With less competition on sight, Amazon could start mailing out holiday toy catalogs

midian182

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Amazon R Us Following the recent demise of Toys R Us, one part of the company that many will miss is its annual “Big Book” holiday toy catalog. But according to a new report from Bloomberg, Amazon is stepping in to fill the gap with a printed catalog of its own.

Toys R Us filed for bankruptcy last September with $4.9 billion debt, which led to the permanent closing of its US and UK stores. The move has seen an outpouring of nostalgia for the firm and its annual 100-page toy catalog, but it seems Amazon is trying to lure in some former customers—despite its problems, Toys R Us generated $6.5 billion in U.S. sales last year.

Amazon’s new toy catalog will reportedly be mailed to millions of households and handed out at Whole Foods Market locations—the food store chain it acquired for around $13.7 billion last year.

Amazon has been looking to use more elements traditionally found in brick-and-mortar retailing. According to people familiar with the matter, it was considering acquiring some Toys R Us locations earlier this year. The company is also planning to launch a second cashier-free Amazon Go location in Seattle this fall.

Although it spent over $100 million during the past few years to try and improve its internet sales, Toy R Us couldn’t compete with online rivals. It’s somewhat ironic that one of these competitors may start using a sales technique made famous by the toy store.

Amazon has declined to comment on the report.

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I am amazed that Amazon didn't snap up Toys R Us before they folded. That would be a great anchor store in just about every city for Amazon to sell out of in established territories ......
 
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