Nov. 20, 2025 "Do kids still want toys? Toy stores are struggling, but don't just blame screens": Today I found this article by Natalie Stechyson on CBC:
The much-awaited trailer for Pixar's Toy Story 5 dropped last week, revealing a new toy joining the beloved playtime crew: a tablet.
In the description posted on YouTube, Pixar writes, "The age of toys is ... over?"
Rex the dinosaur and Slinky Dog shake with anticipation as the delivery box arrives. Woody and Buzz Lightyear cling to each other as INXS's iconic Never Tear Us Apart plays in the background.
It's just a movie, but the cartoon scene also dramatizes a real threat.
In the age of screens,
amid reports of retail stores struggling
and studies suggesting that all kids want for Christmas are Robux,
what does the future hold for the toy industry?
A number of different forces are at play in the market, said Doug Stephens, a retail adviser, author, and the founder and CEO of Retail Prophet — not the least of which are
falling birthrates, where fewer kids means fewer customers compared with the toy boom we saw in the 1950s and '60s.
We also live in a world of saturated distribution,
where Amazon or any third-party marketplace can deliver practically any toy to your doorstep,
which greatly reduces the need for big-box toy stores,
Stephens told CBC News.
But then, there are also screens.
"The whole realm of online and digital consoles have just obliterated the toy category," Stephens said.
"Over the past 20 years,
we have just seen a surge in gaming,
we've seen a huge surge in the sale of gaming consoles
and it's almost become a subculture."
The rise and fall of big-box toy stores
The baby boomer era was, in many ways, peak toy store.
Economic prosperity in North America,
a soaring birth rate
and a more child-focused culture
all helped fuel a toy boom,
notes the North Carolina Museum of History.
In addition, new types of plastics were more widely available,
which made manufacturing toys easier
and less expensive,
according to the Strong National Museum of Play.
In 1957, businessman Charles Lazarus launched Toys ‘R’ Us, the first big-box toy store, notes the History Channel.
That era also ushered in some of the most iconic toys of all time, the History Channel explains, like
Mr. Potato Head,
Matchbox cars
and Barbie.
By 2018, however, things had changed. Plagued by
long-term debt,
online shopping
and the rise of gaming,
Toys 'R' Us filed for bankruptcy protection and then liquidated its U.S. operations.
By 2021, all of its U.S. stores were gone.
On Sunday, the Edmonton Journal and the Financial Post reported that
Toys 'R' Us Canada closed some 38 stores this year
and put another 12 up for sale.
The national retail chain that once had 103 Canadian locations now has only 40, according to the report.
In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for Toys 'R' Us Canada said it was
"making strategic changes to better meet the needs of Canadian families
and reimagine the toy experience."
The statement did not specifically address the closure of stores but said
Toys 'R' Us Canada continues to invest in new locations.
The issues facing toy stores also aren't limited to Toys 'R' Us.
Canadian retailer Mastermind Toys was rescued from the brink of bankruptcy in 2023,
and selling the bulk of its business to Unity Acquisitions.
As Retail Insider points out,
that acquisition preserved 48 of the Toronto-based company's stores
and 85 per cent of its staff.
Toy sales actually up — just not necessarily for kids
Yet despite the apparent struggles of big-box toy stores,
Canadian toy sales are rising this year, according to retail data provided to CBC News by the Canadian Toy Association, The Toy Association in the U.S. and market research company Circana.
Canadian toy sales were up 18 per cent in the first half of 2025
compared with the same period last year, with
games,
puzzles
and building sets
leading the push,
Circana said.
The sales data and industry trends indicate that traditional toys — like
games,
building sets,
trading cards,
plush
and collectibles
— continue to be in high demand,
said Kristin Morency Goldman, a spokesperson for The Toy Association.
And according to marketing data company IBIS World, there are actually
more hobby and toy stores in Canada now compared with last year
— about 4,100 of them across the country in 2025,
a growth rate of 3.7 per cent.
So, what's with the discrepancy? It kind of comes down to how you define toys, said Andrew Wagar, president and CEO of Swerve Strategic Marketing and a board member of the Canadian Toy Association.
"The major driver of that growth are
adult toy-buyers
or what we could call in the industry 'adult collectors'
— or the trending term is 'kidult,'"
Wagar told CBC News.
