Toys R Us new opening time of 5pm on Thanksgiving was announced Monday on several websites that advertise black Friday deals. This will be the earliest that any major retailer has opened for black Friday yet-and the response from customers whas been overwhelmingly negative. Customers took to the Toys R Us Facebook page to voice their opinions about the store opening at dinner time on Thanksgiving. Customers let the company know that many of them would be boycotting the store on Black Friday, as they would be spending time with their families at that time, and feel that Toys R Us employees should be able to do the same. Many customers vowed to boycott the store indefinitely. The company has not yet responded for comment.
Rethink the Marketing Strategy?
This comes on the heels of a controversial ad released by the company. In the ad, a group of children is told that they will be taking a field trip into the forest. They enter a green bus labeled “Meet the Trees foundation”. A “ranger” begins the bus ride by saying that they will waste no time, and begins asking the children what different kinds of photographed leaves are. The bored children show a lack of response, yawning. The “ranger” then pulls of his ranger outfit to reveal a Toys R Us uniform beneath and announces that they will actually be going to Toys R Us to pick out toys of their choice. The children cheer and run into the store when they get there. Many critics say that this is a disturbing choice of presentation for a nation whose children are increasingly disassociated with nature. Toys R Us seems to be buying into the idea that America is focused more on materialism than family values or appreciation of nature. Do you think they are right?