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Toys R Us plans to liquidate its U.S. operations, and 27 stores will close in the Bay Area, the East Bay Times reports. An average of 25 employees work at each Toys R Us store, meaning 700 jobs would be lost if all these stores close.
Toys R Us has long struggled against competitors like Amazon, Target and Walmart, which all sell toys. It also has had stiff competition from independent Bay Area toy stores, which have remained healthy and have been focusing more on curated selections.
Eight stores in the Bay Area — in San Jose, Emeryville, Pittsburg, Pinole, Brentwood, Union City, Fairfield and San Rafael — are already set to close by mid-April. Closures of its remaining Bay Area stores would include a brand-new store that opened in Concord in 2017 as well as stores in Dublin, Gilroy, Fremont, Hayward, San Jose, Sunnyvale and elsewhere.
UPDATE, MARCH 14, 4:15 P.M. PT: Toys R Us said Wednesday it will liquidate its U.S. operations and close all 460 of its stores. The article has been updated.
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