Toys “R” Us Inc. reported a same store sales decrease of 2.5 percent domestically and 4.9 percent internationally, for a consolidated 3.4 percent decrease for the nine-week period ended Dec. 31, 2016. The nine-week period refers to Oct. 30, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2016, as compared to Nov. 1, 2015 to Jan. 2, 2016 in the prior year.
The decrease in domestic same store sales was mainly attributable to a decline in the entertainment and baby categories, as well as a 50 basis point impact from the early release this year of the “Big Book” catalog which shifted sales into the period prior to the holiday. Partially offsetting the decrease was a 1.3 percent increase in the domestic toy categories, which includes core toy, learning, and seasonal, and excludes the entertainment category.
The decrease in international same store sales decreased was driven by the Europe and Asia Pacific markets. The decline was largely due to softness in the entertainment and learning categories.
Toys “R” Us also raised more than $5.4 million and collected a record-breaking 550,000 toys to benefit the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation with donations from the Toys “R” Us Children’s Fund.
