Kids R Us closing! Bargain deals ahead!

[alandenisefields]

Toys R Us has announced they are going to close ALL 136 Kids R Us clothing stores (as well as 36 of their Imaginarium toy stores). Competition in the clothing biz from Wal-Mart, Target and the Gap obviously has taken its toll.

So you know what that means bargain shoppers! DEALS! Be sure to see if you have a Kids R Us near you. And start watching for those clearance/closing sales.

Please post your finds here to share with others!

--
Alan & Denise Fields, authors
BABY BARGAINS * BABY 411 * TODDLER BARGAINS

[amp]

Do you have any idea how soon they plan to start closing the doors on these stores? I have one near me, but I don't get there very often, so I don't want to make a premature trip...but I also don't want to miss an opportunity to get a great deal! Thanks!

[brubeck]

Do you know what this means for the KRU clothing brands? I really like some of the stuff they have.

I have noticed that recently our local BRU has started carrying clothng up to size 4T. Do you think this was in preparation for no longer having KRU stores?

[JustMare]

I heard on CNN that the majority of the KRU stores will be turned into BRU stores. Which, I find hard to believe since they are usually near one another.

[Melanie]

Do you think this includes the Kids R Us which are inside of Toys R Us? That's the only kind we have.

[kfcboston]

Here's my post from below about this with a few more details - but not much.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=82&topic_id=636&mesg_id=636&page=

[starrynight]

From what I heard any kru inside a tru will just become tru with a kru section but not a big selection. They will still have the clothing brand and still sell it in bru and tru just not as much they will be scaling down and getting rid of the stores to save on rent costs etc. And imaginarium toys will still be sold in tru stores also from what I heard.

[Melanie]

Oh, that's exactly what it is already like, here. I miss the "real" imaginariums of my youngER days when they had the little doors special for the kids to walk through. They were such cool stores.

Pretty soon all we'll have is one big Walmart (or the like) to shop at for everything and no selections.

[lesliepear]

In Paramus, NJ there are 2 KRU's - one on Rt 17 (across from BRU). The other is on Rt 4, next to Kohls (across from Bergen Mall).

Appparently the Rt 4 one was going to close in January when the lease ran out anyway. So the other stores in NJ shipped their summer clearance there. So 70-80% of the stuff there is marked down summer stuff. But there are other things there also - I got a pair of infant size 5/6 snow boots (choice of Bob the Builder or Spiderman designs) for 4.00 - before the current 10% off.

Also Saturday (or maybe Sunday) is the last day to use any KRU coupons you may have.

[Momof3Labs]

An ad in our paper said 10-30% off of all KRU merchandise starting tomorrow. So the sale is starting!!

[llcoddington]

Kids R Us in Rockville, MD is closing. Signs on 355 (Rockville Pike) say 10-30% off everything.

[brubeck]

I didn't go in, but I drove by our local KRU today and it had the big 'Store Closing' signs everywhere. I'm planning on checking it out in December when the discounts get a bit steeper.

[naomi01]

Hmmm... anyone have any new news on this front?

Naomi

[brittone2]

I popped in there today and everything was still 10-30% off. Most clothing was 10-20%. I am due in February so I was mostly looking at Layette items. We just got a Carter's outlet in a local stripmall (I was there right before going to KRU) and most of the Carter's stuff was much cheaper there so I didn't end up buying anything at KRU.

OUr local store still had a LOT of merchandise, so maybe as the sale continues they'll lower prices some. Overall, I didn't think the deals were spectacular, but they were cheaper than regular prices seen in other stores. Most items can be found on sale from time to time in any department store for the same price or less than what KRU was still charging.

Maybe it was just the layette items, but I didn't see any huge bargains...but again, the prices weren't bad either.


Beth

[naomi01]

I am really going to miss their twice a year clearances - now THOSE were bargains (50% off the clearance price). Does anyone know of any other stores that have similar sales?

[brittone2]

This isn't quite as good of a deal as the past KRU sales probably, and I'm new to the whole baby shopping arena (due w/ our first in February)...but I was at a Carter's outlet Monday and got some good deals.

They had all the "hungry little catapiller" line discounted to 70% off so my long sleeved sleeper was $5. Most things in the store were around 30-50% off, although I noticed on some things they had marked up the price before the discount (for example, I know onesies go for $15 a pack at BRU; carter's had them 50% off which got me excited until I saw they had the regular price marked up to $22!! $11 is still cheaper than $15 so they were still a good buy, I just hate when companies do this).

So it took some hunting to know what was a good sale in there and what was average (comparable to any sales at BRU for example). The Hungry LIttle Catepiller line marked down 70% was a good deal.

They also gave me a coupon for 20% off any item on my next visit, including the existing discount.

Beth

[momma_boo]

If you sign up for their mailing list, you occassionally get postcards for 20% off any item and notice about sales. I think at this point, I have 3 of the 20% off coupons!

I just got one last night about items being $7 but it didn't say which items.

[naomi01]

I keep signing up for the carter's mailing list and they still never send me anything.

When KRU had their sale last time I got sweatshirts for DS for $2, osh kosh winter hats for 50 cents, t-shirts for $2-3, osh kosh overalls for $7.50.... nothing else seems quite the same. I keep waiting for their closing sale to drop further but I am not sure it will ever be as good! (ie, even if it was 50% off, the old sale was 50% off the CLEARANCE price..... achhh.... they've spoiled me for regular sales!)

[Mabster]

Well, I went into a local KRU today to finally check out the sales. I wasn't really impressed. Please keep in mind that my baby hasn't even been born yet, and I've never stepped foot into a KRU before.

The sign in the window said 30-50% off all merchandise. Well, I only really looked at the layette stuff - most everything there was marked 20% off, with a special "this weekend only" additional 10% off. Of all of the items I saw, I've seen most of them in the local department stores (Filene's, Sears) on sale for 40-50% off, plus whatever coupons you can wrangle for the store.

The sales may have been better in other parts of the store but I didn't even bother to look. There was still a LOT of merchandise left, and there was maybe one other person in the store at the time I was there. Personally, I can see why they're going out of business.

Good luck to the rest of you finding some bargains! Maybe you'll do better than I did.

[Melanie]

I also recently noticed that the KRU brand outfit I bought my son has faded terribly for the amount of time it's been worn, and also shrank about 2" the first time it was washed in cold and dried on low.

We don't have stand alone KRU's, so that was bought non-discount at the local combo store. >:|

[vikivoly]

SKIP IT! There was little selection and what was left was only 30% off the original price! Hardly a bargain. I shopped their before when they had regular sales at 30% off and used coupons on top of that. They had some Christmas clothes that were marked down about 20% and then you got the 30% on top of that, but you could go to any dept. store and find their holiday clothes for 60-70% off.

[mominma]

I went to the KRU in Framingham, MA the other day. Everything was 50-70% off. The only things that are 70% off are the outerwear. Everything else is 50% off. They are clsoing in 5 days (1/28/03).


Melissa
DS 9/00
DD 3/03