Former CEO wants to bring Toys ‘R’ Us back from the dead

The assumption that the absence of a toy or baby category killer (or any category killer for that matter) represents an obvious void in the market is spurious. Big box category killing is a perilous proposition when Amazon can take aim at any time and mercilessly attack without regard to profitability. Best Buy has done a (so far) masterful job of circumventing this reality by broadening its definition of “consumer electronics” to include smart home, connected solutions, services, etc. and by serving as a flagship location for some of the major brands it carries. That’s a far cry from TRU’s history of me-too private brand creation and old school category-focused merchandising approaches.

My latest Retail Wire weigh-in. Check out the rest of the discussion.