06/17/2022
Flashback to 2002: summer break is in full swing. The newest Hot Wheels commercial just played on Nickelodeon and you beg your mom to take you to Toys R Us. Why? Because every 90s kid knew that was the spot for getting the coolest new toys to show off to your friends at your next sleepover.
Fast forward to 2018: Toys R Us closes its doors for the last time. Millennials everywhere mourn. They think, "wtf happened to THE toy store of my generation?!" It wasn't the iconic name that beautifully sums up the brand's sole purpose - to sell toys and only toys. We're not usually fans of descriptive names (because yawn) but in this case, in a time before Googling everything first, it took one look at the store sign to know what you were in for.
For those many millennials who were caught off guard by this loss, this is a love letter to Toys R Us from all of us:
You had one job and you did it well. The days walking down your aisles are forever cherished and remembered by the last generation of "simpler times" shoppers. Thank you for giving us something to spend our allowances on in your prime. Back then, we wished on stars to get that new unicorn stuffy, now we wish on stars to rewind the clock, for you and us both. π