It's the "kidults" who are buying
Lego,
Pokémon cards,
action figures
and collectibles,
he said, and they're willing to pay more for them.
The retailers who have recognized and leaned into that market are doing well, Wagar said.
So while we're seeing a decrease in big-box stores like Toys 'R' Us
— in part due to e-commerce
and Walmart and Amazon taking the market share of toy shoppers
— we're seeing an increase on the hobby side,
he said.
"Where do local collectors go to buy? They want to go to the local hobby and toy store."
'All I want for Christmas is Robux'
A viral YouTube video called "All I want for Christmas is Robux" made the internet rounds a few years ago. The melodic parody of Mariah Carey's Christmas anthem is about online game Roblox's in-game currency, called Robux.
Again, it's just a video, but like Toy Story 5's tablet, it tells a deeper story about the kind of toys a lot of kids want.
Parenting forums are rife with complaints about their children asking for Robux, calling it an "invisible gift,"
while also frequently suggesting the in-game currency gift cards for stocking stuffers.
Meanwhile, multiple top toy lists for this holiday season feature the
$700 Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle,
and a new study out of the Entertainment Software Association says
more than half of the roughly 700 kids it surveyed plan to ask for video game content this Christmas.
But as the traditional toy industry has suffered through this surge, there's also an "awakening" happening now as we learn more about screen time and development,
and parents are looking for alternatives such as traditional games, said Stephens of Retail Prophet.
Still, when you're up against the convenience of Amazon, any retailer — toys or not
— needs to ask themselves
what they offer to customers
that other retailers don't,
Stephens said.
That's why we're now seeing some
toy stores focus more on experiences and play —
somewhere to go to have fun with your child,
he said.
In Calgary, for instance, Cherry Tree Lane Toys hosts events and offers birthday party packages.
Minotaur in Kingston, Ont., hosts weekly craft nights and twice-weekly game nights.
"Stores that sell products are dying.
Stores that sell experiences are rising,"
Stephens said.
Which may be why Toys 'R' Us, in its email to CBC News, said part of its strategic changes include expanding its new free-with-purchase play gym and "birthday party experience" across many stores.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toy-stores-closing-9.6982786
My opinion: I'm mildly interested in these articles about toy stores because I worked at Comic Con in 2025 and I sold toys and collectibles.
I sent this article to my boss Brad who I worked for at Comic Con.
Jan. 22, 2026 "Several suppliers suing Toys ‘R’ Us Canada for unpaid merchandise: court docs": Today I found this article by Tara Deschamps on BNN Bloomberg:
TORONTO — Toys “R” Us Canada is being sued over alleged unpaid invoices by several suppliers, including the maker of Paw Patrol and Gabby’s Dollhouse toys.
Court records show six toy suppliers quietly filed lawsuits against the retailer last year in hopes of recouping cash for alleged unpaid merchandise they sent the chain.
Among the biggest names going after Toys “R” Us Canada is Spin Master Ltd., the Canadian company also behind the Melissa & Doug, Hatchimals, Ms. Rachel and Bakugan toys.
Other plaintiffs include U.S. bike makers Huffy Corp. and Dynacraft BSC, as well as Baby Einstein and Gerber Childrenswear distributor Kidcentral Supply.
The lawsuits, which collectively seek more than $4 million from the retailer, are the latest sign of financial trouble at Toys “R” Us Canada.
The company has recently been closing many of its stores
and is also facing at least $31.3 million in lawsuits from landlords over alleged unpaid rent.
The retailer, its lawyers and those representing the company’s CEO did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuits Thursday.
The allegations Toys “R” Us Canada is facing have not yet been tested in court. The company has also not yet filed a statement of defence in some of the cases.
In the cases where the retailer has responded with court filings, Toys “R” Us Canada has largely denied the allegations suppliers have levied and taken issue with the sums they’re demanding.
In one case the retailer is facing from Diana Dolls Fashion Inc. — a Stoney Creek, Ont., company that does business as Kushies Baby and has been a Toys “R” Us Canada supplier for 25 years — the chain calls the $81,737.11 being requested “inflated, excessive and not recoverable.”
In another lawsuit from Incredible Novelties Inc., a Toronto toy distributor, filed against Toys “R” Us Canada, the retailer said the $208,352.27 requested for unpaid merchandise is “inaccurate and greatly exaggerated.”
