AUSTIN -- The Toys R Us CEO launched his toughest sales pitch ever today -- in a last ditch effort to save his company. Launching a Go Fund me campaign that has raised 200-million dollars.
The company has taken plenty of heat for giving managers bonuses even as it filed for bankruptcy, but plenty of people are sharing the love for the big box toy retailer.
One look at the packed parking lot and it may be tough to tell there's trouble in toyland.
“It seems weird so strange,” said Emily Hathaway.
But Toys ‘R Us is months away from closing all 735 stores. The love affair with this place is real.
“As a kid with my dad I was into Barbie’s so that was my big thing,” said Rayisha Martinez.
Martinez is disappointed she won't get to make the same memories with her daughter.
“A little sad my daughter isn't going to be able to experience that looking for her favorite toys or her favorite dolls,” she said.
For some, it's more than a store.
“My oldest son is special needs he has autism and we have spent hours and hours looking at figurines. He loves pops and collects them they've always had a big variety to look at,” said Shellie Hayes-McMahon, a member of the Parks, Arts and Community Enrichment (PACE) Board.
"Geoffrey. Geoffrey the giraffe, 70 years old,” said Hathaway. “It was bittersweet walking around looking for deals and feeling like uh you know this is going to be gone?”
So these shoppers wrote love letters to the big box retailer.
“Dear Toys ‘R Us, we're going to miss this toyland. There's nothing like it,” Martinez wrote.
“Thanks for the memories and the car seats,” wrote Hayes-McMahon.
“I'm going to miss being a Toys R Us kid,” wrote Hathaway.
A new generation of toyland awaits.
Most shoppers admit they'll go online to find toys now or hit the locally owned retailers like Terra Toys and Toy Joy.
Toys R Us is said to be aiming to close all its stores by May 14th, but the liquidation sales that were supposed to start today are on hold - awaiting court approval.
RELATED