Defunctland: The History of Toys "R" Us Times Square

Summary by Krater

This video details the history of the Toys 'R' Us flagship store in Times Square, New York City, from its grand opening in November 2001 to its closure in December 2015 due to high rent and financial troubles.

From the video

Answers: What was the history of the Toys 'R' Us store in Times Square?

• Toys 'R' Us Times Square flagship store
• Retail history
• Real estate in New York City
• Toys 'R' Us bankruptcy and store closures

What it concludes

• The Toys 'R' Us Times Square location cost 35 million dollars to build and spanned 101,000 square feet across 4 stories.
• The store featured a 60-foot-tall indoor Ferris wheel with 14 themed cars.
• The rent for the Times Square store eventually reached 12 million dollars a year, contributing to the store's financial unsustainability.
• Toys 'R' Us filed for bankruptcy in September 2017 after accumulating 5 billion dollars in debt.
• The Times Square Toys 'R' Us officially closed on December 30, 2015, after a 14-year run.