Toys “R” Us Suffers Sales Decrease During Holidays

The toy store company revealed last week that its December sales were down from last year, in both international and domestic markets. In December in the U.S., sales decreased by 1.8 percent over 2011, with the total sales for the year being down 1.9 percent. And in the international market in December only, sales were down 3.5 percent, and overall sales decreased 4.1 percent. “We believe out December sales were impacted by softness in the overall markets for video games, electronics and toys, and by the uncertain economic environment in the US and abroad,” says Jerry Storch, chairman and CEO of Toys “R” Us. “Our team focused on optimizing margin, operating efficiently and managing inventories during a period when the market and competitive intensity offered constrained sales opportunities. Moving forward, we are committed to accelerating distinctive services for our customers both on the Internet and in our stores, and to driving differentiation in our product assortment.”