Nightmare at the retail park. (ToysRUs)

Member Name: jessyclown

Product:	ToysRUs
Date:	15/11/01 (150 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Has a good selection

Disadvantages: nasty place to be

I had forgotten what it was like to walk into a Toys R Us store, I had forgotten the feelings associated with so many toys and games all piled high in a warehouse. If I were a child it might be a feeling of excitement with endless possibilities for acquisition. As a parent my feelings were not anywhere near so positive.

I do not like Toys R Us and so I hadn’t been there for a couple of years but I was near the store and I had toys to buy for our Mums and Toddlers group so I went in. What faced me was familiar the memories came flooding back to me. Thankfully I was not accompanied by a group of mobile children, that really is a nightmare. I was faced with over priced pieces of plastic to fill up homes until broken and so can be thrown out.

Toys R Us is an enormous toy shop so big that it seems to sell every sort of toy you could possibly want to buy. From board games to bicycles, from things to make to things to break. When you first enter the shop it doesn’t seem so bad as they have a range of goods most of which are on some kind of offer and it could almost be a pleasure to peruse them. When I venture further into the shop the feelings of terror start to attack. Board games, they have all the familiar games, old favourites the ones you remember from childhood, they have the new games which have been advertised on the television and then they have a myriad of unfamiliar boxes with unfamiliar games. If you want to choose a game it is so difficult. The boxes are arranged alphabetically so it is easy to find the game you are looking for but if you want to choose a game they it is more difficult.

When you manage to get past the board games you may come across the climbing frames, slides and other outdoor equipment. These are so nicely displayed but not safe for climbing on, have you ever tried to restrain an over excited 3 year old around them it is not easy. There are the bicycles and ride on toys easy to access. I d
read to think how often I have had to dodge small children riding the displays around the shop their harassed parents just glad that they are not creating a fuss about the latest toy they want.

This is not the worst of the shop. When you are past all the nicely displayed equipment you come across the aisle of toys. Little girls love the bright pink Barbie aisle. It is hard to remove some boys from the car aisle. Every thing is arranged in a more or less organised manner, the shelves are stacked high, so high that us vertically challenged members of society do not find it easy reaching the toys you want. Most toys you want are available in this shop most makes, models and styles are there for you to buy.

What about the prices in this shop, you would think with a warehouse style shop the prices would be low but not a bit of it. The prices in Toys R Us are no cheaper than anywhere else, they have their special offers which may be worth buying. I was nearly tempted by £88 worth of knex for £44 but even that is more than I spend on children’s toys. In general they prices are no better than on the high street.

What about service?

The previous time I had gone into Toys R Us with children wanting to spend Christmas money. I wanted to know the price of a product, as the price was not displayed, I found an assistant and asked her, she sent me to the tills to ask. The tills had queues at least 20 minutes long so unimpressed I put it back and decided to shop elsewhere. The staff seem to have their job to do and the customer is not important.

When the nightmare is over and you are ready to pay the check out is cramped, if there is a queue you are stuck, I dread to think what would happen in a fire I am sure the tills are a fire hazard. If you have not manage to be inspired, as it is not an inspiring shop they are not keen to let you out. Trolleys block tills that are not in use and there is no easy exit.


I managed to buy what I wanted but I hope it will be at least another couple of years before I entre that place of nightmares!

Summary: