When we were younger, there was a great deal of excitement of going and picking out a brand-new toy from Toys “R” Us, which is America’s prime toy store. Do you remember the last time you explored the fun-filled aisles of a toy store? Well, I hope so because it turns out that you are going to be one of the last to do so.

On September 18^th, many were in shock as Toys “R” Us filed for bankruptcy. As it attempted to stay relevant in today’s society, Toys “R” Us gained $5 billion in debt, which resulted from reducing prices and signing major licensing deals with toy makers. Lake Mary junior Olivia McCaw says, “I’m extremely sad as I witness one of my favorite places go out of business. When I was younger, it was such a joyous feeling once I found the perfect toy after wandering around Toys “R” Us for hours. Sometimes, I even felt that I just went to have an enjoyable time with family and friends rather than to buy a new toy. I am still in disbelief that a store that was thriving years ago is bankrupt and I wonder what the coming generations are going to do.”.

When you ask a kid nowadays where they get their toys from, the internet is the common answer. In the age of technology, e-commerce is taking over. Rather than going to a store to buy games and toys, people order them online from companies such as Amazon or eBay. Junior Zoya Mukherjee says, “Instead of going to the store, my younger cousins prefer buying their toys from Amazon because they believe it is quick and easy. The prices online are typically cheaper than store prices. It isn’t surprising to me that technology is running toy stores out of business, but it also makes me sad to think that there will soon be no more toy stores.”. Also, less people have been purchasing toys because they prefer using apps for entertainment, especially because many of them are free and just as fun.

The fall of toy stores became inevitable the moment technology became prevalent. Toys “R” Us may be dead, but it will never be forgotten.