the aisles, to hold the hands with your children and talk and play and say, 'I use to have that,'" Presser added. "That's all disappearing."
About 30,000 people will be out of a job when the closure is finalized.
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