Concord
But he said on Thursday that he’s more sorry than happy.
“I feel bad for the 33,000-plus people who will be out of a job,” said Levy, who has been selling toys and children’s items since 1972. “But I don’t feel that bad for the management — five billion in debt is unconscionable.”
Levy owned a toy store in Concord more than 30 years ago.
“I started at Storrs and Depot (streets) then moved to Fort Eddy Plaza,” he said. “Then Toys R Us came in — and Tons of Toys was coming to Concord … and I said, ‘Gee, maybe it’s time to change my focus.’”
Levy transitioned into baby furniture and at one time had three stores, in Concord, Manchester and Keene, before consolidated into the Elm City, where he has thrived as a store with toys, games and children’s accessories.
Toys R Us, which has been struggling financially for a decade, announced Thursday that it was closing the more than 800 stores it has in the U.S., including its location on Loudon Road in Concord and in Manchester, Nashua, Salem and the Seacoast. Thursday’s announcement about the closing of all its stores was unexpected.
Toys R Us was at the forefront of changes to American retail three decades ago when large chains known as “category killers” began focusing on a single product area, such as Best Buy in electronics or Home Depot in hardware, and driving small, independent competitors out of business.
At one time, virtually every city had at least one independent toy store, such as French’s Toy Shop that operated on State Street from 1935 until a decade ago, but most have closed. Those that remain have focused on a niche, like YoYo Heaven on N. Main Street in Concord.
“I don’t like how people are always on their phone. I wanted to try to make a store that has only hands-on type toys,” said Dan McBride, a Northwood, N.H., native who started the store with his father four years ago.
As the name implies, the store began with McBride’s love of yo-yos, but it has slowly branched out during three moves into ever-bigger locations. “When we began yo-yos were half of the store, but we’re going more general now. We’re keeping it old school, like board games, puzzles — things we didn’t have in the beginning,” McBride said.