It’s officially the end of the line after 40 years of games, toys, and memories in the city of Kitchener as the Toys ‘R’ Us location at Fairway Road South has officially shut its doors.
The once popular toy store closed its doors as of 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, after various liquidation and closing sales over the past few months, ever since its impending closure was announced back in January.
“To our loyal customers, thank you for your support, kindness, and trust,” read a sign posted to the door of the building.
“It has been our privilege to serve this community, and we are truly grateful for the memories we’ve shared! You’re Friend, Geoffrey,” referring to Geoffrey the Giraffe, the mascot of Toys R’ Us.
It comes after close to a decade of turbulent times for the company as a whole, which kicked off bankruptcy proceedings back in 2017 and filed for creditor protection earlier this year.
At the time the Kitchener Toys ‘R’ Us location announced it would be closing, other locations country-wide were following suit, including Guelph’s location at Stone Road Mall.
The retailer previously stated that steep drops in foot traffic and a shift to online options, such as Amazon and Walmart, had been pulling customers away from their stores over the years.
It added that inflation and labour costs only expedited the company’s struggling situation.
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