Toys “R” Us Canada argued it shouldn’t have to pay the fee because its contract with Incredible Novelties allegedly allowed the retailer to
reduce the amount it owed for merchandise,
if it could not sell the products over specific time periods.
Because Toys “R” Us Canada “suffered financial losses in the form of reduced sales revenue and lost profits”
when Incredible Novelties stopped sending it products,
it asked for the case to be dismissed with costs.
It went even further when battling Spin Master, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At the centre of that lawsuit is an agreement where the retailer would order shipments of product that would be supplied to Everest by Spin Master. Invoices would then be issued by Spin Master to Everest but Toys “R” Us Canada was liable to pay all invoiced amounts.
Everest Toys is a Canadian toy distributor owned by the same family behind Putman Investments.
Putman Investments owns
Toys “R” Us Canada,
HMV,
Sunrise Records,
Northern Reflections,
Ricki’s
and Cleo
and is run by Doug Putman,
the son of Everest Toys founder Bob Putman.
Everest Toys was forced into receivership last summer by TD Bank which accused it of “deteriorating financial circumstances.”
Spin Master’s statement of claim said Toys “R” Us Canada failed to pay for US$3,402,703.05 in product.
Toys “R” Us Canada argued some of the toys it ordered from Spin Master were “unsaleable” and are available to be returned so it’s asking for a refund of more than $5.6 million.
While most of the cases have yet to be heard by a court, Toys “R” Us Canada has already lost at least one by default.
In December, it was ordered to pay the Canadian equivalent of US$267,193.00 and another $1,250.00 for the costs related to that lawsuit. The fees carry a four per cent interest rate.
The order was a default judgment, which happens when a defendant fails to respond to a claim within a specified time limit.
Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2025.
The other 2 blog posts of the week:
"Saks Global files for bankruptcy after Neiman Marcus takeover leads to financial collapse"/ "Luxury retailer Saks seeks bankruptcy protection overwhelmed by debt"
https://badcb.blogspot.com/2026/01/saks-global-files-for-bankruptcy-after.html
"Lululemon pulls Get Low line from website after customer feedback"/ "Lululemon founder blames board for ill-fitting and thin Get Low clothes"
https://badcb.blogspot.com/2026/01/lululemon-pulls-get-low-line-from.html
The American climber is the first to summit the 508-metre tower without a rope
American rock climber Alex Honnold made it to the top of the Taipei 101 skyscraper on Sunday without any ropes or protective equipment.
Cheers erupted from a gathered crowd as he started climbing the 508-metre tower, using the horizontal metal beams to pull himself up with his bare hands.
The onlookers cheered again when he paused at one point and turned around to face them, in a red short-sleeve shirt that stood out as he made the climb.
Honnold's free solo climb of the iconic building in Taiwan's capital city was broadcasted live on Netflix with a 10-second delay. The ascent, originally scheduled for Saturday, was delayed for 24 hours due to rain.
The climb drew both excitement and concern over the ethical implications of
attempting such a high-risk endeavor
on live broadcast.
Honnold wasn't the first climber to ascend the skyscraper, but is the first to do so without a rope. French rock climber Alain Robert scaled the building on Christmas Day in 2004 as part of the grand opening of what was then the world's tallest building.
Does your profession require specialized skills that need a license or certification?
Yes 37.74% (1664)
No 36.09% (1591)
Not applicable 26.17% (1154)
Chad D, Sherbrooke, Quebec, would like to know:
Do you have a financial advisor or planner?
No 57.44% (2506)
Yes 42.56% (1857)
Natalie S, Edmonton , Alberta, would like to know:
Do you prefer traveling alone or with others?
With others 81.48% (3599)
Alone 18.52% (818)
Sharon M, Penticton, British Columbia, would like to know:
Who would you rely on in an emergency?
Partner / Significant Other 38.22% (1714)
Family 35.50% (1592)
Emergency Services (911) 19.16% (859)
Friends 5.98% (268)
Neighbour 1.14% (51)
Alexia D, Gatineau, Quebec, would like to know:
Do you compost your food waste?
Yes, regularly 46.61% (2080)
No, never 32.56% (1453)
Yes, sometimes 14.56% (650)
No, but I plan to start 6.27% (280)
