Worried about a Christmas without the prospect of the hallowed Toys R Us to guide you through?
Good news. Just because Amazon was one of the forces that was key to the demise of Geoffrey the Giraffe, doesn’t mean it does not want parents everywhere to be in the know when it comes to filling their children’s Christmas coffers. No, the online retail giant has decided that it will step in to fill the void Toys R Us left and print a holiday catalog of its own.
On paper.
The new Christmas toy catalog will reportedly be handed out at Whole Foods locations and will be sent out in the mail.
Among the reasons Toys R Us went out of business, of course, was competition from online stores like Amazon (and big box retailers like Walmart, which actually displaced it as the nation’s largest seller of toys some time ago). But despite its many struggles, the famous “Big Book” toy catalog was a staple of fall for families nationwide.
The 100-page catalog would arrive near the end of October for kids to look through and create a wishlist before December.
Amazon, of course, isn’t the only firm looking to cash in on the wake Toys R Us has left with its passing. Party City, for example, is opening up pop-up toy stores for the holiday, and Target has announced it will be clearing out more shelf space.
What’s next?
Well, we think along with the team at The Verge we’ll wait to see if Amazon comes up with a special mascot all its own.
Godfrey the Giraffe maybe?